The Inquirer-Home
Software

Swift broke data protection laws

Ducking and diving
By Nick Farrell
Fri Nov 24 2006, 07:46
A EUROPEAN UNION panel has slammed Belgian based the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) for handing over the personal data of European citizens to US coppers.

Reuters reported that the EU's data protection panel said that Swift broke European privacy laws by handing over personal data to US authorities for use in anti terror investigations. The outfit did not even tell the Belgian authorities before it handed over the data.

Apparently, the company is still giving the data in response to US subpoenas.

The report also attacked the European Central Bank for its role in the affair. The Bank said that it was aware of transfers but could not prevent them.

Apparently Swift made a secret deal with the US Treasury to hand over the information mostly because it was operating in a legal black hole. There are no laws that cover which nation has jurisdiction over wireless transfers.

Swift reckons the US authorities had threatened it with fines and possible criminal penalties if it did not do as it was told.

More here. µ

Share this:

< Previous article| Next article >
Comments

There are no comments submitted yet. Do you have an interesting opinion? Then be the first to post a comment.

aboutus
Advertisement
Subscribe to INQ newsletters
Click here to sign up Existing user
INQ White papers

Databases

Network management

Security

Service oriented architecture

Storage
Advertisement
INQ Jobs
INQ Poll

Authorities in several countries raided Megaupload recently, shut down all of its services, seized hundreds of servers and arrested several of its executives on criminal charges.

Do you think the move was justified?

View other polls
Follow us:
Business & Technology websites:
Business research resources:
Products:
Investment Market IT websites:
Find out what you are worth:
Search for a job:
Recruitment Agency A-Z Directory
Accreditations: