U.S. Security Plans Threatens EU Privacy-Watchdog
Fri May 23, 2003 10:27 AM ET 
By Lisa Jucca

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. plans to set up a system of global 
electronic surveillance to fight terrorism in the Internet age threaten 
the basic privacy rights of European Union citizens, the EU's top privacy 
watchdog told Reuters.

Hoping to prevent attacks such as those which demolished New York's 
World Trade Center on September 11, the United States is developing a 
project -- recently renamed Terrorist Information Awareness -- that would 
enable U.S. authorities to scan a wide range of public and private data.

Stefano Rodota, chairman of the EU's national privacy watchdogs, said 
the plan evoked the specter of George Orwell's Big Brother and called 
on EU member states to raise the issue at an EU-U.S. summit in June.

"We have nothing against the U.S. objectives, but the means used to 
achieve them seem excessive, Orwellian and in contravention of all EU 
privacy laws," he said in an interview.

[snip snip snip]

Besides spam, he said other technological developments also posed a 
potential threat to the privacy of EU citizens.

At a meeting in mid-June, the EU watchdogs will tackle the issue of 
biometric screening, such as face recognition or finger printing, a 
procedure the United States is considering applying to foreigners 
entering its borders to weed out terrorists.

Radio-frequency identification, tiny wireless transmitters applied 
to clothes, razors and other everyday items to track their movements 
in stores, are also on the watchdogs' radar. The system is being 
developed by companies such as Benetton, Nokia and Procter & Gamble.

"It's an issue that raises some concern," Rodota said.

                            -==-

Full article at Reuters ...
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=2806124


Cheers, Steve..

---