EU citizens told to close their Facebook accounts to avoid snooping from US security services

THE European Commission has advised EU citizens to deactivate their Facebook accounts if they want avoid snooping from US security services.

This was the warning given by EC lawyer Bernhard Schima during a case brought by privacy campaigner Maximilian Schrems.

The case of Maximillian Schrems vs. Irish Data Protection Commissioner and Digital Rights Ireland Limited is focused on the current Safe Harbour framework, which covers the transmission of EU citizens’ data across to the US.

Plaintiff Max Schrems argues the agreement no longer guarantees the privacy of European residents following Edward Snowden’s revelations of widespread surveillance by the NSA.

Read more @ http://www.news.com.au/technology/online/eu-citizens-told-to-close-their-facebook-accounts-to-avoid-snooping-from-us-security-services/story-fnjwnfzw-1227281012264

Want Privacy? Then Dump Facebook Account, EU Court Told

(Bloomberg) -- If you worry about your data being up for grabs by U.S. authorities, then dumping your Facebook Inc. account is a good start, an adviser to the European Union’s top court was told.

Yves Bot, who’s guiding the bloc’s highest court on the legality of a 15-year-old data transfer pact with the U.S., was given the tip at a hearing in Luxembourg Tuesday. Bot asked an EU lawyer if there was any means at all to stop his data from being “at the disposal” of U.S. authorities.

“You might consider closing your Facebook account, if you have one,” European Commission attorney Bernhard Schima replied in front of a 15-judge panel of the EU Court of Justice.

Read more @ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-24/eu-u-s-deal-forcing-facebook-data-transfer-gets-scrutiny

 

Abandon Facebook to Avoid US Spying

Read more @ http://peacekeeper.ru/en/?module=news&action=view&id=24917

 

Get off Facebook if you value your privacy, EU commish tells court

Read more @ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/26/close_your_facebook_account_if_you_want_data_privacy_eu_commish_tells_court/

Facebook data transfers "violation" of privacy rights

European Court of Justice begins hearing arguments in landmark Facebook privacy case

The European Court of Justice has heard that the alleged transfer of European personal data to US intelligence services represents an “indiscriminate general surveillance” that is “manifestly incompatible” with EU privacy rights.

The EU’s highest court heard oral arguments today in the case of Austrian privacy campaigner Max Schrems against the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), in a referral from the High Court in Dublin.

Last year Mr Schrems challenged the DPC for not pursuing his complaint, on foot of claims by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, that Facebook had breached EU law by passing his data to the US National Security Agency’s “Prism” programme. The High Court asked Luxembourg for clarification of EU rules regarding EU citizen data transfer to the US, known as the “Safe Harbour” provision.

Read more @ http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/facebook-data-transfers-violation-of-privacy-rights-1.2151155


"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~