They are in favour of plans to extend the rules originally destined for telecom providers to OTT service providers, particularly concerning the confidentiality of communications, and also support the update to rules on online tracking. However, the national regulators expressed concerns about four issues to the EC. They would like to see stronger rules on obtaining user consent for Wi-Fi device tracking, stricter controls on the processing of user metadata, a ban on the use of 'cookie walls' that block access to a website if a cookie is not accepted, and greater support for 'privacy by design' in devices, so users can always change their privacy settings, without relying on cookies or third-party software.
In other issues addressed at the meeting, the group said it has written to the US intelligence chief for more information on how Yahoo! may have collaborated in unauthorised surveillance of Europeans. This is part of an ongoing investigation of Yahoo. In addition, the regulators discussed progress in implementation of the 'Privacy shield' with the US, and decided to start publishing on their websites forms for Europeans applying to the American ombudsman for access to their data handled by US national security agencies.
The national privacy regulators also approved guidelines for businesses implementing the new General Data Protection regulation. These cover the appointment of data officers and their responsibilities and the portability of personal data. In addition, it considered a proposed industry code of practice for health applications on smartphones.
