EU needs 'German standards' on data privacy

The EU needs a set of data privacy rules that will keep surveillance by foreign intelligence services in check, Germany's justice minister has said.

Speaking to Die Welt newspaper in the aftermath of revelations about the extent of US surveillance operations in Europe, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said EU data rules should be as stringent as those in Germany.

"High German data protection standards should be the rule. US companies that do not uphold these standards should be ...