The European Parliament is updating data protection rules to include new forms of communication such as WhatsApp and other instant messengers. The aim is to better protect people's privacy.

data protection

technology

consumer protection

rights of the individual

DSM (Digital Single Market)

Reinforcing e-privacy

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/14770180/NO2-PUB-171017-EPRIV-EN.srt

We are often asked: we already have data protection regulation, 

why do we then need another e-privacy regulation? 

But the data protection regulation is only covering personal data 

like your date of birth, your address, or other things which are fixed, 

like something structured in databases and so on. 

But communication is going on permanently. 

Young people are sending messages through smartphones 24 hours a day, 

having all kinds of communication, sending pictures on Instagram and so on. 

It is personal communication -- personal communication revealing our tastes, 

our interests, maybe even our health, our friends, our enemies, 

our contacts and for that, it is very, very sensitive for people. 

That means that all content is protected -- 

but not only all content, but also all metadata is protected -- 

meaning with whom we talk, to whom we send messages, how long we talk, 

And also, our physical equipment is covered by this e-privacy regulation, 

meaning nobody should make any changes in our smartphones, 

sending programmes, cookies and so on, without our consent. 

we try to have a kind of granulated approach, 

so that people could and should give their consent to different kinds of cookies, 

so that they will know what they allow and what they don't allow.