Top EU court rejects EU-wide data retention law. 8 April 2014Last updated at 11:39 GMT Police now access huge data sets in the fight against crime The EU's top court has declared "invalid" an EU law requiring telecoms firms to store citizens' communications data for up to two years. The EU Data Retention Directive was adopted in 2006. The European Court of Justice says it violates two basic rights - respect for private life and protection of personal data. The EU-wide ruling was prompted by Austrian and Irish complaints. The 28-nation EU is currently drafting a new data protection law.
The ECJ ruling says the 2006 directive allows storage of data on a person's identity, the time of that person's communication, the place from which the communication took place and the frequency of that person's communications. The UK government says it is carefully considering the implications of the ruling, the BBC's Chris Morris reports. Privacy v security debate The European Commission says it too is assessing the ruling. Snowden Gives Testimony To European Parliament Inquiry Into Mass Surveillance, Asks For EU Asylum. A few weeks back, we reported that the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) committee planned to send some questions to Edward Snowden as part of its inquiry on electronic mass surveillance of EU citizens.
He's now replied to these, prefacing them with a short statement (pdf -- embedded below.) Although there are no major revelations -- he specifically states that he will not be disclosing anything not already published -- it does contain many important clarifications and interesting comments. For example, he confirms that: The NSA granted me the authority to monitor communications world-wide using its mass surveillance systems, including within the United States. Before moving on to the parliamentarian's questions, he concludes his opening statement as follows: For the record, I also repeat my willingness to provide testimony to the United States Congress, should they decide to consider the issue of unconstitutional mass surveillance.
Of course. Reding: NSA, friends don't spy on friends. Europe, let's team up for our own SPOOK CLUB. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has re-floated the idea the European nations should team up to create their own intelligence service by 2020, as a counterbalance against overarching US spying. In an interview with Greek daily Naftemporiki on the ongoing controversy about the NSA's dragnet surveillance programme, Reding argued "we need is to strengthen Europe in this field, so we can level the playing field with our US partners.
" "I would therefore wish to use this occasion to negotiate an agreement on stronger secret service co-operation among the EU member states - so that we can speak with a strong common voice to the US. The NSA needs a counterweight. My long-term proposal would therefore be to set up a European Intelligence Service by 2020," she added, EUobserver reports. The comments follow recent Snowden revelations that the NSA routinely records call record and internet metadata of millions of Europeans in Germany, France and Spain. GCHQ and European spy agencies worked together on mass surveillance | UK news. The German, French, Spanish and Swedish intelligence services have all developed methods of mass surveillance of internet and phone traffic over the past five years in close partnership with Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping agency. The bulk monitoring is carried out through direct taps into fibre optic cables and the development of covert relationships with telecommunications companies.
A loose but growing eavesdropping alliance has allowed intelligence agencies from one country to cultivate ties with corporations from another to facilitate the trawling of the web, according to GCHQ documents leaked by the former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. The files also make clear that GCHQ played a leading role in advising its European counterparts how to work around national laws intended to restrict the surveillance power of intelligence agencies. 'Huge potential' "Very friendly crypt meeting with DGSE in July," British officials reported. Fresh opportunities European allies. NSA files: latest reaction and developments - live | World news. As Andrew Sparrow reports on his politics live blog, both Nick Clegg, Britain’s deputy prime minister, and Theresa May, the home secretary, have spoken out this morning about MI5 chief Sir Andrew Parker’s speech on Tuesday and whether the Guardian was right to publish Edward Snowden’s leaked documents.
Clegg said the Guardian was right to launch a debate, but he felt the paper had gone too far in publishing “very technical information” that would only be understood by “technicians amongst the terrorists”. Here are the full quotes: Theresa May’s view was closer to that of Parker – and that expressed by David Cameron’s spokesman yesterday. She said: GAP's Jesselyn Radack reads Edward Snowden's Statement for EU Parliament Committee. Dual-use tech "EU should stop the spread of digital arms", MEP Schaake. International. Untitled. Europol will Daten aller Europäer zentral verwalten. Nach Plänen der EU-Kommission soll die europäische Polizeibehörde noch mehr Daten der Bürger speichern. Damit will die EU den Terrorismus bekämpfen. Allerdings sammelt Europol bereits von völlig unbescholtenen Bürgern - und braucht ein Jahr, um falsche Anschuldigungen zu korrigieren. EU-Kommissarin Cecilia Malmström will, dass Europol eine zentrale Daten-Bank aller Europäer verwaltet.
