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Further to Digital Rights Ireland decision on the SWIFT transfer private data being given to the US authorities, The Register has the story that

Swiss banks broke privacy laws over SWIFT transfers: data chief | The Register

Hanspeter Thür, the Federal Data Protection Commissioner of Switzerland, said the banks broke data protection laws when they failed to inform customers that information was being transferred.

SWIFT has allowed US authorities to have access to transaction details since the terrorist attacks in the US of 11 September 2001.

The massive Swiss banking industry is famed for its secrecy. Thür’s report contradicts the view of Swiss finance minister Hans-Rudolf Merz, who recently said he believed the actions of Swiss banks were legal. He said they did not undermine Swiss sovereignty or break its banking secrecy rules.

That may be true but did they undermine data privacy law of Europe, and of European citizens?

You can read more at “SWIFT broke privacy rules, says Belgian commissioner”, on out-law.com.

I hope TJ will give us his opinion on what has happened.

Can SWIFT be brought to court for revealing citizens private information, without legal reason? What happens now?

Technorati Tags: data privacy , data protection , digital rights ireland , digitalrights , SWIFT , privacy