Horizontal privacy rules protect communications & innovation

The use of fixed and mobile communications networks generates communications data and are responsible for online privacy, confidentiality of communications and safeguards data breaches. In addition to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), connectivity providers are regulated by sector specific e-Privacy rules.

GIGAEurope believes that sector-specific rules with regard to the legal processing of communications meta data should be brought in line with GDPR, to avoid unnecessary hampering data driven insights and innovations within sectors and beyond.

Confidentiality of customers’ personal communications and any choices that they have made regarding the use of their data should be respected at all times.

Seizing the opportunity of connectivity data in a privacy compliant manner will also provide a significant boost to the European data economy envisaged under the EU’s Data Strategy and Europe’s digital leadership ambitions.