The European Union has accused the ruling<a href="Poland's ruling nationalists signalled on Thursday they plan to water down legislation allowing for judges to be disciplined for questioning judicial reforms, in an apparent attempt to ease a dispute between Brussels and Warsaw over democratic standards. The European Union has accused the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party of politicising the judiciary ever since it came to power in 2015. PiS argues that the reforms are necessary to make Poland's courts more efficient. The nationalist government has introduced draft legislation providing for the disciplining of judges who have questioned the independence of peers nominated by a panel set up under new rules drawn up by the PiS-dominated parliament. The EU's top court said last month it was up to Poland's Supreme Court to decide whether the panel was independent, and the Supreme Court has ruled that in its view the panel was neither impartial nor independent. One of PiS's smaller partners, Porozumienie, which depicts itself as a pro-business party, has since come under opposition pressure to partially block the reform. Porozumienie recently impeded another reform planned by the PiS. On Thursday state news agency PAP quoted Porozumienie head Jaroslaw Gowin as saying that ruling politicians would adopt amendments to the bill aimed at removing its two most criticized parts. These are disciplinary measures against judges questioning legitimacy of their peers appointed by the new panel, and a part of the bill that forced judges to reveal the names of social media accounts they use under pseudonyms. &quot;There's an agreement ... amendments (to the proposed bill) will be adopted,&quot; Gowin was quoted as saying by PAP. On Wednesday thousands of people poured onto the streets to protest against what they saw as an attempt by PiS to further browbeat judges. On Thursday the lower house of parliament started the debate on the judicial reforms. PiS, which won a second term in October, says it will continue the reforms to try to rid the judiciary of communist leftovers, despi"> Law and Justice (PiS) party</a> of politicising the judiciary ever since it came to power in 2015. PiS argues that the reforms are necessary to make Poland's courts more efficient.

The nationalist government has introduced draft legislation providing for the disciplining of judges who have questioned the independence of peers nominated by a panel set up under new rules drawn up by the PiS-dominated parliament.

The EU's top court said last month it was up to Poland's Supreme Court to decide whether the panel was independent, and the Supreme Court has ruled that in its view the panel was neither impartial nor independent.

One of PiS's smaller partners, Porozumienie, which depicts itself as a pro-business party, has since come under opposition pressure to partially block the reform. Porozumienie recently impeded another reform planned by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polands-main-opposition-picks-moderate-veteran-for-presidential-vote-268295">PiS</a>.

On Thursday state news agency PAP quoted Porozumienie head, Jaroslaw Gowin, as saying that ruling politicians would adopt amendments to the bill aimed at removing its two most criticized parts.

These are disciplinary measures against judges questioning the legitimacy of their peers appointed by the new panel, and a part of the bill that forced judges to reveal the names of social media accounts they use under pseudonyms.

"There's an agreement ... amendments (to the proposed bill) will be adopted," Gowin was quoted as saying by PAP.

On Wednesday thousands of people poured onto the streets to protest against what they saw as an attempt by PiS to further browbeat judges. On Thursday the lower house of parliament started the debate on the judicial reforms.

PiS, which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polands-ruling-nationalists-win-majority-in-parliament-255794">won a second term</a> in October, says it will continue the reforms to try to rid the judiciary of communist leftovers, despite EU criticism over adherence to the rule of law and threats to cut off vital EU funding.

During the parliamentary debate, opposition parties accused the PiS of using the new legislation as a tool to intimidate judges so they rule in line with the party's expectations.

"The real reason is your panic attempt to escape accountability. You know that the time of your defeat is coming and you will be held accountable at Polish courts for all your scandals," opposition MP Borys Budka told deputies.

The European Union has accused the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party of politicising the judiciary ever since it came to power in 2015. PiS argues that the reforms are necessary to make Poland's courts more efficient.

The European Union has accused the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party of politicising the judiciary ever since it came to power in 2015. PiS argues that the reforms are necessary to make Poland's courts more efficient. The nationalist government has introduced draft legislation providing for the disciplining of judges who have questioned the independence of peers nominated by a panel set up under new rules drawn up by the PiS-dominated parliament. The EU's top court said last month it was up to Poland's Supreme Court to decide whether the panel was independent, and the Supreme Court has ruled that in its view the panel was neither impartial nor independent. One of PiS's smaller partners, Porozumienie, which depicts itself as a pro-business party, has since come under opposition pressure to partially block the reform. Porozumienie recently impeded another reform planned by the PiS. On Thursday state news agency PAP quoted Porozumienie head, Jaroslaw Gowin, as saying that ruling politicians would adopt amendments to the bill aimed at removing its two most criticized parts. These are disciplinary measures against judges questioning the legitimacy of their peers appointed by the new panel, and a part of the bill that forced judges to reveal the names of social media accounts they use under pseudonyms. "There's an agreement ... amendments (to the proposed bill) will be adopted," Gowin was quoted as saying by PAP. On Wednesday thousands of people poured onto the streets to protest against what they saw as an attempt by PiS to further browbeat judges. On Thursday the lower house of parliament started the debate on the judicial reforms. PiS, which won a second term in October, says it will continue the reforms to try to rid the judiciary of communist leftovers, despite EU criticism over adherence to the rule of law and threats to cut off vital EU funding. During the parliamentary debate, opposition parties accused the PiS of using the new legislation as a tool to intimidate judges so they rule in line with the party's expectations. "The real reason is your panic attempt to escape accountability. You know that the time of your defeat is coming and you will be held accountable at Polish courts for all your scandals," opposition MP Borys Budka told deputies.

