Prior to the European Commission's (EC's) ruling over the Google DoubleClick deal, scheduled for April, a Dutch member of the European Parliament (EP) has spoken of the need to arrive on common privacy standards.Speaking to the Associated Press, Sophie in 't Veld said European politicians would ask their regulators to take privacy into account when reviewing the deal.
The European Union (EU) assembly's civil liberties committee is set to ask data privacy officials, consumer groups, EU and US regulators and internet companies to speak at a hearing some time in January.
About the deal, Ms in 't Veld stated: "It's drawing attention to the fact that our reality is changing. There are lots of companies collecting personal data; we volunteer our personal data to get services."
She added that privacy is becoming a matter of civil liberties as governments ask firms to hand over travel and financial information on individuals in the face of terrorism.
"Ultimately we will have to arrive on common standards. The committee is not discussing the merits or details of the merger. That's not our business - that's the task of the commission," she commented.
Many people are not aware of who owns their data, what public authorities can do and what kind of legal protection they have when they use such applications as Google and Gmail, Ms in 't Veld said, adding: "It is possible to know a lot about us, where we are and what we are doing."
Since it was announced in April, the possible acquisition of DoubleClick by Google has prompted a great deal of concern over potential compromises in privacy and competition within the industry.
