Members of the European Parliament are expressing concern about the conflict between the European Union's Data Protection Directive and the U.S. Patriot Act. Last week, Microsoft admitted that it may have to disclose European users' data, found in its new cloud service, to U.S. authorities, while keeping transfer details secret, Computerworld reports. Such disclosure would be a violation of the directive, prompting MEP Sophie in't Veld to ask, "Does the commission consider that the U.S. Patriot Act thus effectively overrules the EU Directive on Data Protection? What will the commission do to remedy this situation and ensure that EU data protection rules can be effectively enforced and that third-country legislation does not take precedence over EU legislation?"
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