Security and data handling key to Digital Single Market

Andrus Ansip

Reinforcing trust and confidence in handling data is a fundamental part of the EU’s strategy to build a Digital Single Market in Europe, according to Andrus Ansip.

Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the European Commission vice-president in charge of the Digital Single Market said that the EU’s aim is to bring the benefits of digitisation to consumers, industry and governments – but to do this it needs to “establish trust” and provide people with the ways to make it happen, such as digital identity.

“Personal data has to be protected as much as possible. It is people’s primary concern when they use technology. Trust and confidence are essential – and increasingly important in our ever-expanding ‘smart society’ where personal data is generated and collected by a proliferation of devices and services,” said Ansip.

“Without trust from consumers, mobile will not live up to its full potential. Without trusted digital identities, the digital economy cannot work effectively.”

He said that today 50% the world’s population has a mobile subscription, up from 20% ten years ago, and by 2020 at least 26 billion devices will be connected to web with 70% of people owning a smartphone.

“More and more connected devices, with applications and business models that are all hungry for data. More and more people using smartphones to access TV and video, which drives mobile data consumption and traffic even higher. These explosive growth trends are set to continue. They make mobile the fastest adopted technology in history,” said Ansip.