EU directive on privacy and electronic communications
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ENDitorial: French biometric passport: case still pending after 2 years
This article is also available in: Deutsch: [ENDitorial: Beschwerde gegen französische Biometrie-Pässe nach 2 Jahren immer noch anhängig | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2067] It took more than two years after the complaint against the French biometric passport was filed to have the conclusions of the “public rapporteur” publicly presented at the Conseil d’Etat (French highest administrative Court), on […]
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An Irish law for a DNA Database
This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Irisches Gesetz für eine DNA-Datenbank | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1649] The Irish Government has announced that it will publish legislation this week to set up a national DNA database. The Bill follows a 2005 Report of the Law Reform Commission on Establishment of a DNA Database but was delayed by the […]
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Italian DNA database: The devil is in the details
This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Italienische DNA-Datenbank: der Teufel steckt im Detail | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1496] On 30 June 2009, the Italian Parliament finally passed Law No. 85 that ratifies the Prum Convention and forms the legal ground for the creation of an Italian National DNA Database (NDNAD). Although this law might have benefited from […]
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Stockholm programme – the new EU dangerous surveillance system
This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Das Stockholmprogramm – das neue gefährliche Überwachungssystem der EU | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1431] Civil rights groups are worried about a new EU proposal that would enhance a “dangerously authoritarian” European surveillance and security system that will include ID card register, Internet surveillance systems, satellite surveillance, automated exit-entry border systems operated […]
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Lucky win for the Swiss biometric passports
This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Glücklicher Sieg für biometrische Pässe in der Schweiz | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1402] A referendum that took place in Switzerland on Sunday, 17 May 2009 was in favour of the biometric passports law by a very narrow margin. Thus the official results show that 50.14% of the voters approved the law, […]
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Reclaim your DNA from the UK database
This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Fordern Sie Ihre DNA aus der britischen Datenbank ein! | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1392] Macedonian: [Акција за повлекување на профили од британската ДНК база на податоци | http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk/content/view/1449/4/lang,mk/] A coallition of Human rights groups in UK has launched “Reclaim your DNA” website that helps innocent people contact the police to seek […]
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Romania: Protests against biometric passports
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) A few hundred Romanians gathered on 1 February 2009 to protest against the introduction of the obligatory biometric passports starting with the beginning of 2009. The event comes after the first passports with biometric identifiers (including fingerprints) were issued at the end of January in the county […]
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Lack of coordination in European eID privacy features
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The EU funded European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) issued, on 27 January 2009, its Position Paper on security features in European eID schemes, showing a large disparity between the various systems which might affect their usefulness. The paper is an analysis of 10 ID card […]
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Privacy in Germany 2008: A new fundamental right, a privacy mass movement, and the usual surveillance suspects
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The year of 2008 can be marked as the year where privacy moved high on the public agenda in Germany. On 1st of January, the law on data retention went into effect, which made Germany drop from number one to seven in the country ranking published by […]
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ECHR decided against the UK DNA Database
(Article corrected on 18 December 2008 on DNA database figures and the Counter Terrorism Act 2008) (Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) On 4 December 2008, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) gave its judgement in the Marper case related to the controversial National DNA Database used by the UK Police for […]
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Cloning e-passports
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Jeroen van Beek, a computer researcher at the University of Amsterdam, has shown in some tests conducted for The Times that the new micro-chipped passports, introduced in UK to protect against terrorism and organised crime, can be easily cloned. The researcher has succeeded in cloning the chips […]
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Complaint against the French govt to annul the biometric passport decree
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Two French associations, EDRi-member Imaginons un réseau internet solidaire (IRIS) and Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH), have filed a complaint against the French government before the highest administrative Court. They ask the French Conseil d’État to annul the decree issued on 30 April 2008 by the […]
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