Telecommunication data retention
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Data retention in EU JHA Council
The European Council of ministers of Justice and Home Affairs will meet on 2 and 3 December 2004. Telecommunication data retention is an important item on the agenda. The Dutch EU Presidency tried to force the Council to reach a quick unanimous decision on the proposed framework decision, but has now changed course. According to […]
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EU prepares law on police files
The European Commission is preparing a Framework Decision on ‘Access to information by law enforcement agencies’. Commission services have authored a Communication on enhancing such access, which was sent to the Council and the European Parliament in June 2004. The issue is closely linked to discussions currently under way on the introduction of data protection […]
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Hungarian Big Brother Award for Data Protection Commissioner
During the Big Brother Awards ceremony in Budapest, Hungary on 25 November 2004, the People’s Award was presented to the Data Protection Commissioner, Attila Péterfalvi. He was chosen with a large majority of 917 votes (39,8%) from 2.342 valid votes. He was given the negative price for making official statements that could erode the Hungarian […]
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Finnish security police charged with illegal snooping
Three top officials in Finland’s Security Police (SUPO) and the former head of the security unit of the telecommunications service provider Sonera are to be charged in a case involving suspected illegal telecommunications surveillance, according to the Finnish journal Helsingin Sanomat. The case dates back to November 2000, when Juha E. Miettinen, the head of […]
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Opinion EU privacy authorities on data retention
The European Working Party of data protection authorities has finally released an opinion on the proposed retention of communication traffic data. The Working Party concludes the proposal is not acceptable within the legal framework set by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. According to the Working Party data retention deserves the same […]
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Dutch EU presidency launches new JHA programme
The Dutch presidency of the EU has launched a new 5 year programme for Justice and Home Affairs. The previous five year plan, the Tampere Programme, was launched under the Finnish presidency of the EU. The new ‘Hague Programme’ was discussed at the Brussels European Council on 4 and 5 November and will be presented […]
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Privacy International warns against phone camera's
Privacy International is calling on all manufacturers of phone camera’s to equip the devices with a default flash, to alert people that their picture is taken. PI believes this measure is necessary to avoid endemic privacy abuse. Camera phones are increasingly used to take intimate and private images without consent, often resulting in embarrassment and […]
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Call for participation: consultation on fundamental rights
The European Commission has opened a consultation on the establishment of an EU Fundamental Rights Agency. This consultation follows the decision taken by the European Council in December 2003 to extend the mandate of the European Union Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, based in Vienna, to become a Fundamental Rights Agency. The consultation addresses […]
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EU governments want 2 biometric identifiers for every citizen
On 25 October 2004 Members of the Europarliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted on a proposal from the Council of Ministers to include a biometric identifier in EU passports and visas of travellers with EU destinations. While the MEPs were discussing the technical implications and privacy guarantees, behind their back […]
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Big Brother Awards presented in Austria, Germany and Spain
Last week Big Brother Awards were presented in 3 different countries to a wide range of government officials, companies and institutions for violating privacy and promoting extensive control over citizens lives. Seville in Spain hosted the 50st BBA event held worldwide on 30 October 2004, 6 years since Privacy International invented the ceremony in London. […]
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Secret code added to most colour prints
While printer-manufacturer Canon was awarded a Big Brother Award in Germany for secretly adding a unique code to every print-out made on household printing equipment, the practice is very wide-spread. Many laser printers seem to print-out a unique number on every print-out, invisible to the bare eye, measuring only 0,1 millimetre. The Dutch police has […]
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Controversy over Czech wiretaps
President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic has condemned a series of police telephone wiretaps as a ‘scandalous’ invasion of citizens’ privacy after press reports stated that officers listened in on his telephone conversations with a businessman. Czech newspapers reported that police wiretapped entrepreneur Ranko Pecic, an old friend of Klaus, for four months until […]
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