Poland's ruling nationalists signal they could weaken court reforms

Companies that embed <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-to-lift-veil-on-facebook-google-algorithms-to-protect-privacy-238610&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj_1rqzg9rjAhUWE4gKHUrPCC8QFjACegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw34VfaQv_ls_AahMaLeR2np">Facebook's</a> "Like" button on their websites allowing users' personal data to be transferred to the US social network can be held liable for collecting the data, Europe's top court said on Monday.

Website plugins are a common feature of online retail as companies seek to promote their products on popular social networks, but critics fear the data transfer may breach privacy laws.

The ruling from the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) came after a German consumer body sued German online fashion retailer Fashion ID for breaching personal data protection rules via its use of the button on its site.

A German court subsequently sought guidance. ECJ judges said websites and Facebook share joint responsibility.

Under EU data privacy rules, a data controller determines why personal data must be collected and processed, as well as how, while a data processor only processes personal data on behalf of the controller and is usually a third-party company.

"The operator of a website that features a Facebook 'Like' button can be a controller jointly with Facebook in respect of the collection and transmission to Facebook of the personal data of visitors to its website," the judges said.

The German retailer benefited from a commercial advantage as the 'Like' button made its products more visible on Facebook, the court said, though it noted the company is not liable for how Facebook subsequently processes the data.

Facebook said the ruling sheds clarity on the issue.

"We are carefully reviewing the court's decision and will work closely with our partners to ensure they can continue to benefit from our social plugins and other business tools in full compliance with the law," Jack Gilbert, Facebook's associate general counsel, said in a statement.

The ruling is in line with strict data privacy laws adopted by the 28-country bloc last year, said Nils Rauer, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons.

"The court was right in assessing whether Fashion ID had an interest in collaborating with Facebook by way of embedding the 'Like' Button," Rauer said, adding plugins will continue to be popular notwithstanding the judgment.

"Personally, I do not think that companies will turn away from embedding 'Like' buttons due to the judgment. Presumably, they will pay more attention to the embedding process, by way of obtaining dedicated data privacy advice," Rauer said.

Companies that embed Facebook's "Like" button on their websites allowing users' personal data to be transferred to the US social network can be held liable for collecting the data, Europe's top court said on Monday.

Companies that embed Facebook's "Like" button on their websites allowing users' personal data to be transferred to the US social network can be held liable for collecting the data, Europe's top court said on Monday. Website plugins are a common feature of online retail as companies seek to promote their products on popular social networks, but critics fear the data transfer may breach privacy laws. The ruling from the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) came after a German consumer body sued German online fashion retailer Fashion ID for breaching personal data protection rules via its use of the button on its site. A German court subsequently sought guidance. ECJ judges said websites and Facebook share joint responsibility. Under EU data privacy rules, a data controller determines why personal data must be collected and processed, as well as how, while a data processor only processes personal data on behalf of the controller and is usually a third-party company. "The operator of a website that features a Facebook 'Like' button can be a controller jointly with Facebook in respect of the collection and transmission to Facebook of the personal data of visitors to its website," the judges said. The German retailer benefited from a commercial advantage as the 'Like' button made its products more visible on Facebook, the court said, though it noted the company is not liable for how Facebook subsequently processes the data. Facebook said the ruling sheds clarity on the issue. "We are carefully reviewing the court's decision and will work closely with our partners to ensure they can continue to benefit from our social plugins and other business tools in full compliance with the law," Jack Gilbert, Facebook's associate general counsel, said in a statement. The ruling is in line with strict data privacy laws adopted by the 28-country bloc last year, said Nils Rauer, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons. "The court was right in assessing whether Fashion ID had an interest in collaborating with Facebook by way of embedding the 'Like' Button," Rauer said, adding plugins will continue to be popular notwithstanding the judgment. "Personally, I do not think that companies will turn away from embedding 'Like' buttons due to the judgment. Presumably, they will pay more attention to the embedding process, by way of obtaining dedicated data privacy advice," Rauer said.

Companies using Facebook 'Like' button liable for data: European Union's top court

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Poland's ruling nationalists signal they could weaken court reforms

Companies using Facebook 'Like' button liable for data: European Union's top court