October 24, 2018 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Cross border access to data | Data protection standards | Privacy and confidentiality | Surveillance and data retention

CJEU introduces new criteria for law enforcement to access data

On 2 October 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered a new ruling in the “Ministerio Fiscal” case on access to data retained by electronic communications service providers under the scope the ePrivacy Directive.

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December 15, 2010

Data Retention Directive evaluation: expect the unexpected?

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Evaluierung der Vorratsdatenspeicherung: Das Unerwartete erwarten? | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2438] The evaluation of the controversial Data Retention Directive takes an unexpected turn, for the worse. At a crucial one-day conference in Brussels on 3 December 2010, aimed at gathering input for the evaluation, long-term critic of the Directive Commissioner Malmström […]

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October 26, 2012

Lawless, unproven filtering and blocking of content as “best practice”

On Monday of next week (29 October, 2012), the European Union and the United States will have a “summit” (draft agenda) on “Exchange of Best Practices for Child Protection Online”. In the course of that meeting, the question of measures to prevent “re-uploading of the content” will be discussed. Both the European Commission and the […]

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July 27, 2015 · Document pools

EU PNR document pool

The proposal for a EU PNR Directive  (Fight against terrorism and serious crime: use of passenger name record (PNR) data (procedure file 2011/0023(COD) ) was adopted by the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee on 15 July 2015. The narrow vote (32 in favor, 26 against, no abstentions) in favour happened despite the rejection of this […]

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September 28, 2017 · Blogs | Information democracy | Data protection standards | Freedom of expression online | Surveillance and data retention

Commission’s position on tackling illegal content online is contradictory and dangerous for free speech

Today, on 28 September, the European Commission published its long-awaited Communication “Tackling Illegal Content Online”. This follows a leaked copy we previously analysed. The document puts virtually all its focus on internet companies monitoring online communications, in order to remove content that they decide might be illegal. It presents few safeguards for free speech, and […]

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June 20, 2007

Update on a Council Framework Decision on the protection of personal data

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The Council of the European Union disscused again in its Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on 12-13 June 2007 the Council Framework Decision on the protection of personal data processed in the framework of police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters, without making any clear steps […]

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July 2, 2008

Control on Internet users pushed with the new telecom package

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) An appeal from three European NGOs – La Quadrature du Net, netzpolitik.org and EDRi-member Open Rights Group – reveal some disturbing MEPs amendments to the draft directives to reform the EU framework on electronic communications (telecom package). The review of the telecom package was merely focusing on […]

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November 21, 2018 · On the ground | Information democracy | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Freedom of expression online | Transparency

#TeleormanLeaks: Privacy vs freedom of expression

The first big General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy case broke out in Romania at the beginning of November 2018 in connection with an article about a corruption scandal involving a politician and his relationship with a company investigated for fraud.

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December 1, 2021 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Cross border access to data | Surveillance and data retention

EU ropes in intelligence agencies for enhanced border checks targeting Afghan nationals

Intensified border security checks targeting Afghan nationals have been agreed by the Council of the EU, with the procedures requiring the extraction of mobile phone data and significant coordination with national intelligence agencies – despite the EU having no competences in the realm of “national security”.

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August 29, 2016 · Blogs

Net neutrality wins in Europe!

New net neutrality guidelines from the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) confirm strong protection for net neutrality, and for the free and open internet, in the European Union.  Europe is now a global standard-setter in the defence of the open, competitive and neutral internet. We congratulate BEREC on its diligent work, its […]

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December 19, 2018 · On the ground | Privacy and data protection | Privacy and confidentiality | Surveillance and data retention

Denmark prepares for passenger data exchange with the EU

In 2016, the European Union adopted the Passenger Name Record (PNR) Directive which obliges Member States to collect PNR data on all flights to third countries and exchange this information with other Member States through the Passenger Information Units (PIUs).

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July 19, 2006

Critical report on Irish e-voting system released

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) On 4 July 2006, the Commission on Electronic Voting released its second report on the secrecy and accuracy of the e-voting system purchased by the Irish Government. The summary remarks at the beginning of the 200 page report say: “The Commission concludes that it can recommend the […]

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