The European Union is planning an overhaul of its data protection law which applies in all EU countries. High on its list of priorities is an intention to give consumers more control over how personal information is collected and used.
The new data protection strategy aims to ensure that people are aware of what happens to the information they share with companies, public authorities and social networking sites.
Holders of personal information, such as internet service providers or search engines, would have to reveal who is collecting data and for what purpose.
The strategy will introduce the concept of the 'right to be forgotten' - to ask for data to be completely removed once it has served its original purpose.
Currently, only telecommunications companies must inform consumers if their personal details are unlawfully accessed. The strategy would now extend that requirement to other sectors, such as the financial industry. Companies would only be able to send personal information outside the EU if the recipient was in a country offering a similar level of data protection.
The strategy also aims to cement a common approach across the EU. Because countries do not apply current rules consistently, it's not clear what law apply in what circumstances. That can be an obstacle to doing business when it holds up the legitimate flow of information. Under the revised law, multinational companies would only have to deal with one set of rules.
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