Prism case prompts Merkel to seek tougher EU data protection laws

EurActiv and other news sources reported on an interview German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave to ARD Television on the 14 July 2013. In it she vowed to push for tougher EU data protection laws and to force Internet firms such as Google and Facebook to be more open as she tried to reassure German voters before the forthcoming September 2013 federal elections about intrusive snooping by US intelligence in Germany.

Mrs Merkel had dispatched her Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich to Washington the previous week to get answers on the spying issue but he had been derided by opposition parties and IT experts on his return for failing to obtain any US assurances or concessions.

Centre-left Chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück was seen to be doing all he could to capitalise on the spying scandal, even accusing Angela Merkel of breaking her oath of office by not having prevented the surveillance.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Snowden Claims: NSA Ties Put German Intelligence in Tight Spot http://www.europeansources.info/record/snowden-claims-nsa-ties-put-german-intelligence-in-tight-spot/

Deutsche Welle, 13.07.13: Harsh criticism follows US-German talks on NSA http://dw.de/p/197Oo

Spiegel Online International, 10.07.13: Merkel Speaks: Chancellor Defends Intelligence Monitoring http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-chancellor-merkel-defends-work-of-intelligence-agencies-a-910491.html

EUObserver, 15.07.13: Merkel calls for EU data protection law after US spy affair http://euobserver.com/foreign/120857

ESO: Background information: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Safeguarding privacy in a connected world: a European Data Protection Framework for the 21st century http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-from-the-commission-to-the-european-parliament-the-council-the-european-economic-and-social-committee-and-the-committee-of-the-regions-safeguarding-privacy-in-a-connected-world-a-eu/

BBC News, 14.07.13: German Chancellor Merkel urges better data protection rules http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23309624

Spiegel Online International, 15.07.13: 'Broken Oath': NSA Mudslinging Has Merkel on Defensive http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/accusations-fly-in-german-campaign-over-nsa-spying-affair-a-911190.html

SOI: Tag: NSA Spying Scandal http://www.spiegel.de/international/topic/nsa_spying_scandal/

The Guardian, 15.07.13: European commission backs Merkel's call for tougher data protection laws http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/15/european-commission-angela-merkel-data-protection

The Guardian: Tag: The NSA Files http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/the-nsa-files

EUObserver, 19.07.13: Merkel in tough spot over US spy scandal http://euobserver.com/political/120917

Deutsche Welle, 17.07.13: Itching to ask: What does Merkel know about NSA surveillance? http://www.dw.de/itching-to-ask-what-does-merkel-know-about-nsa-surveillance/a-16957061

France24, 16.08.13: Snowden documents show NSA broke privacy rules http://www.france24.com/en/20130816-usa-surveillance-violations-nsa-broke-snooping-rules

Spiegel Online International, 28.08.13: German Interior Minister: 'US Takes Privacy Concerns Seriously' http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-interior-minister-friedrich-discusses-nsa-spying-affair-a-918770.html

European Commission: RAPID: Speech, SPEECH/13/681: Nach PRISM: Europas Datenschutz braucht jetzt Vorfahrt http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-681_de.pdf

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