LONDON, March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Following today's plenary vote on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Tom Phillips, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA called on the co-legislators to agree data protection rules that can deliver consistent protection for Europe's citizens, promote innovation and ensure a level regulatory playing field:

"We welcome the European Parliament's efforts to harmonise data protection rules across the EU. However, we call on the Council to reduce the inconsistencies between the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive and do more to ensure that legislation to protect individuals' personal data is technology-neutral, innovation-friendly and that its rules are applied equally and consistently to all players in the Internet ecosystem.

"As it stands, mobile operators and other communications service providers would be subject to a dual regulatory regime and restrictions and obligations that do not apply to other internet players, including on their use of traffic and location data and separate requirements for customer consent. Reforms to align the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive are also advocated by Jan-Philipp Albrecht, rapporteur for the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE) on the proposed EU data protection regulation.

"A critical factor in the take-up and use of new mobile-enabled digital services is a robust and effective framework for the protection of personal data and privacy across the EU. The GSMA recognises the efforts made by the European Parliament to ensure that Europe's citizens' personal data should have the same level of protection wherever they are and regardless of the geographical location of the service provider or where data is processed.

"The GSMA has developed privacy principles and privacy design guidelines for mobile app developers that complement laws and regulations. Eight of the largest mobile operators in Europe are already implementing these guidelines for their own-branded mobile apps. The GSMA is calling on other parties in the mobile ecosystem to follow the lead of operators and consider how they can adopt the guidelines across their own services. With the revision of the EU's data protection rules, the GSMA's privacy guidelines will help meet policymakers' calls for businesses to adopt and demonstrate sound privacy practices. This approach will shape the way privacy is promoted, managed and protected across the entire mobile ecosystem, reinforcing consumer trust in mobile apps and services."

About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators with 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

SOURCE GSMA