The countries of the EU want to get the “Data Act” off the ground.
(Photo: dpa)
Brussels The countries of the European Union (EU) and the EU Parliament have agreed on the controversial “Data Act”. In addition to regulations on the handling of consumer and company data, protective measures against illegal access by non-EU governments should also be guaranteed. “The entry into force of the Data Act will unleash the economic and societal potential of data and technology and help build a single market for data,” said Erik Slottner, Sweden’s Minister of Public Administration, on Wednesday.
German companies such as Siemens and SAP had warned of the possible forced disclosure of trade secrets. Big US tech companies have also criticized the Data Act, arguing that it could affect international data transfers.
Among other things, the EU law aims to give users the right to determine how the data generated by their connected devices is used. It aims to curb the dominance of the US technology giants: Large cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and Google are therefore obliged to prevent illegal access to data and to establish standards for easier provider switching.
Concerns about data transfers have increased in the EU following revelations by former US intelligence official Edward Snowden in 2013 about extensive US surveillance.
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