Tougher EU Data Retention rules likely to pass

By Steve Malone

Posted on 8 Dec 2005 at 09:31

It now looks likely that the European Union will approve tougher data retention rules. The new rules are intended to give law enforcement authorities across Europe greater powers to enable them to gather evidence against terrorists and other serious crimes.

The unlikely partnership of two main groups in the European Parliament, the conservative European Peoples Party and the Socialists, has come together to strike a deal. They will bypass a number of amendments to the rulings that have been made by civil libertarians and with a combined total of 468 seats out of the 732-seat assembly, they are likely to get their way.

The agreement between the two major blocs in the Parliament was brokered by Britain, which currently occupies the Presidency of the EU. The UK is seeking tougher powers for law enforcement officers across Europe in the wake of the London bombings in July.

The proposed Data Retention Rules say that ISP and telephone companies should retain all emails, visits to web sites and telephone calls - including unanswered calls. Furthermore, this data should be stored and made available to security services for a period of up to 24 months.

Civil rights campaigners, however, have said that the new laws are unnecessary and will prove useless against organised criminals and terrorists who will find ways around the laws.

Recently the music industry demanded that music and other forms of data piracy be deemed 'serious crimes' under the meaning of the ruling to enable investigators to track down file sharers and warez sites.

ISPs and telcos have also protested against the rules which force them to retain data while leaving it open to individual countries as to who foots the bill for the huge amounts of backup and storage required.