Magaziner slams EU Net privacy laws

The US wants to get around the EU's data protection laws by establishing self-regulation as the global standard for privacy on the Internet.

Ira Magaziner, Clinton's senior policy adviser, told a Progress and Freedom Foundation conference yesterday that the EU's laws were unworkable, and the US has no intention of letting Europe drive its policy on Internet privacy.

Magaziner suggested that EU law would be displaced by international self-regulation, which would be run by non-profit organisations that award certification to Web sites depending on the level of privacy offered.