Personal privacy and secondary-use dilemma (social aspects of automation)

A draft EC directive that threatens an embargo on personal information to any nation that does not satisfy its privacy requirements is discussed. The directive seeks to harmonize privacy laws to allow the free flow of personal data because many different approaches might impede economic ventures among members. A historical outline of the proscription of secondary use of personal information in the US is presented. The interpretation of the secondary use principle and two recent cases that demonstrate the wide range of disagreement on secondary use are also discussed.<>