December 19, 2012 · Blogs

Companies abuse a loophole in data protection law

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Firmen nutzen Lücke im Datenschutzgesetz | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.24_Firmen_nutzen_Luecke_im_Datenschutzgesetz?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20121219] Personal data of internet users are often processed on a legal basis too weak to provide a real protection of the users’ right to privacy. On 11 December 2012, EDRi member Bits of Freedom published a report about the flaws of […]

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February 23, 2011

EESC condemns body scanners as a breach of fundamental rights

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EWSA missbilligt Körperscanner als Verstoß gegen die Grundrechte | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.4_EWSA_verurteilt_Nacktscanner] On 16 February 2011, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) issued its opinion on the use of body scanners in EU airports. The EESC has opposed the eventual adoption of any measures that would introduce body scanners […]

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August 30, 2006

European bodies discuss the SWIFT case

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) SWIFT has recently confirmed that it had succeeded in putting some restrictions to the US Treasury’s programme of transferring transactional data from them. However, the activities of the company since 2001 are still under investigation by several European bodies. The US Treasury’s programme has been operating, without […]

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August 29, 2007

US law threatens non-US citizens' privacy rights

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) A Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act proposed by the US Administration was passed by the US Congress on 4 August 2007 allowing US intelligence services to intercept electronic communications between US, but also non-US citizens, if the communication passes across US-based networks, without needing a court order. A […]

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January 16, 2013 · Blogs

Privacy Camp: civil society warm-up for the CPDP

22 January 2013 in Brussels The Privacy Camp is an event in Brussels on privacy and data protection challenges and possibilities in Europe, launched by European Digital Rights (EDRi), the Law, Science, Technology and Society research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB-LSTS) and the Facultés universitaires Saint-Louis (FUSL). This event is a free-to-attend pre-conference […]

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July 15, 2004

Italy and the Netherlands top wiretap chart

According to a report by the German Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, Italy and the Netherlands are the wiretap champions of the Western world. The report entitled ‘Rechtswirklichkeit und Effizienz der Überwachung der Telekommunikation’ researches the legal and practical situation in Germany regarding police wiretapping. The report also investigates the situation […]

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August 27, 2008

Secret reports on new five year plan for "European Home Affairs"

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) A new secret report, made available by Statewatch, drafted by the “Future Group” of Interior and Justice Ministers from six EU member states (Germany, France, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia, and Czech Republic) suggests a series of proposals to boost EU integration in policing and intelligence-gathering, including the creation […]

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September 10, 2008

The telecom package debated by the European Parliament

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The European Parliament (EP) discussed on 2 September 2008 the draft directives to reform the EU framework on electronic communications (telecom package). Besides the debates on the telecom issues, the MEPs have discussed the role of the ISPs in combating Intellectual Property Rights violations and the modifications […]

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January 16, 2013 · Blogs

Major data leak at the Belgium railway company

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Schwere Datenpanne bei der belgischen Bahn | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_11.1_Schwere_Datenpanne_bei_der_belgischen_Bahn?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20130125] At the end of December 2012, the personal data of more than one million customers of the Belgian train company SNCB Europe were available on-line, at a simple query in a search engine. The data contained in the SNCB database […]

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July 15, 2004

Nominations Big Brother Awards UK / Austria

On 28 July, Privacy International will celebrate the 6th annual UK Big Brother Awards ceremony. From about 300 nominees a ‘Dirty Dozen’ was selected for the shortlist. Award categories for this year are as they have been in past years: Worst Public Servant; Most Invasive Company; Most Appalling Project; Most Heinous Government Organisation and Lifetime […]

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July 15, 2004

Court attacks Dutch internet anonymity

By verdict of 24 June 2004 the Appeals Court of Amsterdam in the Netherlands has to a large extent limited the freedom of internet users to express their opinion anonimously. The main issue in this principal case was whether internet provider Lycos was required to hand over the personal data of one of its subscribers […]

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January 16, 2013 · Blogs

State German DPA threatens to fine Facebook for opposing anonymity

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ULD geht gegen Facebook vor | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_11.1_ULD_geht_gegen_Facebook_vor?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20130125] Germany’s ULD (Data Protection Authority – DPA in the German state Schleswig-Holstein) issued in December 2012 orders threatening Facebook Inc. USA and Facebook Ltd. Ireland with a 20 000 Euro fine for their refusal to accept anonymous user accounts. Thilo Weichert, […]

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