UK government gets a final warning on claims that its laws don't protect Britons from ad targeting companies such as Phorm

Given the amount of CCTV there is everywhere, we know the UK tolerates spying on its citizens more than other EU countries. But now Britain might be taken to court by the EU for failing to provide the UK citizens with enough privacy and personal data protection.

The EU just launched the second step of legal action to force Britain to bring its data protection framework into line with its rules, which guarantee the confidentiality of electronic communication such as emails and internet surfing. Before being internationally embarrassed, the UK has two month to comply with the detailed opinion, which was sent to the UK by the European Commission yesterday and marks the second stage of infringement procedure.

The EU Commission has basically identified three failings. First, there is no independent authority supervising the interception of communications and hearing related complaints. Second, there is an excessively wide interpretation of the principle of consent given in Britain's Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. Third, its sanctions against the interception of personal data are too limited.

The case came up last year when the technology company Phorm planned a targeted web advertising system. This included the tracking of their customers' internet traffic without telling them. British MEPs protested and campaigners complained to the information commissioner, the interception commissioner, government departments, Ofcom and the police. All refused to act.

Government investigation concluded that Phorm didn't breach European laws on data protection and The City of London police announced as well, that they had found no evidence of illegal activity. So in 2008 the campaigners wrote to Viviane Reding, the EU telecoms commissioner. And she responded.

"People's privacy and the integrity of their personal data ... is a fundamental right, protected by European law. That is why the Commission is vigilant in ensuring that EU rules and rights are put in place," she said in a statement yesterday.

"I therefore call on the UK authorities to change their national laws to ensure that British citizens fully benefit from the safeguards set out in EU law concerning confidentiality of electronic communications."

A consolation might be that the EU Commission has also sent letters of formal notice, the first stage of the infringement procedure, to Romania, Poland and Germany.