The New Age in Telecom and IT: A Privacy and Data Protection Perspective

Anca Plovie, Senior Corporate Counsel, Alcatel-Lucent Bell NV, Belgium

The current developments in telecommunications and information technology enable the unprecedented generation, collection, storage and transmission or transfer of significant amounts of data, including personal data. The new applications developed by the IT and telecommunications industry can bring large benefits to businesses, but also an unparalleled array of significant privacy risks. Assessing the impact of such applications on privacy, identifying the risks and building in safeguards against abuse are essential steps in their development, sale and use. This article will discuss the privacy and data protection risks associated with the latest technological developments such as smart metering technology, RFID-based applications, behavioural advertising solutions, while also briefly presenting the applicable legislation in a European Union context. Keywords: privacy, data protection, information technology, (tele)communications, European Union, smart grids, smart meters, RFID, behavioural advertising

Anca Plovie is a Senior Corporate Counsel at Alcatel-Lucent Bell NV, the Belgian subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent (2005-present). She specialises in data protection and privacy law, employment law, immigration law, commercial law and contracts. Prior to joining Alcatel-Lucent, Mrs. Plovie was a manager at Deloitte Belgium, International Assignment Services (2000-2005) and a legal counsel at Ernst & Young Romania (1999). She holds an Advanced Master Degree in International Legal Co-operation from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium (1998), and a Master in Law from the "Lucian Blaga" University of Sibiu, Romania (1997).

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is a leader in mobile, fixed, IP and Optics technologies, and a pioneer in applications and services. Alcatel-Lucent includes Bell Labs, one of the world's foremost centres of research and innovation in communications technology. With operations in more than 130 countries and one of the most experienced global services organizations in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The Company achieved revenues of Euro 16 billion in 2010 and is incorporated in France and headquartered in Paris.