Steve Kenny, left, is joined by Axel Voss, a member of the European Parliament

Today, Steve Kenny, Head of Privacy for eBay Inc. in the EU, presented eBay Inc.’s position on the Data Protection Regulation proposal put forward by the European Commission last January and currently being negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council.  The majority European People Party ‘Internet of Today and Tomorrow’ Working Group had invited Steve in his role as eBay Inc.’s Data Protection Officer and a known expert in this field.

While welcoming the proposal, Steve advocated for clearer rules defining the one-stop-shop approach and a better balance of enforcement power between the lead data protection authority (DPA) and local DPA. He welcomed the extension of users’ rights but warned that in today’s Internet economy, the right to be forgotten, the right to data portability and the right to rectification cannot be absolute, and that some effort should be made to make them enforceable and meaningful for data subjects.  Finally, while recognising that the Regulation will be decisive for data-intensive sectors as a tool to enhance trust, the provisions included in the proposal should be more context- and risk-sensitive so they do not place excessive administrative burdens on other sectors.

Philippe Juvin MEP and Chair of the Working Group, Axel Voss MEP and EPP shadow rapporteur for the Fundamental Rights Committee (lead Committee on this file), Sean Kelly MEP and EPP rapporteur for the Industry Committee opinion, and Anna-Maria Corazza Bildt MEP and Member of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, very much welcomed Steve’s presentation. They were particularly interested in how to balance the protection of user’s data with the need for competition and innovation.

Steve’s participation in this European Parliament Working Group meeting is part of a broader campaign eBay Inc. runs to promote smart, user-friendly legislation in the area of Data Protection – an area in which the European Union is leading the way.

You can access eBay’s privacy center here.