FC: E.U. votes on May 15 to log Internet, phone traffic for police

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Previous Politech messages:

"Europe set to nix Bush request, not require ISP data retention"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-02789.html

"E.U. weighs ordering ISPs to retain traffic, with Bush's support"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-02779.html

"Update on E.U. plan to log Internet traffic for police use"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-02902.html

-Declan

----- Forwarded message from statewatch <statewatch-off () geo2 poptel org uk> -----

From: statewatch <statewatch-off () geo2 poptel org uk>
Subject: Crucial vote on data surveillance
Date: Tue, 07 May 2002 22:58:02 +0100

Statewatch press release, 8 May 2002

EU GOVERNMENTS SECRETLY DRAFTING BINDING FRAMEWORK DECISION TO INTRODUCE 
UNIVERSAL SURVEILLANCE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

- European Parliament faces crucial vote on 15 May to reject the 
governments' demands on the retention of data and access by the law 
enforcement agencies

Statewatch has learnt that in advance of the completion of the EU 
legislative process on proposals for the revision of the 1997 EU Directive 
on privacy in the telecommunications sector a number of EU governments are 
drafting a binding Framework Decision to ensure that all EU member states 
introduce a law requiring the retention of telecommunications traffic data 
and the granting of access to it by law enforcement agencies (police, 
customs, immigration and internal security agencies).

On 15 May the European Parliament plenary session is due to vote on a 
report adopted by the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights on 18 
April. This report re-affirmed the position taken by the parliament in its 
1st reading on 13 November 2001 which opposed the fundamental change being 
put forward by the Council. Under the 1997 Directive data can only be 
retained for a short period for "billing" purposes (ie: to help the 
customer confirm usage details) and then it must be erased. The Council 
want this data to be retained for law enforcement agencies to access. The 
European Parliament proposes that the current position is maintained 
whereby such data can be accessed for the purposes of national security and 
criminal investigations where it is authorised in a case-by-case basis by 
judicial authorities.

Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, comments:

"By drafting a binding Framework Decision before the proper legislative 
processes are finished EU governments are showing their utter disregard for 
the European Parliament.

The vote in the European Parliament and the final decision on this issue 
will be a defining moment for the future of democracy in the EU. If all 
telecommunications - phone-calls, e-mails, faxes and internet usage - are 
placed under surveillance not only will data protection be fatally 
undermined but so too will be the very freedoms that distinguish 
democracies from authoritarian regimes"

The full story is on:

<http://www.statewatch.org/news/2002/may/05surv.htm>

For further information please contact Statewatch office: (00 44) (0) 208 
802 1882
Tony Bunyan at: (00 44) (0) 207 254 3597


----- End forwarded message -----



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