The European Commission will release its E-Privacy Directive update draft in September, which will mandate that apps like Skype and WhatsApp fall under the same privacy regulatory umbrella as SMS text messages and both mobile and landline calls, the Guardian reports. “It was obvious that there needs to be an adjustment to the reality of today,” said Green MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht. “We see telecoms providers being replaced and those companies who seek to replace them need to be treated in the same way.” He added that the proposed law will take special aim at upholding strong encryption. Critics counter that these laws must be careful not to curb economic innovation, and that re-tailoring older legislation to fit newer technology is “well-nigh impossible,” the report states.
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