Too little has been done to ensure that citizens’ rights are protected following revelations of electronic mass surveillance, say members of the European Parliament, in a resolution passed on Tuesday, October 13. They urge the European Commission to come up with alternatives to Safe Harbour, after the ruling by the European Court of Justice. They are also concerned about the surveillance laws in several EU countries, including the UK.
The civil liberties committee chair and rapporteur on mass surveillance, Claude Moraes, is a Labour MEP. He said: “The European Parliament’s inquiry into the revelations by Edward Snowden of electronic mass surveillance was the most comprehensive investigation completed to date. Not only did the report call for an immediate end to indiscriminate mass surveillance practices by intelligence services both in the EU and the US, but it also set out a roadmap for further action in this area. Following this inquiry, there is widespread agreement that something has gone wrong with the way that intelligence agencies and others have acted. Work needs to continue to ensure that civil liberties are defended on the internet too.”
MEPs regret that the Commission has not responded to Parliament´s request to carry out a study on a “European Whistleblower protection programme”.
