The EEWG also supports efforts to harmonise child pornography laws so law enforcement officials can effectively investigate and prosecute child pornographers. The EEWG welcomes the Commission s support for encryption and other network and data security technologies. Technologies such as encryption, electronic signatures, authentication tools, and software filters play an important role in protecting data from unauthorised access or theft. These technologies need to be widely available in order to provide effective solutions to online security risks. The Commission should refrain from proposing legislation that imposes technical or design requirements on security technologies.
Industry needs the flexibility to adapt quickly to user demands and technological advances.
Consumers and businesses benefit most if the law remains neutral, encouraging competition and innovation in the development of new security technologies. In particular, the Commission should assess the relative merits of open source and commercial software products in an objective mannerand not favour one development model over another. Industry continues to develop new products to combat security problems as they arise. Government mandates in this area will inhibit innovation by creating inflexible rules that do not keep pace with rapidly changing technological challenges. Instead, governments should promote pilots and demonstrations that display the technical possibilities of security solutions.