EU approves protection rules to boost online privacy

The European Union has approved new data protection rules to strengthen online privacy, streamline legislation between the 28 member states and boost police and security cooperation.

The rules will for the first time create a strong data protection law for Europe's 500 million citizens, replacing an outdated patchwork of national rules that only allowed for small fines in cases of violation.

The rules were adopted at the plenary, as no amendments or requests for rejections were received.

The parliament's chief negotiator Jan Philipp Albrecht hailed the move as a "huge step forward for fundamental rights in the EU".