EU watchdog: Data collection can't fly under 'user experience' flag

April 10, 2013

Improving users’ experiences is no justification for using consumer information in big data projects, according to Europe’s top data protection officials. The Article 29 Working Group, which includes the data protection supervisors from the European Union’s 27 member states, said that consumers’ “specific, explicit consent” is almost always required if companies want to use their information in big data projects. In an opinion document adopted last week, the group stated that “vague or general purposes” such as “improved user experience”, “marketing”, “IT security” or “future research” are not, on their own, sufficiently specific enough to gain consent. The newly published 70-page document sets out the rules that organizations must abide by if they want to use consumer data.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2033724/eu-watchdog-data-collection-cant-fly-under-user-experience-flag.html#tk.rss_all