October 21, 2009

Web blocking gets a reality check

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Websperren müssen der Wahrheit ins Auge blicken | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1554] In the negotiations surrounding the formation of a new conservative-liberal coalition in Germany following the recent elections, an agreement has been reached to postpone, for at least a year, the introduction of web blocking. As the law has already […]

Read more

July 2, 2008

ECJ first hearing on data retention case

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) On 1 June 2008, the first hearing by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Ireland’s action for the annulment of the directive on data retention took place in Luxembourg. Ireland, later on joined by Slovakia, filed an action with ECJ against the European Council and Parliament […]

Read more

February 27, 2008

Note2be.com under investigation by CNIL

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Following several complaints and notifications, the French Data Protection Authority (Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés – CNIL) is investigating Note2be.com website created in January 2008 that was proposing pupils to grade and evaluate their teachers. The site encouraged pupils the give the name of the […]

Read more

September 23, 2009

A human rights commissioner in the European Commission ?

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Ein Menschenrechtskommissar für die Europäische Kommission? | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1527] On 16 September 2009 the European Parliament re-elected Jose Manuel Barroso for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission by a clear majority. During his campaign, Barroso presented his proposals for commissioner posts. At a meeting on […]

Read more

October 7, 2009

Turkey blocks thousands of foreign websites

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Die Türkei sperrt tausende ausländische Webseiten | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1537] Following the entering into force in November 2007 of the Turkish Law No. 5651 entitled Regulation of Publications on the Internet and Suppression of Crimes Committed by means of Such Publication, a large number of websites have been blocked in […]

Read more

September 27, 2006

Online campaign against data retention started in Germany

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) On 25 September, the German Working Group against Data Retention (Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung) started an online campaign against the mandatory storage of all communications data. Through a special web portal, concerned citizens can send electronic open letters to all 448 parliamentarians of the ruling grand coalition and raise […]

Read more

January 27, 2010

Bank data deal under heavy fire from EU Parliamentarians

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Bankdatenabkommen unter schwerem Beschuss der EU-Abgeordneten | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1677] The debate on the bank data (“SWIFT”) agreement in the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs yesterday and today showed a clear conflict between parliamentarians on the one side and the EU Council as well as […]

Read more

May 6, 2009

European Parliament votes against the 3 strikes. Again

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EP stimmt wieder einmal gegen das 3 Treffer-System | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1387] Today, 6 May 2009, in the second reading of the Telecom Package, the European Parliament (EP) voted again for the initial amendment 138, with an overwhelming majority of 407 votes for and just 57 against the proposal. However, […]

Read more

October 20, 2010

Guidelines for more rigorous respect of the Fundamental Rights Charter

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Leitlinien für die Einhaltung der EU-Grundrechtecharta | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2274] The European Commission has adopted a strategy which is aimed at ensuring that the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is respected at every stage of the EU legislative process. At the initiative of Commissioner Reding, the intention is to create […]

Read more

September 11, 2013 · Blogs

Net Neutrality threatened by the Commission’s draft regulation

For the past years, EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who started by advocating for net neutrality, has constantly given in to the pressure of large telecom companies, changing her direction from protecting net neutrality to threatening it. The current draft Regulation made public on 11 September 2013 just confirms this direction. La Quadrature du Net and […]

Read more

March 23, 2011

Using new Internet tools to identify dissidents in Azerbaijan

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Aserbaidschan: Dissidenten mit neuen Internet-Tools ausgeforscht | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.6_Aserbaidschan_Internet-Tools_zur_Identifizierung_von_Dissidenten] As freedom activists have increased their activity on Facebook, the Azeri government has also increased its attention and surveillance of social networks. According to Azadliq newspaper, for instance, in June 2010, pro-government youth were encouraged to join Facebook with the […]

Read more

June 3, 2009

Deutsche Telecom investigating the sexual life of job applicants

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Deutsche Telekom untersucht das Sexualleben von Stellenbewerber | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1420] According to German newspaper Handelsblatt, Deutsche Telecom was keeping records about personal details of job applicants, including details about their sexual life. Similar records on potential employees were also kept in Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary. An anonymous security […]

Read more