Soon, new privacy laws to give Internet users 'right to be forgotten'

London, Jan 27 (ANI): European Commission has proposed new and tougher privacy laws that are aimed at putting greater responsibility on companies like Google and Facebook to protect users' information, failing which, they would face hefty fines.

The new laws imply that millions of Internet users will have the 'right to be forgotten' and they could order companies to erase all the data it has on them, according to new legislation announced by the European Commission on Wednesday.

"The protection of personal data is a fundamental right for all Europeans, but citizens do not always feel in full control of their personal data," Viviane Reding, the EU Justice Commissioner, said.

"A strong, clear and uniform legal framework at EU level will help to unleash the potential of the digital single market and foster economic growth, innovation and job creation," Reding stated.

A breach of the rules could result in fines of up to two per cent of a company's annual turnover, or 1 million dollars.

Under the new changes, the companies are required to inform their customers within 24 hours if their information has been hacked.

This change came in the wake of Sony's six-day delay in telling Playstation account holders of a hack attack that saw the personal information of millions of customers stolen.

The proposals under the EU Data Protection Regulation are expected to become law by the end of 2013 if they get approval from all the 27 EU member states and the European Parliament.

The data will comprise everything an individual has given the companies themselves, including posts, uploaded songs and photos, asserted Mina Andreeva, press officer for the Justice Commissioner.

"If you haven't given your consent, you have the right to object. If the person doesn't comply, you can appeal to your data protection officer," Andreeva added. (ANI)