Skip to main content

European Commission’s telco privacy laws may soon also cover internet firms

ec privacy laws telco drapeaux europ  ens devant le berlaymont
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Europe is getting more serious about how companies handle personal data. The European Commission is proposing to update privacy laws that govern how companies can and cannot handle personal data — laws that will cover things like email and mobile data for the first time ever.

What that means is that the ePrivacy regulation would now cover companies like Facebook and Google. That evens the playing field a little for telecommunications companies, which have long complained about the disparity between the regulations imposed on them when it comes to personal data and the regulations imposed on internet companies, which are a little more lax.

According to the proposed laws, telecommunications companies would also get somewhat of a break — they would be able to make use of metadata to provide users with “additional content,” something that internet companies have been able to do for years. An example of this, according to the Commission, would be providing heat maps indicating where individuals are, which could help authorities and transport companies build new infrastructure. Under the laws, user consent would need to be obtained first.

The European Commission is also creating new laws to give users a little more control over cookies and cookie settings. These laws are aimed at preventing the barrage of notifications that Europeans get whenever they visit a new website asking them to consent to the use of cookies, although whether these laws will actually help or not remains to be seen.

There’s one law that’s notably absent from the proposal but was earlier suggested by the EC — forcing internet browsers to now allow cookies by default. It’s not known why that proposal was scrapped, however the EC did run public consultation last year with various industry groups, so it’s possible that the change had to do with that.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more