"My proposals will help build trust in online services because people will be better informed about their rights and more in control of their information," she said.
The commission says that key changes to the 1995 data protection rules include:
-People will have easier access to their own data, and will find it easier to transfer it from one service provider to another.
-Users will have the right to demand that data about them be deleted if there are no "legitimate grounds" for it to be kept.
-Organisations must notify the authorities about data breaches as early as possible, "if feasible within 24 hours".
-In cases where consent is required organisations must explicitly ask for permission to process data, rather than assume it.
-Companies with 250 or more employees will have to appoint a data protection officer.
The rules would apply to data handled outside the EU if the companies involved offered services to citizens living in the 27-nation zone.
The commissioner said that by simplifying the current "patchwork" of rules and cutting red tape, businesses could expect to save a total of 2.3bn euros ($3bn; £1.9bn) a year.
However, organisations which break the rules face penalties.
The commissioner suggested that companies that charged a user for a data request be fined up to 0.5% of their global turnover. She said that sum should double if a firm refused to hand over data or failed to correct bad information.
We have had so much bad news regarding the Internet just lately but for once this actually sounds like a good idea. It benefits the normal people like you and me , forces companies to think more about security and even creates a few jobs here and there.
So is this good news or is there a hidden pitfall or motive in there?
www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)
edit on 25-1-2012 by PhoenixOD because: (no reason given)
