June 16, 2010

MEPs debating Human Rights for Internet users

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Abgeordnete diskutieren Menschenrechte für Internetuser | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2004] On 2 June 2010, the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament (DROI) hosted a parliamentary hearing on the human rights implications of new information technologies and communications networks. Finnish Green MEP Heidi Hautala, the Chair of the Human Rights […]

Read more

July 15, 2009

Irish Data Retention Bill published

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Irisches Vorratsdatenspeicherungsgesetz veröffentlicht| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1465] On 6 July, the Communications (Retention of Data) Bill 2009 was presented to the Irish Parliament. The Bill is intended to implement the Data Retention Directive and if enacted will establish a two year retention period for telephone data with a one year retention […]

Read more

June 16, 2010 · Blogs

French journalist facing jail for online releasing of a clip on Sarkozy

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Französischer Journalist wegen Sarkozy-Video vor Gericht | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2005] A French journalist may go to jail for having leaked on the Internet an embarrassing off-air video with the French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Augustin Scalbert of Rue89, brought to court by the National TV company France 3, was charged with […]

Read more

July 15, 2009

EDPS on the Stockholm Programme

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Der Datenschutzbeauftragte äußert sich zum Stockholmprogramm | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1466] After the release of the Stockholm Programme considered by civil rights groups as enhancing the “dangerously authoritarian” European surveillance and security system, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) published on 13 July 2009 his opinion on the new system. The […]

Read more

June 16, 2010

ENDitorial: New coalition's U-turn on privacy in UK

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ENDitorial: Kehrtwende der neuen britischen Koalition | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2006] The coalition Government plans to keep the Summary Care Record, despite pre-election pledges by both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to rip up the system – which is not compliant with the I v Finland judgement of the European […]

Read more

July 15, 2009

Hadopi 2 adopted very fast by the French Senate

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Hadopi 2 vom französischen Senat sehr schnell angenommen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1467] On 8 July 2009, in a very rapid session, the French Senate adopted the new three strikes draft law, so called Hadopi 2. The only difference between the first version of the law and Hadopi 2 is that […]

Read more

July 15, 2009

EU Commissioner: Current business models encourage illegal file-sharing

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EU-Kommissarin: bestehende Geschäftsmodelle ermuntern illegales illegales File-Sharen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1468] On 9 July, during the Ludwig Erhard Lecture 2009 Lisbon Council in Brussels, Viviane Reding, EU telecommunications commissioner, while presenting the proposed strategy for a future digital European society, expressed the idea that present business models lead to the […]

Read more

June 30, 2010

Data retention – time for evidence-based decision making

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Vorratsdatenspeicherung – Zeit für evidenzbasierte Entscheidungen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2031] In June 2010 the European Parliament adopted a farcical “written declaration” ostensibly on the creation of an “early warning system” to fight pedophiles. Funded by unknown sources, the MEPs in charge (Zaborska from the Czech Republic and Motti from Italy) […]

Read more

July 15, 2009

The big record companies are after Irish ISPs

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Die großen Plattenfirmen haben es auf die irischen ISPs abegesehen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1469] The big music record companies, EMI Records (Ireland), Sony Music Entertainment Ireland, Universal Music Ireland, Warner Music Ireland and WEA International Incorporated, are after the Irish ISPs trying to force them to adopt a three strikes […]

Read more

July 15, 2009

Sweden obliged by EU to implement data retention directive

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EU zwingt Schweden, die Richtlinie zur Vorratsdatenspeicherung umzusetzen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1470] The European Commission has decided to take the Swedish Government to the European court of Justice for failing to implement the data retention directive in a reasonable time frame. The Swedish Data Retention Directive implementation was supported by […]

Read more

June 30, 2010

ACTA – new criminal sanctions for non-commercial copyright uses?

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ACTA – Neue Sanktionen für die nicht-gewerbliche Nutzung von Urheberrechten? | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2033] A new round of negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is in progress until 1 July 2010 at Luzern, Switzerland between 11 parties including the EU. A document leaked from the EU Presidency dated 7 […]

Read more

June 30, 2010

EP calls for a clear legal framework for the Internet of Things

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Europa-Parlament für klaren gesetzlichen Rahmen für das Internet der Dinge | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2034] In a resolution on the Internet of Things, adopted on 15 June 2010, the European Parliament (EP) welcomes the communication of the Commission on the topic and in principle endorses the broad outlines of the action […]

Read more