U.S. Commerce Chief Warns of Disruption From EU Privacy Rules
US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is deeply concerned that the new EU privacy rules will lead to serious problems for business, medical research, and law enforcement on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We do not have a clear understanding of what is required to comply,” he criticized. “Complying with GDPR will exact a significant cost, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises and consumers who rely on digital services and may lose access and choice as a result of the guidelines.”
He added that the US Postal Service has claimed the new rules could prevent EU postal operators from providing the data needed to process inbound mail.
He also expressed concern that GDPR’s requirement to withhold personal data from the internet’s WHOIS directory of domain owners – which is easily falsified or could already be withheld from public access for a fee – could hurt law enforcement efforts to crack down on cybercrime.
