December 3, 2008

Effects of counter-terrorism legislation on freedom of the media

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) A new report conducted by Privacy International (PI) for the Council of Europe Media and Information Society Division reveals effects of new counter-terrorism laws on media and free expression rights in European countries. The report “Speaking of Terror” examines how the “war on terror” has affected access […]

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January 26, 2016 · Blogs

Civil society and telecom industry urge EU policy makers to safeguard broadband competition

Hosting an event at the European Parliament, the #NetCompetition alliance restated the dangers that a lack of competition in broadband markets will have on consumer welfare and innovation. The event highlighted the problematic practices that broadband providers in monopolistic and oligopolistic markets impose on Internet data usage. Hosted by MEP Lara Comi, the event featured […]

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January 27, 2016 · Blogs

TiSA: European Parliament ready to defend digital rights?

On 18 January 2016, the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee (INTA) adopted a non-legislative report, that will be subject to a vote by the whole Parliament on 3 February 2015. Similar to TTIP, harsh criticism has been expressed on the nature and content of the TiSA negotiations. While the INTA committee remained silent about certain […]

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April 11, 2012

Poland: Almost 2 million accesses to electronic communication data

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Polen: Fast 2 Millionen Zugriffe auf elektronische Kommunikationsdaten | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.7_Polen_Fast_2_Millionen_Zugriffe_auf_elektronische_Kommunikationsdaten?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20120411] EDRi-member Panoptykon Foundation (Poland) published last week the latest data received from the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE). During 2011, the courts, public prosecutor’s office, the police and other authorities used data concerning Polish citizens’ electronic communication exactly […]

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April 11, 2012

Hungary: freedom of information restricted by new draft law

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Ungarn: Neuer Gesetzesentwurf zur Einschränkung der Informationsfreiheit | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.7_Ungarn_Neuer_Gesetzesentwurf_zur_Einschraenkung_der_Informationsfreiheit?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20120411] Hungarian authorities are considering adopting legislation regarding access to public sector information that watchdogs say is unconstitutional and would create legal uncertainty. This comes on the heels of infringement proceedings initiated by the European Commission (over the independence of […]

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April 12, 2012 · Blogs

Is the G8 already working on a new ACTA?

Czech language version A leaked G8 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK and USA) document gives the strongest indication yet that the leading countries behind ACTA are working on the basis that the Agreement is now in serious trouble and needs to be fundamentally re-thought and re-worked – and in its current form […]

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February 15, 2017 · Blogs

Citizens’ rights undermined by flawed CETA deal

On 15 February 2017, the European Parliament voted in favour of the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). This concludes the process at the EU level. The EU Member States will now have to ratify the agreement, without having a right to make changes to the text. CETA creates significant risks for citizens’ fundamental rights, especially […]

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June 5, 2019 · On the ground | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Surveillance and data retention

Czech Constitutional Court rejects complaint on data retention

Czech EDRi member Iuridicum Remedium (IuRe) has fought for 14 years against Czech implementation of the controversial EU data retention Directive which was declared invalid by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). After years of campaigning and many hard legislative battles, the fight has finally come to an end: on 22 May […]

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

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

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May 18, 2011

Privatised enforcement series E: Online trading platforms sell out

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Serie: Privatisierung der Online-Strafverfolgung – Teil E | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.10_Serie_Privatisierung_der_Online-Strafverfolgung%E2%80%93Teil_E] In a bizarrely designed document, looking like a mix between a wedding invitation and an accident in a blue ink factory, leading online retailers Amazon, eBay and Priceminister have sold out the interests of their consumers in a “memorandum […]

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June 19, 2019 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Cross border access to data

EU rushes into e-evidence negotiations without common position

On 6 June 2019, the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) – which gathers all EU Member States Ministers of Justice – asked the European Commission to start international negotiations on cross-border access to electronic evidence in criminal matters (so-called “e-evidence”) in the upcoming months. The Commission should enter into bilateral negotiations with the United […]

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February 24, 2016 · Blogs

Transparent consumers – a report by Bits of Freedom

Data brokers follow everything you do. What you buy, where you live, what you like and what this information says about you. They sell profiles based on this information to other companies. Starting last summer, Bits of Freedom conducted research with Dutch online newspaper De Correspondent as part of the ‘Quantified society’ programme. We looked […]

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