[FYI] UK, France and Belgium seek to stop privacy on the net

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

http://www.statewatch.org/news/2001/may/03Genfopol.htm

------------------------------ CUT ------------------------------

Three EU governments - UK, France and Belgium - press ahead with 12 
months retention of telecommunications data - ditching citizens' 
rights on data protection and privacy under EU law  


As the Council of the European Union (representing all 15 
governments) is discussing the draft "Conclusions" (see: 
S.O.S.Europe) on giving law enforcement agencies access to 
communications data, the UK, France and Belgium already have plans to 
introduce the retention of telecommunications data for at least 12 
months. These plans are revealed in official responses to a survey of 
national positions on computer crime carried out by the EU Police 
Cooperation Working Party (dated 24 April 2001).  

The survey confirms the determination of EU law enforcement agencies 
to achieve a number of objectives:  

i) to stop the deletion of telecommunications data which is required 
under the law as laid down in the EC Directives on data protection 
and privacy;  

ii) to stop users having anonymity in their communications (see 
attack on cybercafes below);  

iii) to ensure that the law enforcement and security agencies have 
access to the retained/archived data;  

iv) to ensure that data is retained, in the first instance, for at 
least 12 months - once the EC Directives are breached they can argue 
for seven years, ten years or more later.  

[...]

------------------------------ CUT ------------------------------