Data retention is a big thing in Europe. Some countries governments like it, others do not. It seems that one country is now close to implementing the European Data Retention in their country – the Czech Republic.
The EDRI is reporting that the Czech Republic is “close to approving the data retention implementation as an Act amending the Electronic Communications Act (127/2005 Coll.)”
Many have long argued that the data retention directive, which is suppose to get European countries to store all telecommunications including internet communications, faxes and phone calls for a period of up to two years is basically an erosion of privacy rights.
Recently, Sweden has been currently wrestling with the idea of tracking ordinary citizens and balancing out privacy rights. Meanwhile in Germany, there has already been data retention protests throughout the country with another European-wide protest being planned in September.
The Czech government has had some to and fro action going on with regards to data retention including trying to knock the retention time down to six months. There was also an attempt to restrict what can have access to the data being stored. Unfortunately, these movements never managed to influence the current legislation which is, at present, in the Czech senate where, reportedly, there is little hope in changing the act in it’s current form.
Perhaps what may be the most notable point in the report is found in the last paragraph:
The Czech Republic has thus implemented the data retention directive and obliges providers to store data for one year costing tax payers around 6.5 million euro per year. The draft Amending Act leaves a backdoor for intelligence services to use the databases. Also, the present form leaves to the Minister of Transportation the decision on the scope of the retained data.
No word yet on any updates since the report was published.
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