REGULATOR CALLS FOR TOUGHER RULES ON DATA USE

LONDON Britain’s data commissioner on Tuesday called for tougher rules governing the use of personal data by political campaigns around the world, declaring that recent investigations have shown a disturbing disregard for voters and their privacy.

Speaking to the U.K. Parliament’s media committee, Elizabeth Denham updated lawmakers on her office’s investigation into the use of data analysis by political campaigns — a probe that has already seen Facebook slapped with a maximum fine for data misuse. Denham warned that democracy is under threat because behavioural targeting techniques developed to sell products are now being used to promote political campaigns and candidates.

“I don’t think that we want to use the same model that is used to sell us holidays and shoes and cars to engage with people and voters,” she said.

New rules are needed to govern advertising and the use of data, Denham said. She called on all players to reassess their responsibilities in the era of big data.