Friday, March 29

The new Europol has more powers than ever. Among them a dangerous access to private data almost without limits


Europol reforms. And it will have new powers that expand its capacity beyond what the European Police Agency has ever enjoyed. An extension of its powers now approved by the European Parliament that has caused organizations in defense of digital rights to cry out in heaven.


Big Data: the new weapon of the European Police. With the idea of ​​modernizing the body and “being able to carry out research and innovation projects”, Europol will have the capacity to process large series of data and receive data from private companies when it comes to pursuing sensitive issues such as terrorism or abuse child sex.

In other words, the European Police will be able to take advantage of a huge amount of data for the most serious cases. Parliament has approved by 480 votes in favour, 143 against and 20 abstentions, that Europol will have new powers and will be able to ask companies for private user data, for example communication services.

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Almost unlimited access… under Data Protection. The approved text gives enormous powers to Europol. To establish a limit, the creation of a new position is contemplated, that of the person in charge of fundamental rights. There will also be the European Data Protection Supervisor who “will monitor personal data operations.” Europol will have the capacity to access this private data, but an agency will take care of preventing excesses and rights such as privacy from being violated.

Citizens can consult our personal data by contacting the authorities of each country or with Europol. Although, it is something that many citizens are predictably unaware of and will never be carried out.

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An expansion of the police surveillance system… contrary to Europe’s own position on AI. These new powers for Europol have drawn attention because they expand surveillance capacity to levels that go beyond the European Parliament’s own recommendations on Artificial Intelligence. Instead of setting limitations and adding transparency, powers have been given to Europol and only “counterbalanced” by the creation of a supervisor.

Organizations in defense of digital rights such as Fair Trials, EDRi and 16 other companies have issued a statement warning that “the European Union is transforming the police agency into a data black hole. Europol will be able to access data without restriction or control”.

Europol will be able to monitor us and then if that will be ordered to delete our data. In January this year we saw a case that is very representative of how Europol will function from now on. The European Data Protection Supervisor ordered to delete up to 4 petabytes of data that had been obtained and that violated the RGPD for having been collected illegally.

This way of proceeding can “lead to violations of our rights going unreported for years,” says Chloé Berthélémy, a consultant at European Digital Rights. Europe has decided to increase the powers of the great Police Agency, at the cost of placing the review of privacy in the background.

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Image | Europol



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