December 11, 2012 · Blogs

"Voluntary enforcement" vs legal restrictions – what rules apply?

Sometimes, watching the Commission make up its mind on a controversial topic is like watching a sports match. One of these topics is the question of whether it is legal for governments to encourage internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict fundamental rights “voluntarily” or whether they would need a legal basis. The European Home Affairs […]

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February 9, 2011

German study finds the data retention ineffective

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Deutsche Studie enthüllt: Vorratsdatenspeicherung ineffektiv | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.3_AK_Vorrat_Vorratsdatenspeicherung_ineffektiv] A study of police statistics published by the German Federal Crime Agency on 26 January 2011, finds telecommunications data retention ineffective for the prosecution of serious crime. An analysis of Federal Crime Agency statistics published on 27 January 2011 by German […]

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August 2, 2006

Telecom Italia wiretapping scandal

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Telecom Italia, one of the major electronic communications providers in Italy is in the middle of a huge scandal regarding the illegal wiretapping and surveillance of the telephone networks. The journalists from the weekly L’Espresso have proven that an entire system called Radar was capable of recording […]

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August 2, 2006

EU trying to push again biometrics on national ID cards

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) According to a EU document presented by Statewatch in July 2006, The Visa Working Party on 13-14 June 2006 proposed another approach on the issue of the biometrics to be introduced on national ID cards. The issue had met resistance back in February when several members of […]

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December 19, 2012 · Blogs

Innovation at risk in EU – the EU unitary patent adopted by EP

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ Innovation in Gefahr: EP verabschiedet einheitliches EU-Patent | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.24_Innovation_in_Gefahr_EP_verabschiedet_einheitliches_EU-Patent?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20121219] Despite strong and long opposition and criticism from patent lawyers, legal experts, SMEs and civil society groups , on 11 December 2012, the European Parliament (EP), putting at risk any innovatory efforts, adopted a flawed proposal of unitary […]

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August 2, 2006

The Schengen Information System II delayed

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Scheduled to start operating in June 2006, the Schengen Information System II (SIS II) that would allow the competent authorities in the Member States to obtain information regarding certain categories of persons and property, will be delayed, as it resulted from a meeting of ministers of the […]

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November 15, 2017 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Platform regulation | Surveillance and data retention

Who defends the victims of mass surveillance? Tech companies could

Two clocks are ticking for US tech companies in the power centers of the modern world. In Washington, lawmakers are working to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 before it expires on 31 December 2017. Section 702 is the main legal basis for US mass surveillance, including the programs and techniques that […]

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August 30, 2006

EU Audiovisual Directive:Budapest Declaration for Freedom of the Internet

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) European media scholars criticized a European Commission proposal for a new EU Directive on Audiovisual Media Services for its vague regulatory concept of ‘non-linear audiovisual services’ that would also affect the Internet. The criticism was expressed in the “Budapest Declaration for Freedom of the Internet” drafted by […]

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August 1, 2007

Prague will anonymise RFID city cards

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Prague Deputy Mayor announced that following the presure of EDRI-member Iuridicum Remedium and the interpellation of the member of city parliament Petra Kolinska (Green Party) the city authorities decided that RFID chips in newly issued city cards will no longer contain personal data. This move is a […]

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August 30, 2006

Internet voting in France under question

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) France has tried to implement an Internet voting system that should have allowed French citizens living abroad to vote during the presidential elections in 2007. However, the system has been criticized and has not been proven to be reliable. The French living abroad are represented by the […]

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August 27, 2008

Copyright experts against the EU extension of the copyright term

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) New voices from the major copyright experts in the European universities and research centers question the current EU proposals of extension of the copyright term for the performing artists and sound recordings. As previously covered in the past EDRi-gram, the first letter was addressed to EU Commission […]

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August 30, 2006

German Minister of Justice wants limits to the anonymiser service

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The German anonymization program An.On, developed by the University of Dresden and the regional data protection authority of Schleswig Holstein (ULD), is enabling its users to surf anonymously via a Java-webproxy. The program has been heavily criticized by the Minister of Justice of the German federal state […]

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