Wiretapping
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FIPR report on children's databases – likely to harm rather than help
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The UK Information Commissioner has just published a report on the UK Government’s plans to link up most of the public-sector databases that contain information on children. The report was written by experts from the Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR), who conclude that aggregating this data […]
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EU might fingerprint children even before 12 years old
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The report from the EU Council Presidency meeting of 26 June 2006 proposes that all children in the European Union should be mandatory fingerprinted if they are over 12 years old. “If provided for by national legislation” this action could be extended to all children, even below […]
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EU trying to push again biometrics on national ID cards
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) According to a EU document presented by Statewatch in July 2006, The Visa Working Party on 13-14 June 2006 proposed another approach on the issue of the biometrics to be introduced on national ID cards. The issue had met resistance back in February when several members of […]
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UK ID card scheme heading to failure
(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Reports by The Sunday Times newspaper revealed an apparent failure of the UK plans for ID cards resulting from an exchange of emails between David Foord, the ID card project director at the Office of Government Commerce, and Peter Smith, the acting commercial director of the Identity […]
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UK DNA database shared with other countries
The UK Home Office has admitted that DNA stored in the UK National DNA Database has been shared with other countries. UK has today one of the largest law enforcement DNA database with profiles from 3.5 million people, including 500 000 children under 16 years old. The database was established in 1995. Privacy concerns regarding […]
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New Czech Police draft act allows taking DNA samples by force
The Czech Senate, upper chamber of the Parliament, approved on 25 May 2006 the amendment of the Criminal Proceedings Code and Police Act, which empowers police officers to take DNA samples and other identification samples as fingerprints. According to the draft police can take the DNA samples even by using force in case of resistance. […]
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PM supports UK ID Cards Act
Tony Blair stated a strong support for the ID card Act that was initially rejected by the House of Lords in January this year. The Government had considered the card as essential in the fight against crime, illegal immigration, and identity theft. However, the House of Lords required from the Government to give further clarifications […]
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Slovenia : Draft Police Act endangers privacy
The draft of new Police Act has raised a lot of criticism in the last days from privacy activists and legal experts on its broad encroachment upon citizens’ right to privacy, granted by the Slovenian Constitution. Through the suggested act, the Slovenian government grants more power to the police, using terrorism, the Schengen treaty and […]
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French Big Brother Awards 2006
The 6th edition of the French Big Brother Awards taking place in Paris on 3 February has chosen the following in the 5 different award sections, for causing the most damage to personal privacy. The Orwell Award for State official – the winner was Jean-Michel Charpin, Directeur de l’Insee (INES) for his participation in the […]
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Government communication illegally wiretapped in Greece
Over a 100 phone numbers of Greek Government officials were illegally wiretapped for 11 months, during and after the 2004 Olympic games. This was confirmed on 2 February 2006 by three ministers during the daily Greek government press conference. The illegal wiretaps were discovered in March 2005 during a routine control at Vodafone, one of […]
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EU Visa Database under scrutiny of the European Data Protection
In a public opinion from 20 January 2006, Mr. Peter Hustinx, the European Data Protection Supervisor, was very critical about the wide access possibilities the European Commission wanted to give to the new Visa Information System. The Commission published its “Proposal for a Council Decision concerning access for consultation of the Visa Information System (VIS)” […]
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Comparison between US and European anti-terror policies
In a report titled ” Threatening the Open Society: Comparing Anti-terror Policies and Strategies in the U.S. and Europe” and released on 13 December 2005, Privacy International compared the anti-terrorism approaches in the U.S. with those in Europe. The report finds that on every policy involving mass surveillance of its citizens, the EU is prepared […]
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