The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP) looks forward to the publication of the European Commission’s Communication on a Digital Single Market (DSM) Strategy for Europe on May 6th. We are hopeful that it will be ambitious, optimistic, and focused.
We share the European Commission’s aspiration to ensure that Europe becomes a global leader in ICT and reaches its full potential in the fields of Big Data, data-driven science and the Internet of Things.
However, we have serious doubts that the legislative text on data protection proposed by the European Commission and the versions currently being considered by the Council and the European Parliament are compatible with the goals of the DSM strategy.
While there are elements that are helpful, overall, the Regulation risks increasing red tape and creating legal uncertainty. Worse, in practice many provisions would damage privacy by banning low-risk processing or creating perverse incentives for the gathering of more data than is necessary.
We call on the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission to take a fresh look at the proposed data protection Regulation prior to the start of trialogue negotiations, to ensure that this key building block of the future legislative framework contributes to realising the vision laid out in the DSM Communication, rather than undermining it.
ICDP is comprised of 21 associations representing thousands of European and international companies who are building, delivering, and advancing the digital experience. Members of ICDP include: ACT | The App Association, American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU), BSA | The Software Alliance (BSA), Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry (COCIR), DIGITALEUROPE, European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), E-Commerce Europe, European Digital Media Association (EDiMA), European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association (EMOTA), European Publishers Council (EPC), European Internet Services Providers Association (EuroISPA), Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA), Federation of European National Collection Associations (FENCA), GS1, IAB Europe, Interactive Software, Federation of Europe (ISFE), Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE), TechAmerica Europe and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).