August 25, 2010

Romanian Government wants to issue Electronic ID cards

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Rumänische Regierung plant elektronische ID-Karten | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2127] The Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Administration (MAI) submitted for public consultation, in the middle of August 2010, a new draft Ordinance for issuing mandatory electronic ID cards for Romanians starting with 1 January 2011. Even though the decision […]

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August 25, 2010

EU interim technical supervisor for EU-US Swift Agreement

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Einstweilige technische Aufsicht für EU-US SWIFT Abkommen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2129] As on 1 August 2010 the so-called Swift agreement allowing EU citizens’ bank data to be transferred to US is to come into force, the European Commission will appoint an interim “technical” supervisor to oversee the searches of US […]

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September 23, 2009

MEPs ask for a new agreement on SWIFT bank data transfers to USA

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [MEPs fordern ein neues Abkommen über SWIFT-Bankdatentransfers an die USA | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1523] The European Parliament issued on 17 September 2009 a resolution reaffirming the need that for the Council and EU ministers to renegotiate the agreement to transfer bank data to the United States Treasury Department. MEPs have […]

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September 23, 2009

EESC opinion on the impact of social networking sites on citizens

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EESC-Stellungnahme über den Einfluß von Social Networking-Seiten auf die Bürger | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1528] The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) debated in a meeting organized on 17 September 2009 a new approach in regulating social networing websites, with the appointment of an EU Ombudsman to be responsible for the […]

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September 8, 2010

France: Imminent "Humanitarian Fingerprinting" of Roma with OSCAR

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Frankreich: Drohende Stigmatisierung von Roma durch OSCAR | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2164] The xenophobic anti-Roma campaign run by the French government following President Sarkozy’s discourse at the end of July has led to the brutal dismantling of numerous Roma camps, and to the expulsion of 1 000 foreign Roma people from […]

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September 8, 2010

INDECT – privacy ethics in a secret project

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ INDECT – Datenschutzethik eines Geheimprojekts | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2165] A new document on ethical issues published by the INDECT European research project on public surveillance has once more attracted the scrutiny of the media. Previous allegations of secrecy were followed by an attempt to strengthen the project’s Ethics Board. […]

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September 23, 2009

Civil society coalition discuss global privacy standards

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Koalition der Zivilgesellschaft diskutiert globale Standards im Datenschutz | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1530] The Public Voice, the largest worldwide civil society coalition where EDRi is a an active member, will discuss “Global Privacy Standards in a Global World” during its conference on 3 November 2009 in Madrid, Spain, to be held […]

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September 8, 2010

Germany wants a new law to protect employees' privacy

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Deutschland plant neues Gesetz zum Beschäftigtendatenschutz | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2166] Following several scandals during the last years related to the surveillance of employees in several companies, the German government has recently tabled a draft bill that would forbid employers to use hidden cameras or social networking websites to spy on […]

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September 22, 2010

European Commission's strategy for Data Protection Directive

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ Datenschutz-Richtlinie: Die Strategie der Europäischen Kommission | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2199] During the Conference organised on 16 September 2010 by the Lisbon Council Brussels on “Unleashing the digital single market”, Vivane Reding, vice-president of the European Commission and Commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, announced, among other things, she […]

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October 7, 2009

ENDitorial: Amendment 138-EP asked to choose between democracy and defeat

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ENDitorial: Zusatz 138 – EP soll zwischen Demokratie und Niederlage wählen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1543] The opening meeting of the informal conciliation discussions between the Council and European Parliament (EP) has taken place. This process was largely brought about by the Parliament’s overwhelming rejection of a “compromise” proposal with regard […]

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September 22, 2010

Swiss court rules that IP address collecting software is illegal

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Schweizer Gericht erklärt die Sammlung von IP Adressen für unzulässig | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2202] The Swiss Federal Court overturned on 8 September 2010 a previous court decision and ruled that the software identifying IP addresses of alleged unauthorised music uploaders was infringing the data protection law. Switzerland-based anti-piracy company Logistep […]

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September 22, 2010

Google's Street View will not resume its activities in the Czech Republic

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Keine Wiederaufnahme von Google Street View in Tschechien | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2203] For the second time, the Czech data protection authority (UOOU) rejected Google’s application to resume its data collection through its Street View system. The Czech data agency had already rejected a similar request from Google in December 2009. […]

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