A month after the 15 member nations of the European Union approved a proposed set of data-privacy rules for U.S. companies that do business in those countries, the European Parliament yesterday voted to send the so-called safe harbor agreement back to the negotiating table.
By a 279-259 vote with 22 abstentions, the parliament adopted a resolution criticizing the proposed privacy protections and calling for further changes in the safe harbor agreement, which has been in the works for nearly two years. According to a report posted on the parliament's Web site, the resolution directs the European Commission to add things such as a mechanism for consumers to file privacy-related complaints to an independent body and a requirement that companies compensate people for any damage resulting from violations of the privacy rules.
News: Privacy
