MEP for Ireland South Tipperary’s Phil Prendergast has said that she will not vote in favour of an EU-US free trade agreement if it means data protection for EU citizens is impinged upon.
Deputy Prendergast was speaking on the day the European Parliment voted to approve an overhaul of what she termed as “outdated” European data protection rules in the wake of the Edward Snowden affair.
Deputy Prendergast noted that at present the US is given assess to EU citizens data under certain circumstances for purposes such as law enforcement and counter – terrosim.
However, she added that what cannot be permitted is to allow outside agencies to use these agreements to siphon off everything they can in the misguided belief that Orwellian knowledge of what we all get up to online will make us safer.
If the dissementation of such information impinges on data protection for EU citizens then the Clonmel MEP said that if re-elected she will not vote for an EU-US free trade agreement.
