The EDPS Annual Report for 2006 shows more concern for data protection

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The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has issued its report for
2006 that includes activities and events as well as the main trends of the
past year and draws conclusions related to complaints, developments in
security, justice, freedom and new technologies with possible impact on
personal data protection.

One of the conclusions of the report is that while the number of complaints
has increased, it is still low and only 20% of the complaints made in 2006
were valid.

“A large majority of the complaints received continued to fall outside of
the supervisory competences of the EDPS, for instance because they dealt
exclusively with processing of personal data on the level of the member
states, where national Data Protection Authorities are competent,” said the
report.

The report shows that data protection continues to be a significant
challenge and more work is needed to make data protection rules and
practices be implemented in the European laws and “to develop a data
protection culture as part of good governance”.

It also states concern regarding the increasing tendency of authorities to
establish central databases and large scale IT systems. According to EDPS,
state databases continuously exceed their function, not always to the
benefit of people and there is “the risk of illegitimate use” of these
databases. “The EDPS has observed a trend in that once a database has been
established, access to it is extended to more authorities, for other
purposes than those for which it was set up.”

He believes that the cooperation between the police forces and the judiciary
systems have been developed without a proper protection for the citizens’
data protection rights.

European Data Protection Supervisor – Annual Report 2006 – Executive Summary
http://www.edps.europa.eu/EDPSWEB/webdav/site/mySite/shared/Documents/EDPS/Publications/Annualreport/2006/AR_2006_Summary_EN.pdf

European Data Protection Supervisor- Annual Report 2006
http://www.edps.europa.eu/EDPSWEB/webdav/site/mySite/shared/Documents/EDPS/Publications/Annualreport/2006/AR_2006_EN.pdf

Most complaints to EU privacy watchdog are misdirected (2.05.2007)
http://www.out-law.com//default.aspx?page=8015