European Commission warns of collapsing public trust in the internet
European Commission vice-president Neelie Kroes has warned that a series of scandals surrounding the levels of government surveillance of individuals have severely dented public trust in the internet amongst billions of people.
Kroes made the remark in light of mounting public concern in Germany at allegations US spies had tapped chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone, saying that trust can no longer ‘be taken for granted’.
Making the claims at the Cebit technology fair in Hannover Kroes said:”The next phase of the internet will be data-centred and connectivity-driven. Cloud computing, big data, the internet of things; tools which support manufacturing, education, energy, our cars and more. The internet is no longer about emails.
"To make the 'leap of faith' into this new world, reliability and trust is a pre-condition. But when even the phone of the chancellor is not sacred, that trust can never again be taken for granted. Not only that, it is clear that for millions of Germans, and billions around the world, that trust is now missing,”
To counter this the European Commission is championing the creation of a secure European communication network which obligates companies and governments to protect data.