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Commissioner Franco Frattini, who is responsible for the legislation concerning co-operation between European police as well as data protection of European police, has shown public support for privacy enhancing technologies (PETs). Frattini's position is surprising taking into consideration its open support for other privacy-invasive projects such as the data retention directive, EU-US PNR agreement or the planned EU fingerprint database.
A public statement published by the European Commission (EC) on 2 May 2007 directly supports PETs, expecting them to improve the protection of privacy as well as help fulfil the data protection rules.
"The use of PETs would be complementary to the existing legal framework and enforcement mechanisms. In fact the intervention of different actors in the data processing and the existence of the different national jurisdictions involved could make enforcement of the legal framework difficult."
The PETs mentioned in the Commission's communication are: the automatic anonymisation after a certain lapse of time, encryption tools, cookie-cutters or the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P). These PETs could ensure that "breaches of the data protection rules and violations of individual's rights are not only something forbidden...but also technically more difficult".
The communication shows the plans of the EC in this field through activities such as identifying the need and technological requirements of PETs, promoting use of PETs by the industry, ensuring respect for appropriate standards in the protection of personal data through PETs and promoting the use of PETs by public authorities. It also aims at direct support by funding research on PETs: Europe contributed over 18 million Euro to PET research as part of its 6th Framework Programme (2002-06), and this is expected to increase significantly in the coming years.
Frattini also advanced the idea of a pan-European system of "privacy seals" that will help the consumers.
Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) (2.05.2007)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/159&am...
Euro Data watchdog warns of database creep (3.05.2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/03/database_creep/