Parliamentary Questions

WRITTEN QUESTION

Submission: Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council

(24 October 2003)

Recently, news emerged that the commercial exploitation of the capability offered by mobile phone relay networks has begun, as at least six companies in the United Kingdom now allow anyone interested to know the exact location of a mobile user, and at a very low cost (7.5 euros per month). It is evident that this opens the door to the exploitation of sensitive personal data, for example, by employers who want to know the whereabouts of their employees at all times. Various thoughts have also been published regarding the creation of a code of ethics for these companies, which would theoretically protect those mobile users who do not wish for their movements to be disclosed. However, the arguments in favor of such a code were hardly convincing, as there is a looming danger of developing a culture of citizen surveillance, with unpredictable consequences.

The Council is asked what actions it intends to take in order to protect European citizens from the use of the data provided by mobile phones to track their movements.