(Foto: consilium) Europol, die europäische Polizeibehörde mit Sitz in Den Haag, soll mehr Machtbefugnisse erhalten. „Die EU braucht eine effektive und effiziente Behörde, um die Mitgliedsstaaten bei der Bekämpfung ernsthafter grenzüberschreitender Kriminalität und des Terrorismus zu unterstützen“, zitiert EUobserver die EU-Kommissarin Cecilia Malmström. Mega-Datenbank in Brüssel Die EU-Kommission will aus Europol eine Schnittstelle zum Informationsaustausch und zur Analyse schwerwiegender Verbrechen innerhalb der EU machen. Europol und Bürgerrechte. The Wikileaks, Julian Assange Diplomatic Standoff -- Animated. Translation Interview Marielle Gallo ACTA pcinpact. Original Interview, in French at: NB: the translation doesn't exagerate a bit! Yes, it is genuinely delicious! (emphasis added by us) What is your state of mind after ACTA's rejection in committees? This case is not over at all. Maybe citizens are being applauded, according to several Members of the European Parliament… We're supposeed to represent citizens, but since they are busy with other things, we are supposed to think for them!
If ACTA respects the EU acquis, doesn't change anything, doesn't touch anything… what's the point of this agreement? ' Signed by 38 countries, not just the EU, the agreement helped, helps, would have helped, might help – I can use all tenses here – harmonise procedures to fight against counterfeiting and against piracy. ACTA doesn't always make the difference between these goods… Out of the 41 articles in ACTA, only one is about the digital environment. That's what you say! Me? Marielle Gallo tries to claw back ACTA.
Monica Horten Published on 15 April 2012 Marielle Gallo, the Sarkozy-ite MEP and sweetheart of the rights-holders, is sharpening her claws in a desparate attempt to derail the ACTA ‘No’ vote. She has released her draft Opinion, in which she sets out a proposal designed to allay fears that ACTA will infringe fundamental rights. The proposal is little more than a sop. Marielle Gallo’s Opinion is being prepared for the Legal Affairs committee. It certainly looks like she is setting up a position to campaign for an ACTA ‘yes’ vote, in direct opposition to the Socialist group who have said they will propose a ‘No’ vote. Mme Gallo presents an argument that attempts to rebut some of the criticisms of ACTA. In addressing the Internet provisions, she highlights the text which says that the measures must not create barriers to legitimate activity – as if that was a protection against web blocking measures. In fact, the intended meaning of ‘legitimate activity’ is quite narrow.
Euro Officials Begin to Weigh Greek Exit. Greece’s possible exit from the euro moved to the center of Europe’s financial-crisis debate, rattling markets as authorities in Athens struggled to form a government. Meetings brokered by Greek President Karolos Papoulias were set to continue today after Syriza, the leading anti-bailout party, rejected a unity government following inconclusive elections May 6. That moved the country closer to a new vote, with at least five European central bankers broaching the once- taboo topic of its exit from the euro. “We’re really getting to a denouement,” Michael O’Sullivan, head of portfolio strategy at Credit Suisse Private Banking, said today in a Bloomberg Television interview. “We’re getting to the part where a decision has to be made” on whether Greece leaves the 17-nation currency union, he said. Euro finance ministers meeting today in Brussels may discuss the bailout for Greece, as well as the situation in Spain, where the government last week made a fourth attempt to clean up banks.
