Blogs

April 9, 2003 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Privacy and confidentiality

Austria looses court case about surveillance costs

Telecommunication companies in Austria have won an important court case against the federal government. Though in general the wiretapping provisions in the new Telecommunications Law were not deemed unconstitutional, from 2004 onwards, government will have to reimburse providers for the costs of procuring and maintaining surveillance equipment. Full verdict in German (27.02.2003) http://www.vfgh.gv.at/vfgh/presse/G37-16-02.pdf

March 27, 2003 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards

Restrictions on cryptography in Spain

A proposal to modify the Spanish telecommunication law threatens the free use of cryptography. The current General Law of Telecommunications (Ley General de Telecomunicaciones (LGT) already puts some restrictions on the use of cryptography. The second part of article 52 (‘Cifrado en las redes y servicios de telecomunicaciones’, that is, network encryption and telecommunication services) […]

March 27, 2003 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Surveillance and data retention

UK home office not amused with big brother award

Yesterday, Privacy International announced the winners of the 5th Annual UK ‘Big Brother’ awards to the government and private sector organisations that have done the most to invade personal privacy in Britain. Winner of the award for worst public servant is London Mayor Ken Livingstone, for his efforts in transport surveillance. Prime Minister Tony Blair […]

March 27, 2003 · Blogs

EDRI-gram – Number 5, 27 March 2003

March 27, 2003 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Surveillance and data retention

EU building bugged

The telephones lines in the EU Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, home of the Council of Ministers, have been tapped for many years. The bugging devices were discovered in the rooms of the delegations of Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria. The devices were placed on lines between the central switchboard and the national […]

March 27, 2003 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Privacy and confidentiality

French Constitutional Council validates computer search without warrant

The French Constitutional Council recently validated the Internal Safety Law (‘Loi sur la sécurité intérieure’), adopted by the Parliament on February 13. This decision has been commented by the Human Rights League – LDH, the French member of the International Human Rights Federation – as a ‘step backwards for the rule of law’. Among the […]

March 27, 2003 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Surveillance and data retention

Polish providers fight email monitoring obligation

According to an item on Warsaw Polish Radio 1 on 19 March 2002, telecommunication providers in Poland have received an order from the Ministry of Infrastructure to install email wiretapping equipment. In the item counsellor Daniel Wieszczycki stated the order is contrary to the Constitutional right of secrecy of correspondence. In pursuance of the order, […]

March 12, 2003 · Blogs

EDRI-gram – Number 4, 12 March 2003

March 12, 2003 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards

EU row over airline passenger data transmission

The Commission’s secret talks with U.S. authorities on the transmission of air passenger data have caused a heavy clash between EU institutions. The Security spokesperson of the EP conservative fraction, the Austrian Hubert Pirker, announced today his fraction will take the Commission to the European Court of Justice. Since 5 March U.S. authorities have access […]

March 12, 2003 · Blogs | Open internet and inclusive technology | Freedom of expression online

Petition against copyright law in Italy

On 9 March the Italian Associazione Software Libero opened an on-line petition against the proposed implementation of the European Copyright Directive. The petition is an open letter to the Culture Committee of the Lower House, inviting them to reconsider their almost unanimous approval of the copyright law on 25 February 2003. Like in most other […]

March 12, 2003 · Blogs | Transparency

Finland changes policy on software patents

Anticipating the new EU Directive on Patents, the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (PRH) decided to accept patents on software. Before, the Fins were a lot stricter than the European Patent Office. The reason for the change in policy is mind-boggling. Because the European Parliament seems to propose much more unpermissive rules […]

March 12, 2003 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Surveillance and data retention

Limiting the storage of traffic data

The European data commissioners (through the Article 29 working group) have pleaded for a maximum storage period of half a year for traffic data that telecommunication companies store for billing purposes. With the opinion paper the working group tries to limit the duration and scope of traffic data storage. “Traffic data should be kept for […]