Lectures unfold: Data Retention is no solution!

From What The Wiki?!

Maurice Wessling (Bits of Freedom) has opened the lectures in the big tent, number 2. His subject was data retention (slides). He introduced the history of data retention plans in europe, describes the most recent proposals and counter-proposals. Wesseling talks about the need to withstand the attempt "to interfere in our private lifes long before someone gets a suspect in a criminal investigation."

Data retention plans reach back before the september 11th attacks.

At times there were various competing proposals for data retention schemes, governmental in many european countries, one by the European Council, one by the European Commission. They all had in common the mandatory obligation for providers to store all traffic data of public communcation services and networks. The retention periods varied between six months up to 4 years. 450 million Europeans will be affected, starting with telephone connection and location data. In the next step the ISPs will be obliged to build up infrastructure to store and manage internet data.

The list of data govervments (disguised as the European Commission or the European Council) want to retain is not fixed. This list can be updated, changed, augmented. Or as Wessling put it: "Change means expansion."

Many iniatives like the European Digital Rights and Bits of Freedom FOEBUD are building up power right now to prevent decisions based on the proposals of the European Commission and the European Council. They have started a massive campaign "Data rentention is no solution!" against the "invasive, illegal, illusionary, illegitimate" plan to collect this massive amount of data.

They hope to get at least 100000 signatures for their petition.

Zettmann 28 July 2005 15:47 (CEST)

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