The German Constitutional court declared the data retention law as unconstitutional, in a landmark decision given today 2.03.2010.
After data retention ruling: Civil liberties activists call for political end to retention of telecommunications data
+++ Data retention opposed by 70% of German population +++ European Citizens’ Initiative for repealing the EU directive on data retention announced +++ [...]

Article published in EDRi-gram 8.3
The transposition of the Data Retention Directive in Belgium has remained stagnant for a long time. Following a public consultation in May 2008 on a first draft law proposal and draft royal decree to transpose this Directive into Belgian law, a broad group of organisations voiced a strong position against the [...]

Notes taken during the Speech (might have misssed some things):
Speech Stravros Limbrinidis - VicePresident EP
- we live in a world where everyone want to have the biggest access to our private data. And they can, today. This is the schyzofrenia of the Internet. Talk freely. Organize freely. The right to education and access to info. [...]

Live blogging from the Public Voice Coalition - Global Privacy Standards for a Global World - check out the programme here. Held in conjunction with the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy
Also watch #globalprivacy on twitter or EDRi’s twitter account
Marc Rotenberg starts talking about Public Coalition, thanking Katitza Rodriguez for her help and for [...]

Article published in EDRi-gram 7.18 (available also in German)
On Saturday, 12 September 2009, civil liberties activists in many countries again took it to the streets under the motto “Freedom not Fear - Stop the Surveillance Mania”. It was the second time these activities took place after the first international action day on [...]

Article published in EDRi-gram 7.17, 9 September 2009
On 1 September 2009, the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament (LIBE) held a hearing on the renewal of the agreement which is now under negotiations between the EU and the USA on data transfers via the SWIFT financial data network.
LIBE members have shown concern about the [...]

Article published in EDRi-gram 7.17, 9 September 2009
The timetables for the Stockholm Programme have become a great deal clearer since the return of the Parliament following the summer break and the communication between the Swedish Presidency and relevant parliamentary committees.
The Programme aims to set the priorities for a variety of justice issues (including criminal and [...]

(contribution by Jim Killock - Executive Director to EDRi-member Open Rights Group)
Article published in EDRi-gram 7.17, 9 September 2009
The EU Google Books hearing highlighted some very serious concerns with the settlement, but mainly from a rights holder point of view.
The hearing itself addressed two quite distinct sets of issues; firstly concerns of EU rights holders [...]

Article published in EDRi-gram 7.9, 6.05.2009
Today, 6 May 2009, in the second reading of the Telecom Package, the European Parliament (EP) voted again for the initial amendment 138, with an overwhelming majority of 407 votes for and just 57 against the proposal. However, on this same occasion, the EP rejected the amendments that would make [...]

Article published in EDRi-gram 7.8
Earlier this month, over a hundred politicians, journalists and campaigners attended the launch of the first European Civil Liberties Day - 15 April at the European Parliament. Organised by the Liberals and Democrats group (ALDE), the event featured speeches from MEPs and NGOs on human rights and the protection of minority [...]