The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) has said that Internet privacy is harmful to the video and movie industries, as it prevents copyright holders and authorities from going after online pirates.
According to a report by TorrentFreak, Hollywood studios, represented by the MPAA, submitted a list of “trade barriers” it encounters when doing business across the globe.
It said many countries are not doing enough to prevent piracy, and online privacy laws make it difficult for pirates to be tracked and prosecuted.
“Privacy has always been a major issue in the European Union. EU Member States have implemented a number of privacy directives to protect individuals’ personal data,” said the MPAA.
IP addresses are protected as private information in several European countries, where they can only be accessed in criminal cases.
The MPAA said this results in the privacy rights of citizens being higher than the rights of copyright holders, which it said is “very problematic”.
“Telecommunications operators and ISPs constantly invoke data protection rules to avoid any meaningful cooperation with the content sector,” it said.
The MPAA called for greater cooperation between it and ISPs, and for the use of data retention as a law enforcement tool.
