[651] in Privacy_Forum
[ PRIVACY Forum ] German civil society calls for a definitive end to
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (privacy@vortex.com)
Tue Apr 20 12:21:21 2010
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:47:05 -0700
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----- Forwarded message from presse@vorratsdatenspeicherung.de -----
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:05:02 GMT
From: presse@vorratsdatenspeicherung.de
Subject: German civil society calls for a definitive end to telecommunications
data retention
Reply-To: presse@vorratsdatenspeicherung.de
To: PFIR <lauren@pfir.org>
Press release of 20 April 2010 by the German Working Group on Data
Retention:
German civil society calls for a definitive end to
telecommunications data retention
More than 40 organisations and associations yesterday asked the
German Federal Minister of Justice in a joint letter to "push for
the abolition of EU telecommunications data retention requirements"
which compel phone and Internet companies to collect data about
their customers' communications. According to the yesterday's
letter, data retention puts confidential activity and contacts, for
example to journalists, crisis lines and business partners, at risk
of disclosure by way of data leaks and abuses. It is expensive and
damages the freedom of communication.
Among the 48 signatories of the letter are German civil liberties,
data protection and human rights associations as well as crisis line
and emergency call operators, professional associations of
journalists, jurists and doctors, major trade unions, the Federation
of German Consumer Organisations and the eco Association of the
German Internet Industry.
On 2 March 2010 the German Federal Constitutional Court ruled the
German data retention provisions unconstitutional and void,
following complaints from over 34,000 German citizens.[1] However a
2006 EU directive compels member states to implement a data
retention regime. The European Commission is currently reviewing
this directive.[2] The German Federal Minister of Justice, a member
of the liberal party, has yet to call for an end to the EU-wide
compulsion to collect communications data.[3]
"The EU-wide requirement to retain the entire population's
communications data, introduced in 2005, is outdated", comments
Patrick Breyer of the German Working Group on Data Retention, a
civil liberties NGO. "Blanket data retention has proven to be
superfluous, harmful and unconstitutional in many states across
Europe, such as Germany, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Romania and
Sweden. These states prosecute crime just as effectively using
targeted instruments, such as the internationally agreed Convention
on Cybercrime.[4] Where data retention has been implemented, the
crime clearance rate has not increased. For example in North Rhine-
Westphalia, the most populated state of Germany, 85% of all reported
Internet crime was cleared in 2007[5] before the introduction of
data retention legislation, but only 77% was cleared in 2008[6] and
in 2009[7] after the implementation of data retention. The EU
regulations must now be made more flexible to allow for alternative
procedures that work more intelligently than an untargeted
stockpiling of data."
"About 70% of all Germans are opposed to a recording of their
contacts and location in the absence of any suspicion[8]", says
Florian Altherr of the Working Group. "They want to be sure that
their private and business contacts to marital crisis lines,
lawyers, journalists and others cannot fall into the wrong hands or
erroneously make them a suspect in the eyes of law enforcement
authorities. The countless number of data scandals such as the
systematic abuse of communications data at Deutsche Telekom have
taught us that only erased data is safe data."
Translation of the letter to the Federal Minister of Justice of 19
April 2010:
Federal Minister of Justice
Ms Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger
Mohrenstraße 37
10117 Berlin
Dear Madam,
on 2 March 2010 the Federal Constitutional Court declared the German
provisions on data retention unconstitutional and void. Yet some
voices are already calling for the re-enactment of new data
retention legislation.
According to the 2006 EU data retention directive,
telecommunications companies must store data about all of their
customers' communications. In order to improve criminal
investigations, the directive aims at making traceable who
communicated with whom in the last six months by telephone, mobile
phone or e-mail. In the case of mobile phone calls and text
messages, the respective location of the user is to be recorded as
well. In combination with other data, internet usage is also to be
made traceable.
We consider unacceptable so far-reaching a recording of the German
people's behaviour. With a data retention regime in place, sensitive
information about social contacts (including business contacts),
movements and the private lives (e.g. contacts with physicians,
lawyers, workers councils, psychologists, helplines) of over 80
million citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany is collected in
the absence of any suspicion. Telecommunications data retention thus
undermines the professional secrecy of lawyers, physicians, clergy,
helplines and other professionals, and creates the risk of data
losses and data abuses. It undermines the protection of journalistic
sources and thus damages the freedom of the press. Overall it
damages the preconditions of our open and democratic society. The
enormous costs of a telecommunications data retention regime that
complies with the constitutional requirements are considerably
higher than previously estimated and, in the absence of a
compensation scheme, must be borne by the more than 6'000 affected
telecommunications providers. This would lead to price increases as
well as the discontinuation of services, and would indirectly burden
consumers.
Studies prove that the communications data available today is
generally sufficient for effective criminal investigations. There is
no proof that telecommunications data retention would provide for
better protection against crime. Instead it would cost millions of
euros, put the privacy of innocent people at risk, disrupt
confidential communications and pave the way for an ever-increasing
mass accumulation of information about the entire population.
Legal experts expect the European Court of Human Rights to follow
the Constitutional Court of Romania and declare the retention of
telecommunications data in the absence of any suspicion incompatible
with the European Convention on Human Rights. EU Commissioner for
Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding and EU
Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström have already announced
an examination of the data retention directive's compatibility with
the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
As representatives of the citizens, the media, professionals and
industry we collectively reject the calls for re-enactment of
telecommunications data retention legislation. We appeal to you to
reject blanket retention of telecommunications data, regardless of a
possible EU infringement procedure. Instead we call on you to
unambiguously push for the abolition of the EU requirements
regarding data retention, to allow every European state to make its
own decisions regarding the protection of its citizens'
communications secrecy. In doing so, please be assured of our
support.
