eyeo supports open letter to US Government to protect data privacy

Patriot Act could be used to survey browsing and search history

Over 50 organizations including DuckDuckGo, Fight for the Future and the Reform Government Surveillance coalition that represents Apple, Google, Twitter, Dropbox and others joined a letter calling for support of the Daines-Wyden amendment to the USA Freedom Reauthorization Act in the House to prohibit the FBI from using the Patriot Act to surveil Americans’ online activity without a warrant.

eyeo supports the open letter. A person’s search and browsing history can provide a detailed portrait of their private lives. It may reveal medical conditions, religious beliefs, and personal relationships, and it should not be shared with the government without effective safeguards.

Dr. Judith Nink, Data Protection Officer at eyeo says, ”eyeo highly supports this initiative. The Patriot Act is one of the major concerns in the past to allow data processing between companies seated in EU member and US countries. It not only has quite some business impact, but threatens the individual right for privacy on the internet as well.” 

Companies should only be compelled to provide this sensitive information pursuant to an appropriately authorized and lawfully executed warrant. Internet users deserve to have their online searches and browsing kept private, and only available to the government pursuant to a warrant. 

The Daines-Wyden amendment to the USA Freedom Reauthorization Act will make clear the FBI does not have the right to use the Patriot Act to surveil Americans’ online activity without a warrant. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has the option to add this critical reform to the underlying reauthorization before this legislation comes up for a vote in the House, which is expected on May 27th.

You can sign the open letter here: https://www.saveinternetprivacy.org/