[FYI] EU gets tougher on Internet crime with new e-mail directive

["Axel H Horns" <horns@ipjur.com>]

http://www.totaltele.com/view.asp?ArticleID=28048

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Today's Top Stories  

EU gets tougher on Internet crime with new e-mail directive 

By Alan Osborn, Total Telecom  

06 June 2000 

The European Commission is preparing new legislation setting out the 
conditions under which telecoms operators must allow law enforcement 
agencies to intercept e-mail messages. The proposals, which will have 
to be agreed by the European Parliament and the EU Council of 
Ministers, will also lay down obligations for the prevention of 
"spam" mail, including all anonymous and unsolicited messages.  

The proposed directive, part of wider measures to combat Internet 
crime, will extend the existing EU data privacy directive into e-mail 
and other Internet applications, and will acknowledge that 
interception can be justified in criminal investigations and in the 
defence of national security. "But under no circumstances may it be 
used for commercial espionage," said a spokesman for Erkki Liikanen, 
EU Commissioner for the information society.  

The ban on anonymous e-mail, also considered an anti-crime measure, 
has already been recommended by a committee of the European 
Parliament.  

[...]

The revised EU directive is due to be adopted formally by the 
Commission on June 27th.  

[...]

And on June 13th the EU council of ministers will adopt a new 
regulatory framework covering encryption. This will include 
regulation to liberalize exports, both within and outside the 
European Union, of encryption products.  

[...]

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