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June 15, 2011 · Blogs

EDRi-gram – Number 9.12, 15 June 2011

June 15, 2011

European Commission consults with civil society on data retention

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Vorratsdatenspeicherung: Europäische Kommission berät sich mit Zivilgesellschaft | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_Vorratsdatenspeicherung_Kommission_beraet_mit_Zivilgesellschaft?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] Last week, the European Commission held the first of its series of consultation meetings with different groups of stakeholders on the revision of the infamous Data Retention Directive. The first meeting was with the “civil society”, including representatives of […]

June 15, 2011

Irish "three strikes" system investigated by Data Protection Commissioner

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Datenschutzbehörde prüft irisches “Three-Strikes”-System | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_Datenschutzbehoerde_prueft_irisches_Three_Strikes_System?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] The Irish Data Protection Commissioner is investigating the Eircom / music industry three strikes system, a report in the Sunday Times has revealed. According to the story by Mark Tighe, predictions that Eircom would end up falsely accusing innocent users have now […]

June 15, 2011

European Commission consultation on IPR enforcement

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Konsultationsverfahren zum EU-Urheberrecht | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_Konsultationsverfahren_zum_EU_Urheberrecht?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] Last week, the European Commission organised an open consultation on “Directive 2004/48/EC on the enforcement of intellectual property rights: Challenges posed by the digital environment”. The meeting opened with initial presentations from Jonathan Faull, Director General of the Internal Market Directorate General of […]

June 15, 2011 · Blogs

UK: The Home Office's Prevent Strategy includes Internet filtering

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Filterung des Internets als Teil der britischen Präventionsstrategie | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_Internetfilter_als_Teil_der_britischen_Praeventionsstrategie?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] The UK Home Office has recently published its new version of the Prevent Strategy aimed at countering terrorism, which includes worrying suggestions about the necessity of Internet filtering. Besides the fact that one can read in the Prevent […]

June 15, 2011

Facebook's face recognition raises privacy complaints

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Besorgnis über Facebooks Gesichtserkennung | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_Besorgnis_ueber_Facebooks_Gesichtserkennung?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] Facebook has again been criticised by privacy advocates for its facial recognition feature that has recently been added to the social networking service, world-wide, without any previous announcement to its users. Facebook users have the possibility to ‘tag’ themselves and their friends […]

June 15, 2011

Germany: Police statistics prove data retention superfluous

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Deutschland: Kriminalstatistik entlarvt Vorratsdatenspeicherung als überflüssig | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_Deutschland_Kriminalstatistik_entlarvt_Vorratsdatenspeicherung_als_ueberfluessig?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] The national crime statistics recently published by Germany’s Federal Crime Agency reveal that after the policy of blanket telecommunications data retention was discontinued in Germany due to a Constitutional Court ruling on 3 March 2010, registered crime continued to decline […]

June 15, 2011

Big Brother Awards Italy 2011

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Big Brother Awards Italien 2011 | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_Big_Brother_Awards_Italien?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] The winners of the Big Brother Awards Italy 2011 were designated on 3 June 2011, in Florence, on the occasion of the e-privacy conference 2011. Facebook was the “star” of the awards being nominated for several categories and won the price […]

June 15, 2011 · Blogs

ENDitorial: Hello CIRCAMP web blocking, goodbye democracy

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ENDitorial: Hallo CIRCAMP-Netzsperren, Tschüss Demokratie | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_ENDitorial_Hallo_CIRCAMP-Netzsperren_Tschuess_Demokratie?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] Late in 2010, with the issue of web blocking still being discussed in the European Parliament, the European Commission decided, with complete disregard for the outcome of the democratic process on this issue, to invest a further 324 059 Euro in […]

June 15, 2011

Recommended Action. Smart meters: Let's be clever and team up

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Mitmachen! Smart Metering: Seid klug und schließt Euch zusammen! | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_Mitmachen?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] The European Union decided that 80% of all users are to have a smart meter in 2020. These instruments will then measure the consumption of gas and electricity. They can be integrated in a smart grid, a […]

June 3, 2011 · Blogs

Press Statement: UN voices concern about online censorship

UN voices concern about online censorship State and private interests are increasingly restricting the free flow of information on the Internet, according to a report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council this week by Frank La Rue, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The […]

June 1, 2011

OSCE findings on Estonian e-voting

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [OSZE: Untersuchungsergebnisse zum estnischen E-Voting | http://bit.ly/jJOHnA] In its report of 16 May 2011, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Office of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) found Estonia’s March 6 parliamentary elections, including the Internet voting, as trustworthy, although several elections […]