Privacy Platform: The CLOUD Act and e-Evidence: “America first” or GDPR first? Challenges of transatlantic access to e-evidence in law enforcement.

European Parliament Privacy Platform

The CLOUD Act and e-Evidence: “America first” or GDPR first? Challenges of transatlantic access to e-evidence in law enforcement. An initiative from Sophie in 't Veld and ALDE Group.

Wednesday 30 January 2019, 13h00-14h15

Les Halles de Schaerbeek, Rue Royale-Sainte-Marie 22, 1030 Brussels

In March last year the US CLOUD Act was passed as part of a two-thousand page spending bill covering 1.3 trillion dollars, without any congressional debate. A few months later, the European Commission published its e-evidence regulation proposal for easier access to electronic evidence for law enforcement purposes. By the end of January, the Commission will recommend the Council to grant a mandate for negotiations with the US on an EU-US agreement under the CLOUD Act. What are the consequences of the CLOUD Act and a forthcoming EU-US agreement for data privacy of Europeans? Are the US and EU racing against each other to the bottom: weaker privacy protections and eliminating judicial checks and legal safeguards? Will the EU propose the same arrangement to Russia or China if they adopt their own CLOUD Act? How can law enforcement cooperation work in the digital age without compromising citizens' rights?

 

 

The topic is particularly relevant because in the week of the Privacy Platform, the Commission will publish its recommendation to the Council to authorise negotiations with the US on an EU-US agreement on facilitating access to e-evidence.

 

Programme:

13h00   Welcome by Sophie in ’t Veld MEP

13h10   Introductory speeches by the panellists

13h40   Q&A interaction

 

Panellists:

• Katitza Rodriguez, International Rights Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Jennifer Daskal, Professor of Law at the American University Washington College of Law
• Guido Brinkel (Head of Regulatory Policy and Director Corporate Affairs at Microsoft Germany)
• Mark Gray (European Commission)

 

If you would like to attend the Privacy Platform, please register 23 January at the latest with Stella den Hartog via sophie.intveld-office@europarl.europa.eu, and by mentioning your full name and organisation