Council of Europe backs Russia’s claims against Twitter, Apple

MOSCOW, Oct 29 (PRIME) -- The Council of Europe’s Data Protection Commissioner Eva Souhrada-Kirchmayer has sent a letter to senator Ruslan Gattarov saying that the Russian authorities’ claims against Internet company Twitter and IT giant Apple for personal data leaks are fully justified, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday, citing Gattarov.

“The commissioner said that she… cannot directly force Twitter and Apple to eliminate violations of the Russian law on personal data, but she can raise this issue at the Council of Europe,” Gattarov said.

Gattarov also said that he wants to deliver a report on the issue as Russia’s delegate at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Gattarov now heads a commission created by the Federation Council, the Russian parliament’s upper house, to investigate the leaks of Russian citizens’ personal data. In August and September, he sent two letters to Souhrada-Kirchmayer, who heads the Consultative Committee of the convention for the protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data, stating that the confidentiality policies of Twitter and Apple enable violations of personal data privacy of the companies’ Russian clients.

Souhrada-Kirchmayer said in response that the convention is based on the national legislation of each country; and if any company violates the Russian laws, it could simultaneously violate the convention, Gattarov told reporters.

The convention, which came into force on September 1, is a systemic international document, which sets equal international standards of laws aimed at personal data protection.

Gattarov also said that the Federation Council plans to submit the amendments to the existing law on personal data to the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, by December 1.

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