German Chancellor calls for tougher EU data protection rules
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has used a set piece interview with German public broadcaster ARD to call for tougher EU data protection rules.
Speaking in the wake of allegations of rampant spying by the US government, including eavesdropping on German citizens and officials, Merkel called in German internet companies to inform the government of who they were handing data to.
In a statement Merkel said: “I expect a clear commitment from the US government that in future they will stick to German law.”
Merkel is also pushing for a ‘strict’ policy as part of ongoing talks at European Union level over the introduction of new data protection rules, saying: “We have a great data protection law. But if Facebook is registered in Ireland, then Irish law is valid, and therefore we need unified European rules.”
The German public have reacted angrily to the allegations, prompting the dispatch of their interior minister to Washington this week to ascertain the full extent of the spying.