Hopefully this will be dealt with over time.

Obviously, its not ideal that companies are still stalking users as they surf the internet.

yo tell us a little bit about your background before joining EDRi (European Digital Rights).

An Interview with Joe McNamee Executive Director of EDRi

In 2009 I set up the EDRi office in Brussels, where I’ve been ever since.

Why was EDRi founded and what is its purpose?

So, in 2002 they got together and set up EDRi as a way of cooperating with each other.

EDRi member map

By 2009, it was fairly clear that a more centralized, permanent presence in Brussels was also needed.

Was EDRi instrumental in the passage of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)?

Yes, we worked on GDPR from the start, even before the proposal was drafted.

EDRi member map

We produced an extensive guide, www.protectmydata.eu, which explains the main points of GDPR.

We also suggested amendments, which we published on the site to provide transparency.

Since the GDPRs adoption, we’ve been making recommendations on how to implement the law more efficiently.

EDRi member map

Are you satisfied with the final GDPR?

I think we achieved everything that was politically achievable at the time, so I’m pleased.

Obviously, its not ideal that companies are still stalking users as they surf the internet.

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Overall the legislation is as good as we could have realistically hoped for.

However, legislation in the security area is frequently more knee-jerk than evidence-based.

Whenever something happens, politicians feel the need to propose something to reassure the public.

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So, we ask for policy to be based on specific evidence.

Traditionally, that has not been done.

Take for example telecommunications data retention.

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On that basis, you could make a reasonable estimate on how long data needs to be available.

A similar scenario applies to passenger name record data where information regarding air travelers is preserved for extended periods.

And, of course, you have national constitutions like the US Constitution and its famous First Amendment.

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Therefore, there are clear rules on restrictions on freedom of expression and speech that a government can impose.

For example, Facebook and Instagram ban images with female nipples.

The government couldn’t have done that directly but found an indirect way to do it.

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Is breaching the spirit of the Constitution more acceptable than breaching the letter of the Constitution?

What we find disturbing is the circumvention of these very basic pillars of our democracies are being eroded.

Maybe, as a society, we will conclude that we don’t care.

EDRi member map

I hope not, but we need to have the discussion.

What is net neutrality and why is it important?

It’s quite a fascinating issue that competition doesn’t fix.

Net neutrality laws do away with companies like YouTube and Facebook paying Internet service providers for privileged access.

In this way, ISPs would be basically getting paid twice for the same service.