Yours faithfully,
1. Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung (Working Group on Data Retention)
2. Aktion Freiheit statt Angst e.V. (Movement Freedom not Fear)
3. Attac Deutschland (Attac Germany)
4. Bund demokratischer Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler e.V. (Confederation of Democratic Scientists)
5. Berufsverband Deutscher Psychologinnen und Psychologen e.V. (Federal Association of Psychologists)
6. Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Kritischer Polizistinnen und Polizisten (Hamburger Signal) e.V. (Federal Working Group of Critical Police Officers)
7. Bundesverband Frauenberatungsstellen und Frauennotrufe – Frauen gegen Gewalt e.V. (Federal Association of Women's Helpdesks and Emergency Lines)
8. Chaos Computer Club e.V.
9. Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e.V. (German Aids Self-Help Association)
10. Deutsche Journalistinnen- und Journalisten-Union dju in ver.di (German Union of Journalists dju in the United Services Trade Union ver.di)
11. Deutscher Journalisten-Verband e.V. (German Association of Journalists)
12. Deutscher Presserat (German Press Council)
13. DFJV Deutscher Fachjournalisten-Verband AG (German Association of Specialised Journalists)
14. DPV Deutscher Presse Verband – Verband für Journalisten e.V. (German Press Association)
15. DVD - Deutsche Vereinigung für Datenschutz e.V. (German Association for Data Protection)
16. eco - Verband der deutschen Internetwirtschaft e.V. (eco Association of the German Internet Industry)
17. Ev. Konferenz für Telefonseelsorge und Offene Tür e.V. (Protestant Conference for Crisis Lines and Open Door)
18. FIfF - Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung e.V. (FIfF Forum of IT Professionals for Peace and Social Responsibility)
19. FoeBuD e.V.
20. Förderverein für eine Freie Informationelle Infrastruktur (FFII) e.V. (Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure e.V.)
21. Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft (FITUG) e.V. (Association for the Promotion of IT and Society)
22. Forum Menschenrechte e.V. (Human Rights Forum)
23. Free Software Foundation Europe e.V.
24. FREELENS e.V.
25. Freie Ärzteschaft e.V. (Free Medical Practitioners)
26. Gesellschaft für Datenschutz und Datensicherheit e.V. (Association for Data Protection and Data Security)
27. Humanistische Union e.V. (Humanistic Union)
28. IALANA
29. IG Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (German Construction Union)
30. Internationale Liga für Menschenrechte e.V. (International League for Human Rights)
31. Komitee für Grundrechte und Demokratie e.V. (Committee for Fundamental Rights and Democracy)
32. Lesben- und Schwulenverband LSVD (Association of Homosexuals in Germany)
33. Magistrats européens pour la Démocratie et les Libertés – MEDEL
34. naiin - no abuse in internet e.V.
35. NAV-Virchow-Bund – Verband der niedergelassenen Ärzte Deutschlands e.V. (Association of Doctors in Private Practice)
36. Netzwerk Neue Medien e.V. (New Media Network)
37. netzwerk recherche e.V. (Network of Investigative Journalists)
38. Neue Richtervereinigung e.V. (Association of German Magistrates and Public Prosecutors)
39. Organisationsbüro der Strafverteidigervereinigungen (Office of Associations of Criminal Defense Lawyers)
40. PRO ASYL e.V.
41. Reporter ohne Grenzen e.V. (Reporters without Borders)
42. Republikanischer Anwältinnen- und Anwälteverein e.V. (Association of Republican Lawyers)
43. Verband der Freien Lektorinnen und Lektoren VFLL e.V. (Association of Independent Literary Editors)
44. Verband Freier Psychotherapeuten, Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie und Psychologischer Berater e.V. (Association of Independent Psychotherapists)
45. Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V. (Federation of German Consumer Organisations)
46. Verein demokratischer Ärztinnen und Ärzte (Association of Democratic Doctors)
47. Vereinigung Demokratischer Juristinnen und Juristen e.V. (Association of Democratic Jurists)
48. Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (United Services Trade Union ver.di)
References:
[1] The German Federal Constitutional Court's judgement on data
retention: http://www.bverfg.de/en/press/bvg10-011en.html
[2] The Commission's draft evaluation report:
http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/images/RoomDocumentEvaluationDirective200624EC.pdf
[3] Position of the German government:
http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/images/DR-consult/de_ms_de.pdf
(in German). Response by the German Working Group on Data retention:
http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/images/reply_commission_data-retention_english-summary_2009-11-13.pdf (English summary).
[4] The Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime:
http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/treaties/html/185.htm
[5] Crime clearance rate in 2007:
http://www.polizei-nrw.de/lka/stepone/data/downloads/08/01/00/kriminalitaetsentwicklung_pks_nrw_2007.pdf (in German)
[6] Crime clearance rate in 2008:
http://www.polizei-nrw.de/lka/stepone/data/downloads/45/01/00/pks-nrw-jahresbericht-2008.pdf (in German)
[7] Crime clearance rate in 2009:
http://www.polizei-nrw.de/lka/stepone/data/downloads/6a/01/00/pks-jahresbericht2009.pdf
(in German)
[8] Poll on data retention:
http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/images/infas-umfrage.pdf (in
German)
About Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung (German Working Group on
Data Retention):
The Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung (AK Vorrat) is a Germany-
wide organisation which campaigns against extensive surveillance in
general and the blanket logging of telecommunications and other
behavioural data in particular.
Homepage and contact details: http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de
This press release on the Internet:
http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/content/view/362/79/lang,en/
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