U.S. to Gain Access to EU Retained Data

shenanigans writes "After the EU recently ratified controversial data retention laws for ISPs and other telecommunication companies, it now looks like the US government will get full access to the data. From the article: 'US authorities can get access to EU citizens' data on phone calls, sms and emails, giving a recent EU data-retention law much wider-reaching consequences than first expected'. Apparently, the US has been calling members of the EU to 'ensure that the data collected [...] be accessible to them'."

Comments

What right to privacy is everyone upset about?

[Anonymous Coward]

Every time an article of this type appears, polemicists everywhere start pulling out Orwell and Huxley, and they start talking about dystopic totalitarian states. I don't know that these laws dealing with telephone conversations are are all that illegal or immoral. Here, in the U.S. the supreme court has defended a right of privacy but, only in certain circumstances like a conversation with a doctor. A call made to just another acquaintance is, as far as I am aware, unprotected by any legal precedent. I'm no fan of undue government observation but, I'm also not a fan of sensationalism. There are valid points in an argument for a governtment to surveil its people. There are obvious questions of usage. I think what would be a reasonable compromise would be to have data retention under certain circumstances, but have it be completeley trasparent have the records publicized and the actions taken by intelligence organizations publicized. I think the problem that is causing some of resentment for these data retention laws (which some are completely legitimate) is the attempts of the U.S. to maintain the CIA black sites, extraordinary rendition, and the alleged involvement of several other governments. These attempts are illegitamite and unlawful. Because of these I think the war on terror has become a war on the population of the world.

As far as the U.S. being in league with European Intelligence is possibly a good thing. If we had worked in a truly symbiotic relationship with international intelligence before, we may not have an unpopular

Finally

[mtenhagen]

This is a good thing (tm), now then are capable of getting the terrorists. If they got this data in 2000 9/11 whould not have happend!

All of this is to save us from the terrorist taking away our freedom! They hate us because of our freedom!

look, you terrorist-coddling LEEBRUL!!

[Travoltus]

If you aren't doing anything wrong, what do you have to hide?

Monitoring Europeans is part of our war against terrorism. When the terrorists are defeated our monitoring of you will be credited as a tool for preserving the coming peace.

Your desire for freedom from surveillance inevitably means slavery under Islam.

The treasonous media that exposes these acts by the Government must be punished. America's national security depends on your ignorance of the anti terrorism activities our leaders are carring out to preserve America's strength as a free nation.

Your desire for freedom is a dire threat to our national security and that, sir, makes you an unlawful combatant. Your post has been forwarded to the DHS, FBI, NSA, CIA, and FOX.