Digital rights group Access has said that EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, who will be stepping down shortly, secretly collaborated with the U.S. Department of Commerce to water down the EU’s draft data protection reform, GigaOm reports. Access released an email dated January 12, 2012, claiming it proves the Home Affairs department actively worked to undermine the reforms. “If this assessment is correct,” GigaOm’s David Meyer writes, “the revelation may jeopardize Malmström’s confirmation by the European Parliament as the EU’s new trade commissioner.” The trade commissioner role will play a large part in the upcoming EU-U.S. Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Her confirmation hearing is set for October 22.
Full Story