Stop general data retention in the EU – current plans for mass surveillance

We need to get back to basics: Let's set the default to zero mass surveillance.
Follow the debate on data retention in 2022:
#DataRetention | #Vorratsdatenspeicherung | #Logning | Conservation des données

watch & download the talk:
https://media.ccc.de/v/rc3-2021-cwtv-879-stop-general-data-rete
in deutscher Übersetzung:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgvqCEHTlj8

Key issues of the talk 🔗

• Walter Van Holst: introduction of the speakers
• Patrick Breyer: What is data retention & what are the problems?
• TJ McIntyre: What is the legal situation in the EU?
• Jesper Lund: What is going on at the Commission of the EU?
• Chloé Berthélémy on the situation in France
• Patrick Breyer with news from the new government in Germany
• TJ McIntyre on the situation in Ireland
• Jesper Lund on Denmark
• Chloé Berthélémy on Belgium
• TJ McIntyre: How can we force governments to comply with the law?
• Patrick Breyer on dangers and options at the European Parliament and the EDPS
• Chloé Berthélémy on what citizens can do
• Jesper Lund: We need to keep the public debate going.
• TJ McIntyre on the power of civil society interest groups
• Walter Van Holst with the Q&A

For infos on the speakers see below.
(organisational contact: dataretention@patrick-breyer.de (Friedemann))

Data retention plans in the EU and its Member States 🔗

By the End of 2021 new documents appeared in public that show how the Commission of the European Union together with various EU member states push for new general data retention obligations [1].
From an digital fundamental rights perspective this is not acceptable. Because sensitive communication and activity data from millions of law-abiding citizens would be retained for no specific purpose. Democratic societies and liberal constitutional states must not enforce blanket mass surveillance.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has repeatedly emphasized this and declared general data retention to be lawful only in limited exceptions. The default must be: no general data retention.

Nevertheless, from documents and the political debate the impression arises, that the Commission of the European Union and some governments of the Member States are trying to run over the rulings of the ECJ and fundamental rights.

Relevant key documents referred to in this talk:
(1) 18 November 2021: CJEU PRESS RELEASE No 206/21 Advocate General’s Opinion in Joined Cases
https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/p1_3583047/en/
(2) 16 June 2021: WK 7294/2021 INIT Working Paper Contribution to the Council COPEN Working Party meeting of 16 June 2021
https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2021/07/wk07294.en211.pdf
(3) 01 December 2021: Written responses to (2) from: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands & Sweden
https://www.statewatch.org/news/2021/december/eu-data-retention-strikes-back-options-for-mass-telecoms-surveillance-under-discussion-again/

[1] Definition
General and Indiscriminate data collection (DE: anlasslose Vorratsdatenspeicherung | F: Conservation généralisée des données de connexion) is the collection of the location and communications data of the entire population, regardless of whether they are suspected or accused of a crime.