EU questions US for infringing privacy rights of its citizens through snoop programme

The European Union has questioned the US authorities about their potential breach of EU citizens' 'privacy right'.

The US-run spy programme 'Prism' has been accused of gathering 'large scale' data about citizens of US and non-US status without their knowledge.

EU has asked for 'swift and concrete' answers about whether the fundamental right to privacy of the EU citizens has been overlooked by US surveillance.

According to the Guardian, European commission's vice-president, Viviane Reding, has sent a letter with seven detailed questions to the US attorney general, Eric Holder demanding explanations for Prism and other such snooping programmes.

Reding pointed that breach to the citizens' right could affect the whole transatlantic relationship and hamper the growth of the digital economy for both the nations.

In the continent where snooping carries ghastly echoes of 'fascist and communist' regimes, Reding asked detailed questions regarding their snooping programme.

The queries included whether EU citizens are snooped in the same fashion like US citizens, what is the scale, criteria of selection and nature of data collection and whether it is limited to specific individuals.

Reding also questioned what are the avenues available for companies in EU to question the snooping and whether there are any avenues to tell people if they are being snooped.

A bill to determine the scope of snooping citizens and chart the procedure will be produced in the US Senate.

There has been a lot of controversy regarding US' surveillance programme when revelations came out about it being implemented in US and other nations without legal considerations.

Jan Philipp Albrecht, a German Green MEP in charge of overhauling the European Union's outdated data protection laws said that the nation does not want 'mass surveillance'.