EU chiefs hatch plans to limit Facebook and Google data use
EU leaders are plotting a crackdown on internet companies such as Google and Facebook over how they gather personal data.
The proposals – put forward by German MEP Philipp Albrecht – would impose strict conditions on companies that want to use this data to target adverts.
The measures are opposed by Google and Facebook, which have lobbied against such proposals, warning of a dangerous threat to their businesses.
The proposals designed by Albrecht are designed to make sure web users fully understand how their personal data is collected and stored, and to enshrine in law the ability for people to opt out of data collection. “Users must be informed about what happens with their data,” he said.
However, Facebook’s Brussels chief Erika Mann said: “We are concerned that some aspects of the report do not support a flourishing European digital single market and the reality of innovation on the internet,”
EU members will vote on the proposals in the coming months.