I have finally the right to be forgotten in Google!!!

Google a facut primul pas in vederea conformarii cu hotararea Curtii de Justitie a UE si a pus la dispozitia tuturor un formular prin care pot solicita eliminarea continutului irelevant sau inadecvat din rezultatele afisate la cautare.

Read this post: http://ec-insider.blogspot.be/2014/03/the-new-ec-data-protection-reform-right.html 

O decizie recentă a Curții de Justiție a Uniunii Europene stabilit că anumiți utilizatori pot solicita ca motoarele de căutare să elimine rezultatele pentru interogările care le includ numele, atunci când rezultatele respective sunt inadecvate, irelevante sau nu mai sunt relevante ori sunt excesive în raport cu scopurile pentru care au fost procesate.

Larry Page, seful companiei, spune ca decizia va afecta start-up-urile care vor sa se dezvolte si va ajuta guvernele represive sa limiteze dreptul la exprimare. El spune insa ca Google va privi lucrurile si din perspectiva europenilor si se va dezbate mult pe subiect.

 

thanks to economist.com

the new EC data protection reform - the right to be forgotten on social networks!

Three quarters of Europeans think that the disclosure of personal data is an increasing part of modern life. At the same time, 72% of Internet users are worried that they give away too much personal data online. They feel they do not have complete control of their data.

The Commission is proposing a strengthened right to be forgotten so that if you no longer want your personal data to be processed, and there is no legitimate reason for an organization to keep it, it must be removed from their system. Data controllers must prove that they need to keep the data rather than you having to prove that collecting your data is not necessary.

What will be the key changes?

• Strengthening the ‘right to be forgotten’ to help people better manage data protection risks online. When individuals no longer want their data to be processed and there are no legitimate grounds for retaining it, the data will be deleted. The rules are about empowering people, not about erasing past events or restricting the freedom of the press.
• Guarantee easy access to your own data.
• Establishing a right for individuals to freely transfer personal data from one service provider to another (data portability).
• Ensuring that individuals must give consent explicitly when it is required for certain types of data processing.
• Increasing the responsibility and accountability of those processing data by introducing data protection officers for companies over 250 employees, and the principles of ‘privacy by default’ and ‘privacy by design’ to ensure that individuals are informed in an easily understandable way about how their data will be processed.

In January 2013 the EC proposed a comprehensive reform of the data protection rules.

The European Parliament last week cemented the strong support previously given at committee level to the European Commission's data protection reform (MEMO/13/923 and MEMO/14/60) by voting in plenary with 621 votes in favour and 10 against.

The €63 billion app economy boom in Europe - an amazing scale-up !!!

The study Study "Sizing the EU App Economy" shows that The EU's app sector has gone from zero to digital superhero in less than five years. By 2018 it could employ 4.8 million people and contribute €63 billion to the EU economy.

Today the app economy employs 1 million developers, and 800,000 people in marketing & support posts. This could rise to 2.7 million developers + 2.1 million support staff by 2018. EU buyers and advertisers spent €6.1 billion on apps in 2013, 30% of total global app spending, growing to €18.7 billion in 2018. Consumer spending combined with advertising and contract work could lead to €63 billion annual revenue for the app sector within five years.

The study is part of Startup Europe, a Digital Agenda initiative supported by Neelie Kroes to promote ICT and web entrepreneurship in Europe and to help the companies flourish in Europe.

It includes six activities: The Accelerator Assembly, the European Crowdfunding Network, The Web Investors Forum, the Leaders Club, the Startup Europe Partnership and improving Web Skills via MOOCS (being launched in 2014).

Some other insights:

A new Data Protection Compact for Europe: don't be naked online!

Data protection in the European Union is a fundamental right. Europe already has the highest level of data protection in the world. However, nine out of ten Europeans (92%) say they are concerned about mobile apps collecting their data without their consent. Seven Europeans out of ten are concerned about the potential use that companies may make of the information disclosed.

The new rules will put citizens back in control of their data, notably through:

• A right to be forgotten: decide when your data is really deleted.

• Easier access to your own data: A right to data portability will make it easier for you to transfer your personal data between service providers.

• Allowing you to decide how your data is used: When your consent is required to process your data, you must be asked to give it explicitly.

• The right to know when your data has been hacked: for example, companies and organisations must notify the national supervisory authority of serious data breaches as soon as possible (if feasible within 24 hours) so that users can take appropriate measures.

• Data protection first, not an afterthought: ‘Privacy by design’ and ‘privacy by default’ will also become essential principles in EU data protection rules.

The European Commission's data protection reform will help the digital single market and businesses realise this potential, notably through four main innovations:

• One continent, one law: The Regulation will establish a single, pan-European law for data protection, replacing the current inconsistent patchwork of national laws.

• One-stop-shop: The Regulation will establish a 'one-stop-shop' for businesses: companies will only have to deal with one single supervisory authority, not 28.

• The same rules for all companies – regardless of their establishment: Today European companies have to adhere to stricter standards than companies established outside the EU but also doing business on our Single Market.

•  European regulators will be equipped with strong enforcement powers: data protection authorities will be able to fine companies who do not comply with EU rules with up to 2% of their global annual turnover.

"A message to our American friends. Data Protection rules should apply irrespective of the nationality of the person concerned. Applying different standards to nationals and non-nationals makes no sense in view of the open nature of the internet." - Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Justice Commissioner.

More in the press pack.