Euro email storage scheme 'illegal', warns official

dahamsta

Euro email storage scheme 'illegal', warns official

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has said that he is not yet convinced by the arguments put forward in favour of a European directive on data retention, and has set out strict conditions any such law would have to meet if it's to be considered acceptable by his office.

EDPS Peter Hustinx published his commentary on the proposed directive today.

If ratified the directive would demand all Internet data - typically email traffic - be held for six months and telephone call data for one year. It would also see ISPs and telcos compensated for their compliance costs. The directive was inspired by hopes that the information could be used to prevent terrorism or to prosecute those accused of terrorist acts.

However, Hustinx said: "The Directive has a direct impact on the protection of privacy of EU citizens and it is crucial that it respects their fundamental rights, as settled by the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. A legislative measure that would weaken the protection is not only unacceptable but also illegal."

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Hagar

Any one using gmail is already in a much worse position.
Read the small print. Your emails are never deleted and after 6 months the federal govt has rights to read them without your knowledge or consent.

EU law can't protect you if the data is on US soil.

dahamsta

Whatever the laws/rules, anyone that uses a freemail account for critical email deserves what they get imho. There's no such thing as a free lunch, as the fella said.