October 13, 2025 · Document pools
Mass surveillance of telecommunications Document Pool
In the law enforcement context, “data retention” refers to the mandatory retention by providers of electronic communications services (email, private messaging, internet access providers, etc.) of metadata of all their users only for law enforcement purposes. Because it is applied to everyone indiscriminately, it constitutes a mass surveillance measure. After the former Data Retention Directive was struck down by the CJEU in 2014 as it violated fundamental rights, the Commission is seeking to adopt new rules at EU level, posing a clear threat to everyone’s digital rights.
