Wiretapping
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NGOs against international surveillance and policy laundering
On 20 April 2005 the civil liberties group Statewatch, together with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and two other NGOs launched the Campaign Against Mass Surveillance (ICAMS), calling on all national governments and intergovernmental organisations to turn away from antiterrorism efforts that are oriented around mass surveillance. The campaign started with an in-depth report […]
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French minister demands compulsory biometric ID card
The French minister of the Interior Dominique de Villepin has announced plans to force every Frenchman to buy a new electronic ID card with a chip containing photograph and fingerprints. On 11 April the French government outlined its plan to introduce biometrics on passports by 2006 and on ID cards by 2007. In an interview […]
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No delay for EU biometric passports
The United States will not allow for any further delay in the introduction of biometric identifiers in passports of EU citizens travelling to the US. EU Justice Commissioner Frattini sent an urgent letter to the US Congress asking for a delay of 10 months in introducing biometrics in the passports of all EU citizens. In […]
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LSE report: UK ID card plans too risky
The UK Government’s plans for a national identity card have come under renewed criticism in a report published last week by the London School of Economics. The report, “The Identity Project: An assessment of the UK Identity Cards Bill & its implications”, featured contributions from experts across the LSE and from businesses that would be […]
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3.300 ID fines in the Netherlands in 1 month
In the first month of the new ID obligations in the Netherlands, the Dutch police have issued 3.300 fines to people who could not immediately show a valid ID when asked. According to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, the ID checks mainly take place in specific circumstances. “ID control mostly occurs in situations of disorder […]
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Total surveillance visitors World Cup Germany
Think twice before buying a ticket to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. You can only apply for tickets online, and in order to obtain a ticket you will have to answer a questionnaire demanding a lot of personal data. This profile will be linked to a mini spy chip (RFID) on the ticket. […]
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NL police massively fines citizens without ID
On 1 January 2005, a new law went into force in the Netherlands obliging everybody above the age of 14 to always show ID when asked. Dutch police has immediately started to use the new power by fining dozens of citizens for not being able to present a valid passport, drivers license or ID card. […]
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130.000 prepaid GSMs disconnected in Switzerland
On 30 November 2004 the Swiss mobile operator Swisscom has disconnected aproximately 130.000 unregistered users of prepaid mobile phones. On 23 June 2004 a new measure was adopted by the Swiss Bundesrat (Council of ministers) that required the operators (besides Swisscom also Orange and Sunrise) to start registering the personal details of all buyers, including […]
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More than 400 million EU Citizens and residents to be fingerprinted
The European Union’s Council of Ministers has decided, during its meeting yesterday, Monday, 13 December, to treat 400 million EU subjects like criminals. By the beginning of 2008, every EU citizen and resident – with the exception of people living on the British isles and possibly in Denmark – will be fingerprinted when applying for […]
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Rush vote European Parliament on biometrics
It is likely that the Council of European Justice and Home Affairs ministers will adopt a regulation tomorrow, on 3 December 2004, to fingerprint all EU citizens and residents, to take digital photographs of their faces and to store these data in a gigantic database of 450 million EU citizens. This will be the last […]
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UK government pushes ahead with national ID card
The UK government is pushing ahead with plans for a compulsory national ID card. The Identity Cards Bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech, which sets out the government’s legislative programme for the coming year, and introduced in the House of Commons on 29 November. The Bill is virtually unchanged from a draft published for […]
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UK NO2ID e-petition
A large group of UK-based rights organisations, including EDRI-member FIPR and Privacy International, has launched a formal e-petition against governmental plans to introduce ID-cards. The petition (open to UK residents only) closes at 19 November, timed to precede the speech of the Queen on 23 November 2004. Almost 1.000 individuals have endorsed the petition, that […]
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