NSA leak shrouds EU-U.S. trade, privacy discussions.

• Position: PRIVACY - National Security Agency - European Union

Data protection and privacy were critical issues in the July trade talks between the European Union and the United States regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Although these are not new issues, they have grown in importance thanks to recent reports on the U.S. National Security Agency's (NSA) PRISM project, which included the bugging of EU diplomatic offices in Washington, D.C.

As reported by Politico, the goal of TTIP is to "liberalize' trade between the EU and the United States with a view to remove cross-border regulatory issues, which can bring about extra costs and stifle trade."

The first round of negotiations focused on online privacy and piracy as negotiators tried to reconcile the technology industry's "push for digital freedom with European desires for individual protections," according to the article.

Proposed reforms to the EU's data protection laws center on the concept of "clear rules for a clear Internet and the choice for the individual to give his data or not," said Viviane Reding, European commissioner for justice, fundamental rights, and citizenship, in a recent speech.

According to...