Data privacy should be a central issue in the EU referendum debate, or we could all pay a high price
This week politicians blew lots of political FUD out of their collective nether regions around the EU ‘Brexit’ debate, but failed to consider how a ‘stay’ or ‘leave’ decision would affect data privacy. All the wafty hot air from Iain Duncan Smith about staying in the EU making us more vulnerable to a Paris-style terror attack is, frankly, just that. I’d have been more impressed if he had taken the time out to examine how our EU status might impact data protection. When industry trade body techUK asked its members if they wanted in or out of the EU last year, 71 per cent were in the stay camp, if the UK’s agreement with the EU was reformed. A total 78 per cent insisted that a UK outside the EU would have less influence on tech industry issues. These issues include data protection, specifically the EU’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which are set to come into force between now and 2018.
Only a complete fool would argue that leaving the EU would mean these rules no longer apply to us.