Europol given 'blank cheque' to do what it wants, say critics

Rule-of-law questions are mounting about the EU's police agency Europol, following a recent expansion of its powers amid data abuse scandals.

Those powers include the processing and analysis of data of innocent citizens with no links to any crime.

"That was not the case before, now it is allowed," said Chloe Berthelemy, a senior policy advisor at the Brussels-based European Digital Rights, an NGO.

The Hague-based agency had its powers expanded earlier this year, raising alar...