ASPs call for review of data laws

The application service provider (ASP) industry is calling for the European Commission to urgently review its data protection laws following a major new Europe-wide study.

A report from the ASP Industry Consortium (Aspic) warns that laws arising out of the Commission's 1995 data directive are implemented very differently across countries, leaving businesses at risk from prosecution and threatening individuals' privacy.

"Online businesses such as ASPs want to be able to conduct operations effectively while protecting the rights of individuals," said Aspic European chairman Jeff Maynard. "However, current data protection laws, which were written during an era when data was relatively static, need to be changed to catch up with the realities of an online, mobile world."

Aspic is calling on the Commission to implement changes including uniform personal data protection laws throughout the European Union, with an exclusion of corporate data, and the establishment of a central European data protection authority.

The group also wants a redefinition of the roles performed by service providers such as data processors and data controllers to reflect technological realities.

ASPs currently operating across national boundaries are required to register with a central authority in multiple jurisdictions.