Spain to persist in ‘suicidal’ austerity policies despite 25% unemployment rate. By Muriel KaneFriday, April 27, 2012 19:12 EDT Figures released by the Spanish government on Friday show that country with an unemployment rate of 24.4%, the highest in Europe, and a rate of over 50% among 16-24 year olds. But despite the bad economic news, that country’s leadership appears determined to stick with the austerity program it has pursued for the last two years and has even recently announcing an increase in consumer taxes for next year.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy passed a plan in February to make it cheaper for employers to let workers go while raising taxes and cutting spending including health care and education.” As explained by The New York Times, the Spanish government’s hope has been that even if growth and jobs suffer from draconian budget cuts, the lower interest rates that result will keep bond investors happy. But instead, foreign capital has been fleeing the country. This video is from AFP, April 27, 2012. Muriel Kane. Translate. Emails Expose Eu And Covert War Waged By Israel Against Iran - AssociationOfTruth. IRELAND #WIKILEAKS & #CABLEGATE. Hackers hit Greek ministry over austerity, anti-piracy deal. By Agence France-PresseFriday, February 3, 2012 16:35 EDT Online hackers group Anonymous on Friday attacked the Greek justice ministry website in criticism of the country’s tough fiscal reforms and its decision to join a controversial anti-piracy deal.
“You have introduced a new dictatorship upon your people’s shoulders and allowed the bankers and the monarchs of the EU to enslave them both economically and politically,” the group said in a statement posted on the ministry’s site. “Democracy was given birth in your country but you have now killed it,” they added. Greece is applying a crunch economic overhaul under supervision from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund that has left nearly 900,000 jobless and plunged the country into a deep recession. Greece was one of the 22 signatories among EU states. Critics of the agreement say it could significantly curtail online freedom. “Next target will be all the media in Greece,” the hackers warned. Agence France-Presse. European Parliament Member Marietje Schaake Explains How Europeans Can Stop ACTA.
As we've been discussing, there's been a lot of misinformation flying around concerning ACTA -- especially in the EU, where it has not yet been officially voted on. While we've tried to explain some of the problems with the agreement, there is still plenty of confusion over what to do about it. Thankfully, Marietje Schaake, a Member of the European Parliament (whose excellent work we've discussed before) has taken to Reddit to provide a lot more detail about the process itself, and what people can do to speak up.
It's very useful info, especially for those in Europe (while also being a nice display of how politicians can use Reddit for good purposes). Basically, while ACTA has been signed by many members of the EU, it still needs to be ratified by the European Parliament. That's why there's still some time and why you should pay attention to what Schaake has to say. Here's a snippet: So what can we do to stop ACTA? ACTA rapporteur denounces ACTA mascarade. Source: ACTA : une mascarade à laquelle je ne participerai pas - Kader Arif Kader Arif, rapporteur for ACTA in the European Parliament quit his role as rapporteur saying: ”I want to denounce in the strongest possible manner the entire process that led to the signature of this agreement: no inclusion of civil society organisations, a lack of transparency from the start of the negotiations, repeated postponing of the signature of the text without an explanation being ever given, exclusion of the EU Parliament's demands that were expressed on several occasions in our assembly.”
“As rapporteur of this text, I have faced never-before-seen manoeuvres from the right wing of this Parliament to impose a rushed calendar before public opinion could be alerted, thus depriving the Parliament of its right to expression and of the tools at its disposal to convey citizens' legitimate demands.” [edit] Original version (FR) : Copyright Monopoly Study: “Without Copyright, No Computers”!?
A report named “Copyright In The EU — What Next?” Landed on my desk. I didn’t have to read any longer than the introduction, explaining the values, to shake my head in disbelief. The name of the report is the EU-esque IP/A/STOA/FWC/2008-096/LOT6/SC1, and it begins with the usual “copyright [monopoly] is difficult, there are many troubles on the roads ahead, it is territorial, international cooperation derives from Berne 1886 and WIPO Copyright Treaty 1996″ etc etc etc. Then, it tries to give the background for policymaking.
I get to, and balk at, this part in its section 3.1.2, “Copyright basics” (my highlights): The so-called copyright industries are comprised of two main groups: the core copyright industries are based upon the creation distribution, and sale of copyright products and services (e.g., magazines, motion pictures, recorded music, software). Did you get that? This is so depressing and penny-dropping at the same time, I don’t know where to begin. The size of Greece's debt. Holding of the Signing Ceremony for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) Israeli Ministers promote racist vision for Israel (and Judaism)