Public debate on draft anti-terror act in Denmark

On May 10 2006, a public hearing was held in the Danish Parliament on a new
proposal for an anti-terror act including surveillance measures. The
proposed law may increase camera surveillance, obliges carriers to store
passenger data for one year and introduces new measures for the intelligence
service. According to the proposal, the intelligence service may obtain
personal data from other authorities regardless of whether there may be
specific considerations for not forwarding the data (such as professional
secrecy). Data may be obtained regardless of whether there is a specific
suspect or the intelligence service wish to investigate all individuals
having done something specific such as passing by a certain location or
borrowing a certain book from the library. This is a measure which has
particular implications in Denmark where comprehensive and detailed personal
data of all citizens are registered in order to effectively provide the
services offered by the welfare state.

The full day hearing organised by the Danish Technology Council was attended
by politicians, police officers, industry, privacy experts, scholars and the
public. Digital Rights Denmark was invited to give an oral and written
contribution and put forward a number of critical remarks regarding the
proposed measures that were considered incompatible with privacy rights
while having a questionable ability to combat terror. Most speakers
criticized the surveillance measures for being disproportional, unnecessary
and unclear, while police and some politicians insisted that there is a need
for improved tools to combat terror and that surveillance measures
constituted such tools.

The new proposal for anti terror law (in Danish only)
http://www.ft.dk/Samling/20051/lovforslag/L217/index.htm

Comments from NGOs and others regarding the new proposal for anti terror law
(in Danish only)
http://www.ft.dk/Samling/20051/MENU/dok_REU_L217_ALLE.htm

Digital Rights comments to the proposed law and the administrative report on
new measures to combat terror (in Danish only)
http://www.digitalrights.dk/

(Contribution by Tanja Krabbe – EDRI-Member – Digital Rights – Denmark)