Superpowers seek common ground over data laws

NEWS EU and US officials will resume talks in Washington today to resolve differences in data protection laws that could potentially threaten transatlantic trade. A rift appeared between the superpowers last year, when a new European Data Protection Act resulted in stronger laws governing how businesses handle consumer data. The US government leaves businesses to regulate themselves and so some observers are claiming trade would grind to a halt because of this legal gap. The talks, which are expected to last two days, will see working groups from each party present possible solutions to the conflict. The main sticking point seems to be how businesses redress victims of consumer data abuse. Jonathan Todd, spokesman for EC Directorate XV, which is responsible for data protection issues, said: "We need further clarification from the US side on the whole issue of verification and redress. David Aaron [undersecretary of state for the US Department of Commerce] and John Mogg [director general for the Single Market for the EC] are unlikely to reach an agreement, but we hope to make further progress." But Francis Aldhouse, the UK's deputy data protection registrar, was unsure about whether the talks will resolve anything: "We're in favour of these discussions, but it's hard to tell whether they'll work." The talks must finish by 21 June, when the European Council of Ministers will meet to review their progress.