Data Retention | GreenNet

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A legal Opinion of Communications Data Retention in the UK was commissioned by Privacy International (PI)	earlier this year. This states that any mandatory retention regime would be violate European law. The UK government initially plan to implement a voluntary code of practice, a move which PI believe to be a violation of the Data Protection Act.
A new UK digital rights group is set up.	The Open Rights Group (Org) will serve as a hub for other cyber-rights groups campaigning on digital rights issues. Org emulates US's Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) digital rights group. ZDNet reports that Org has centred its focus on the proposed draft EU framework on data retention for ISPs and telecommunications companies which it believes could contravene the European Convention on Human Rights.
America debates data retention.	The idea of forcing ISPs to record their customers' online activities for future police access is gaining ground in US state capitols and in Washington DC. The European Parliament's vote in December for a data retention requirement seems to have attracted broad interest.
Amnesty condemns tech firms over human rights.	Amnesty International UK and Open Net Initiative (ONI), an Internet surveillance monitoring organisation, have claimed that several large technology companies are guilty of collaborating with "repressive" governmental regimes. Together with The Observer, Amnesty and ONI have launched the Irrepressible.info campaign to urge people to take a stand against repression.
BMA calls for safeguards on ID cards.	"Legislation to introduce national ID cards must not lead to vulnerable groups being denied access to the NHS."
BT admits tracking 18,000 users with Phorm systems in 2006	as part of a secret trial to analyse the web traffic of its broadband customers, and then serve selected adverts on a number of selected websites. Report from the Guardian.
CBI warns of ID card 'flaws'.	Business leaders today voiced support for an identity card scheme for the first time, but warned that the proposed scheme would not be robust enough.
China Law Aimed at Fighting Spam.	The People's Republic of China has passed a new law aimed at curbing spam that makes it a crime to own an unregistered mail server. Businesses and ISPs must inform the government at least 20 days before an email server is built and must keep all email for a minimum of 60 days.
Concern about secret police bid to control the Internet.	The Ukrainian secret police (SBU) have bid to take over management of the national domain name ".ua" and propose legalising e-mail monitoring.
Data retention compromise mooted by EU Ministers.	European Justice Ministers have agreed not to immediately force through plans for an EU-wide data retention scheme, but opted to negotiate with the European Parliament instead.