New EU rules to curb transfer of data to US after Edward Snowden revelations

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Figured this was a better fit in Scandal Watch than World News.

Via the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/17/eu-rules-data-us-edward-snowden

New European rules aimed at curbing questionable transfers of data from EU countries to the US are being finalised in Brussels in the first concrete reaction to the Edward Snowden disclosures on US and British mass surveillance of digital communications.

Regulations on European data protection standards are expected to pass the European parliament committee stage on Monday after the various political groupings agreed on a new compromise draft following two years of gridlock on the issue.

The draft would make it harder for the big US internet servers and social media providers to transfer European data to third countries, subject them to EU law rather than secret American court orders, and authorise swingeing fines possibly running into the billions for the first time for not complying with the new rules.

"As parliamentarians, as politicians, as governments we have lost control over our intelligence services. We have to get it back again," said Jan Philipp Albrecht, the German Greens MEP who is steering the data protection regulation through the parliament.

Data privacy in the EU is currently under the authority of national governments with standards varying enormously across the 28 countries, complicating efforts to arrive at satisfactory data transfer agreements with the US. The current rules are easily sidestepped by the big Silicon Valley companies, Brussels argues.

More at link.

While I dislike the heavy left wing slant of the Guardian, they really are not letting this story go. So hat tip for that!

[SPQR]

The best way to curb "leaks", especially from the NSA  is two use the "Two Man Rule."The two-man rule is a control mechanism designed to achieve a high level of security for especially critical material or operations. You need two people to access the material. This rule is used for the release of nuclear weapons.