July 12, 2016 · Blogs

Privacy Shield: Privacy sham

Today, on 12 July 2016, the European Commission adopted the so-called “Privacy Shield”, a special arrangement that allows the transfer of personal data from the EU to the United States. The Privacy Shield replaces the former Safe Habor agreement, which used to serve the same purpose, before being annulled by the European Court of Justice […]

Read more

 

December 16, 2009

Spain discusses shutting down websites without court order

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Spanien berät über die Schließung von Webseiten ohne richterliche Verfügungen| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1628] Despite the recent statements of Spanish culture Minister Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde and the warnings received from Commissioner Reding, the Spanish Government announced at the beginning of December 2009 a proposal that may lead to shutting down websites that […]

Read more

December 15, 2010

Rule of law in the hands of private companies.Wikileaks is just the start.

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Das Prinzip der Rechtsstaatlichkeit in den Händen der Privatwirtschaft: WikiLeaks ist erst der Anfang | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2437] Private-sector attempts to undermine and attack the ability of WikiLeaks to function on the Internet have attracted much attention. Their domain name (wikileaks.org) was was taken out of service by EveryDNS, their […]

Read more

December 16, 2009

The Netherlands promises transparancy regarding wiretapping

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Die Niederlande verspricht Transparenz bezüglich der Abhöraktionen| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1629] The Dutch Minister of Justice promised on 26 November 2009 at the request of the Dutch Parliament to provide more transparency regarding wiretapping. The Dutch government is placing relatively many taps on a per-capita basis, compared to other countries. During […]

Read more

December 16, 2009

Future of MySQL investigated by the European Commission

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Die Europäische Kommission untersucht die Zukunft von MySQL| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1630] The acquisition of Sun Microsystems by Oracle is investigated by the European Commission for its potential anti-competition effects, including the future role of MySQL as an open source database software owned by Oracle. The debate between opponents and supporters […]

Read more

December 15, 2010

Commission finds solution on notice and takedown and it seeks the problem

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Kommission findet Lösung für Notice and Takedown und sucht nun das Problem | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2439] On 15 December 2010, the European Commission held its third meeting on “public private cooperation to counter the dissemination of illegal content in the European Union.” The first meeting took place in November 2009 […]

Read more

December 15, 2010

ECJ to discuss the case of eBay & trademark infringement

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EuGH behandelt Rechtssache eBay & Markenschutz | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2440] In the case introduced by L’Oreal against auction site eBay and referred by the High Court of Justice (England and Wales) to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) the Advocate General, Niilo Jaaskinen, published on 9 December 2010 its opinion […]

Read more

December 16, 2009

The new Swedish anti-piracy law stirs things for file sharers

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Das neue schwedische Anti-Piraterie-Gesetz stiftet Unruhe unter Filesharern| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1632] As already foreseen this summer, the Swedish recording industry is using the new anti-piracy IPRED law to chase filesharers. On 7 December 2009, the Swedish branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) filed a suit with […]

Read more

December 15, 2010 · Blogs

Council text on web blocking – breaking the law to fight crime

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Ratstext zu Netzsperren – Rechtsbruch für den Kampf gegen das Verbrechen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2441] The Council of Justice Ministers adopted a text on web blocking at its recent meeting in Brussels on 2-3 December 2010. The Belgian Presidency, for domestic reasons, felt obliged to adopt a text during its […]

Read more

December 16, 2009

Italy: The Anopticon project – putting surveillance back in its place

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Italien: Das Anopticon Projekt – wie Überwachung in seine Schranken gewiesen wird| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1633] Nowadays, CCTVs are the practical implementation of the “Panopticon”, theorised in 1791 by Jeremy Bentham as the “ideal prison”, one that keeps people in place by using their natural fear of being surveilled. The Anopticon […]

Read more

December 15, 2010

French law Loppsi 2 under debate again

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Neue Debatte über französisches Loppsi 2 Gesetz | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2442] The so-called Loppsi 2 draft law (loi d’orientation et de programmation pour la performance de la sécurité intérieure – law on guidelines and programming for the performance of internal security) is being discussed these days in the French General […]

Read more

December 16, 2009

ENDitorial: What the conquistadores can teach us about ACTA

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ENDitorial: Was uns Konquistadoren über ACTA lehren| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1634] When the conquistadores arrived in the Americas, historians tell us that the viruses that they carried caused devastation among the indigenous populations. For the European invaders, who had been subject to the viruses for longer, the illnesses, while still sometimes […]

Read more