在隱私權這一議題上，網路長期以來就像是有待拓荒的美國西部，如今正展開變革，歐美國家的管理者開始勒緊疆繩，不再任其馳騁。

When it comes to privacy, the Internet has long been something of a Wild West （1） but that that is starting to change, with regulators in Europe and the United States beginning to pull in the reins.

在大西洋兩岸的官員們，正仔細檢查像臉書和谷歌等公司是如何管理使用者的個人資料。另外在社群媒體、搜尋引擎和其他網路事業的快速發展的同時，他們也正在擬定保護網路使用者的計畫。

On both sides of the Atlantic, officials are scrutinizing how companies such as Facebook and Google handle users' personal data, as they draw up plans to protect surfers while ensuring the growth of rapidly expanding social media, search engine and other Web-based businesses.

歐洲可能制定網路隱私規範的第一個徵兆就是，歐盟在上星期宣布，社交網站和搜尋引擎若無法遵守歐盟新訂的個資法，將會面臨法律訴訟。

In the first sign of where Europe may be headed with its privacy regulations, the European Union announced this week that social networking （2） sites and search engines could face court action if they fail to obey new EU data privacy rules.

在未來幾個月內，這些提案內容將逐漸具體化，將更新使用長達16年的歐盟個資保護法。歐洲議會希望能強制要求握有使用者個資的公司，必須允許使用者可撤銷其留存在網站上的個資，他們稱這個是「被遺忘的權利」。

Under proposals to be fleshed out in the coming months and that will update 16-year-old data-protection laws, the European Commission wants to force companies holding data to allow users to withdraw it from websites, calling it the "right to be forgotten."

各公司也必須要針對他們從使用者方面取得何種資訊、因何搜集這些資訊，提出更多的資訊。

Companies would also have to provide more information on what data they have collected from people and why.

「任何在歐盟市場運作的公司，或是任何一項以歐盟消費者為目標的線上商品都必須要遵守歐盟法規。」歐洲議會司法事務高級專員芮丁上週在一場演講中表示。

"Any company operating in the EU market or any online product that is targeted at EU consumers must comply with EU rules," Viviane Reding, the European commissioner in charge of justice issues, said in a speech this week.

「為徹底執行歐盟法律，各國保護隱私權的機構將獲得授權，得以對非歐盟資料管理者進行調查並提出法律訴訟。」她補充。

"To enforce EU law, national privacy watchdogs （3） will be endowed with powers to investigate and engage in legal proceedings （4） against non-EU data controllers," she added.

芮丁表示，歐盟的隱私權保護機構甚至應該被賦予權力，讓歐洲以外地區也必須遵從這些法規，如包含使用美國的伺服器以及其他資料庫。

Reding said that EU-based privacy watchdogs should even be given powers to enforce compliance outside Europe, which could include access to U.S.-based servers and other data sources.

雖說隱私權倡議人士和網路使用者聽見芮丁這麼說可能會很開心，但她的發言已在美國部分地區引發關注，這些地方是最大型且最成功的搜尋引擎及社群媒體公司的所在地。

While privacy campaigners and Internet users may be pleased to hear what Reding has to say, her words will cause concern in parts of the United States, where many of the biggest and most successful search engines and social media companies are based.

傳統上來看，歐洲和美國對隱私權議題的看法相異。歐盟所採取的是較強硬的規範方式，而美國官員則較為留意在企業家精神與保護資料的商業要求這兩者間取得平衡。

Europe and the United States have traditionally differed on privacy issues, with the EU taking a stronger regulatory approach and U.S. officials more mindful of the need to balance entrepreneurship and business demands with data protection.

歐盟和美國已在幾個基本概念上達到共識，諸如從網路商品創意發想的一開始，就應將隱私權的保護給設計進去。歐盟和美國也都希望要求網路瀏覽器提供使用者「不要追蹤我」的選項。

The EU and U.S. already agree on some general concepts, such as the idea that privacy safeguards need to be designed into Web products from the start. They also both want to require Web browsers to offer a "do not track" option to users.

但在特定議題和想法上，雙方仍有歧異。歐盟官員堅持，各公司在每一次使用網路使用者的資料之前，都應透過跳出視窗讓使用者勾選同意與否，取得明確的許可；但歐盟官員指出，這卻不是美國管理者在推動的。

But differences remain on specifics and philosophy. EU officials are adamant that companies should obtain explicit permission from users before every use of their data -- such as through a pop-up （5） consent box -- while that is not something U.S. regulators are pushing for, EU officials say.

被遺忘的權利也違背了美國官員的本意，他們所支持的是對於資訊自由取得一較寬廣的定義。

The right to be forgotten is also a concept that goes against the grain for U.S. regulators, who favor a broader definition of freedom of information.

有一個案例顯示了歐洲的線上個人隱私將往何處發展，以及實際應用隱私法有多複雜：西班牙的資訊保護當局今年1月要求谷歌移除超過80則提及人名的新聞連結，表示此舉已違反隱私。該案已上呈歐洲最高法院。

In a sign of where Europe is going and how complex applying the law could become, Spanish data protection authorities ordered Google in January to remove links to more than 80 news articles mentioning people by name, saying it violated privacy. The case has been referred to Europe's highest court.

諸如微軟等公司支持歐盟所做的努力，還有美國協力加入這些政策的用心；微軟表示，這會帶來更為清楚、更統一的規範。「各公司需要一致、明確的規範，這樣才能持續投資，並保有競爭力。」微軟歐洲事務副總裁瓦薩羅表示。「現行的政策如同多頭馬車，互相競爭。」

Some companies, such as Microsoft, support the effort by the European Union and the United States to align their policies, saying it will result in clearer, more uniform rules. "Companies need solid, clear rules to be able to continue to invest and to be competitive," said John Vassallo, Microsoft's vice president of EU affairs. "Now, there are too many competing rules."

然而，就算在歐盟裡的每個國家，隱私權規範也大異其趣；律師表示，跨國公司幾乎不可能符合歐盟27個國家中各自訂立的所有法律。

But even within individual EU countries, privacy rules vary so much that lawyers say it would be almost impossible for a multinational company to be compliant in all 27 EU countries.

（路透Reuters）

1. Wild West

(n.) 荒野西部

2. social networking

(n.) 社交網站

3. watchdog

(n.) 監督團體

4. legal proceeding

(n.) 司法訴訟

5. pop-up

(a.) 有彈出視窗功能的

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