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Endorse EDRI's Statement Against Data Retention
Ville Oksanen writes "Privacy International (PI) and European Digital Rights (EDRI) have published their joint answer to the consultation on mandatory data retention. The European Commission asked for public comments on a proposed retention regime across Europe between 12 and 36 months for all traffic data generated by using fixed and mobile telephony and Internet. As Statewatch puts it: 'This is a proposal so intrusive that Ashcroft, Ridge and company can only dream about it, exceeding even the U.S. Patriot Act.'
EDRI and PI are currently collecting endorsements from organizations and companies for their stamement here. This is unfortunately not enough to stop the process - expecially more should be done in the member states, which ultimately decide the fate of the proposal. So contact your local politicians today!"
I think it will be the same as phone companies today - "it's your own problem... and if you don't manage to store it all, we'll fine you!"
- Leon Mergen
http://www.solatis.com
The European Commission is not elected. It is a body of (now since enlargement, I believe) of 25 good and highly trustworthy people (eg: Edith Cresson) who decide the laws of some 400+ million people. We don't get a say...
Did he inhale?
Unfortunately, not doing what the US wants you to do usually ends in a diplomatic riot or trade war. That is, if you're lucky. If you're unlucky the US will draft up some bullshit law ( The "The Hague Invasion Act", anyone? ) and "liberate" you from your vile and evil goverment that opposes your freedom*.
The US goverment is filled with self-righteous morons who are full of themselves. They WILL try to screw over ANY country by any means possible, that doesn't do exactly what the US goverment wants them to do. That said, the bad name of the US is not set in stone. The people of the US hopefully can and will change this, somehow...
* == Freedom as defined by Bush 'n co
Hate me!
And he only missed by 20 years...
I'll do the stupid thing first and then you shy people follow...
You may not understand this but we over here are glad that Nazis are proscribed and Nazi paraphenalia is banned. That does NOT limit our freedom of expression anymore than you are not allowed to incite murder. I wish you yanks would understand that.
--
USA: home of the world's largest terrorist training camp.
Case in point, Robin Good writes "A yet to approved Senate bill would provide the ability to the US Government to basically put off limits all of the images coming off from research and monitoring satellites." http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2004/09/11/blin ded_skies_government_to_close.htm/
"Nondisclosure of Certain Products of Commercial Satellite Operations," would exempt from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), unclassified, commercial satellite pictures bought up by the government, as well as "any... other product that is derived from such data.
In simple words: forget public access to satellite data you have been viewing.
So if you want to watch the weather tracking of hurricanes, subscribe to SETI or do independent research using satellite images you may not need to worry about their retention longevity. They just might not make it on the air to begin with.