Washington, D.C. – Today Consumer Federation of America (CFA) joined other leading consumer and privacy organizations in the United States in voicing support for the proposed European Union (EU) Data Protection Regulation, which would update and strengthen consumers’ privacy rights across Europe. In a joint letter sent to key members of the European Parliament, the groups state that this regulation “will benefit consumers around the globe as businesses improve their privacy practices and security standards.”

“We need 21^st century solutions to address the privacy issues that are raised by the increasingly global marketplace and the proliferation of new data collection techniques and uses,” said Susan Grant, CFA’s Director of Consumer Protection.

“The EU is leading the way by tackling these complex issues in a comprehensive manner, which the US hasn’t done so far.” Noting that the Obama Administration’s proposed Consumer Bill of Rights “contains the basic elements for privacy protection… but still has no legal force,” the letter says that the EU’s efforts provide “lessons for US policymakers.”

Among other things, the proposed EU regulation would expand the definition of personal information to reflect new ways that data may be linked to individuals, establishes a new right to limit profiling, creates a broad data breach notification requirement, and strengthens the authority of data protection agencies. CFA and the other signatories on the letter made several suggestions for clarifying and further strengthening the proposed regulation.

To read the letter on CFA’s website go to www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/Comments.EUPrivacyRegulationLetter9.5.12.pdf.

CONTACT: Susan Grant of CFA at 202-939-1003

The Consumer Federation of America is an association of nearly 300 nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.