However, European privacy directives contain explicit exemptions for many governmental organizations, including the EU itself, national security, taxation, and

However, European privacy directives contain explicit exemptions for many governmental organizations, including the EU itself, national security, taxation, and policing, and would not have protected citizens against the abuses suffered at the hands of fascist or communist governments It's interesting to compare: in the US, corporate databases == good , government databases == bad, and it appears the exact opposite in the EU. Then there's this: EU directives are addressed to the member states, and aren't legally binding for citizens in principle. The member states must transpose the directive into internal law. Directive 95/46/EC on the protection of personal data had to be transposed by the end of 1998. All member states have enacted their own data protection legislation. Which just makes me think from where we are today, neither approach seems to be ok for the avg person, on top of the behaviors and incentives for individuals/companies/governments aren't lining up. What's going to give for something to fall which ever way (or is there really anything to give way at all)?