The European Commission is pushing measures that would force tech firms like Facebook and Google to hand over their data to police in different member states.
EU justice ministers met in Luxembourg yesterday to consider three proposals, which range from allowing police from one state to ask nicely for data held by companies in another to giving cops the ability to copy data directly from the cloud.
The surprise move by the commission – which jars with the perception that Europe is a strong advocate of data privacy – has been prompted by the increase in terrorist attacks in Europe over the last two years.
EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova told Reuters: “I am sure that now in the shadow of the recent terrorist attacks and increasing threats in Europe there will be more understanding among the ministers, even among those who come from countries where there has not been a terrorist attack.”
According to commission spokesman Christian Wigand, the ministers “all agreed that a legislative approach is needed”, and said discussions focused mainly on the second of the three proposals.
