ePrivacy regulation must not hamper digitalization

Trust and security are the two cornerstones and main principles on which the EU wants to build its Digital Single Market.

After the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the ePrivacy Regulation is another legislative tool that should, increase the level of security mainly in the field of electronic communications and set rules for the use of communications data, both content and metadata, processed by telecoms operators. According to Ambassador Jaroslav Zajíček, Deputy Head of the Czech Permanent Representation to the EU, it is crucial to set the right balance between the level of security and the development of the Digital Single Market.

The Internet of Things is developing in a rapid pace and by 2020, there will be several tens of billions of connected devices worldwide, creating an enormous amount of data. According to Milena Jabůrková, Vice-President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, the ePrivacy Regulation will have a major impact on businesses. First of all, the level of complexity will be increased significantly, especially for those companies using machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, because companies will have to comply with complicated obligations. Secondly, the differentiation of what type of communication falls under the scope of GDPR and which one falls under ePrivacy Regulation is not clearly defined. Business representatives acknowledge the need to increase trust and security among users, however the regulation should not slow down or even block technological development. “Therefore, we ask the European Commission to take M2M communication out of the scope of the ePrivacy Regulation,” stressed Vice-President Jabůrková.

Data is and will be increasingly important “raw material” of the future and the EU must put in place a set of rules that will encourage consumers to use new and innovative services and products, but also stimulate technological and economic development. The event was organized by the Czech Permanent Representation to the EU and the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic in November.