EU Data-retention Plans Draw Criticism

Peter Hustinx, data protection supervisor for the European Union (EU), has voiced his criticism of two antiterrorism proposals for their stance on data retention. Neither the proposal by the European Commission nor one drafted by EU governments makes a compelling case for holding on to sensitive data as part of antiterrorism efforts, said Hustinx. The EU proposal, he noted, would allow for the retention of information such as times of phone calls for up to three years. Hustinx said that any measures put forth should comply with the European Convention on Human Rights. Those that do not are “not just unacceptable but illegal.” The chair of the EU negotiations, British Home Secretary Charles Clarke, is urging European governments to forgo some measure of civil liberties in return for broader authority for law enforcement to investigate suspected terrorists.

San Jose Mercury News, 26 September 2005