As widely expected, the European Parliament’s Committee on  Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted today in favor of a revised, even tougher draft of the Data Protection Regulation that will (if finally adopted) replace the EU’s current laws regarding the collection and use of personal data of EU residents.  Broadly speaking, LIBE’s approach favors individual rights over commercial interests.  Changes introduced by LIBE include raising the ceiling for fines from 2% to 5% of a company’s global turnover.  Notably, LIBE has retained the highly controversial “right to be forgotten.”

The next step in the legislative process is for LIBE to negotiate with the Council of Ministers of the European Union.  A meeting is scheduled for early December.