Telecom Italia wiretapping scandal, and other posts

Home > Privacy Blog

Telecom Italia wiretapping scandal
Posted Aug 02, 2006 at 13:26 in Surveillance

Telecom Italia, one of the major electronic communications providers in Italy is in the middle of a huge scandal regarding the illegal wiretapping and surveillance of the telephone networks.

End of activities Bits of Freedom
Posted Aug 02, 2006 at 12:42 in Digital Rights

From 1 September 2006 the Dutch NGO Bits of Freedom (BOF) will cease its activities. Since its establishment in 2000, Bits of Freedom has successfully defended digital civil rights, such as privacy on the Internet and online freedom of speech in the Netherlands. The board of Bits of Freedom doesn't see any possibilities to continue the activities now that the two employees (Maurice Wessling and Sjoera Nas) have both decided to leave.

Digital Rights Ireland Challenge to Data Retention
Posted Aug 02, 2006 at 10:32 in Data Retention

The Irish Government filed a challenge to the data retention directive on 6 July 2006. The challenge had been announced some time before by the Minister for Justice but was filed just before the time limit for the action had expired.

Draft Administrative Order on data retention in Denmark
Posted Jul 19, 2006 at 13:17 in Data Retention

The long awaited draft administrative order on data retention in Denmark is now public. The draft, which implements the data retention provisions in the anti-terrorism law of June 2002, is currently submitted to a group of telecoms, business associations, NGOs, and public authorities for consultations with deadline on 10 August 2006.

Dutch court rules for protecting file-sharers' identities
Posted Jul 19, 2006 at 11:52 in Anonymity

In a verdict on 13 July 2006, the court of appeals in Amsterdam upheld a lower court ruling about the question whether Internet service providers (ISPs) have an obligation to hand over a user's identity when accused of illegal uploading by copyright holders.

The lower court had concluded that ISPs can be ordered by a judge to hand over the identity of their users, when there is no reasonable doubt that those users whose identity is sought in fact did upload unauthorised files.

EC supports its online broadcasting proposal
Posted Jun 26, 2006 at 12:35 in Censorship

In an Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) event held in Brussels on 14 June, Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, expressed again her position to support the EC proposal to revise the Television Without Frontiers (TVWF) Directive.

Betting websites are blocked in Italy
Posted Jun 26, 2006 at 07:23 in Censorship

Following a fierce battle between an authority of the Italian State and private european online betting companies over their activity in Italy, a big number of betting websites are officialy blocked for Italian Internet users.

German Parliament rejects motion against data retention
Posted Jun 21, 2006 at 15:47 in Data Retention

On 20 June the German Parliament rejected a resolution that would have requested the federal government to join the action for annulment of the EU telecommunications data retention directive at the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Copyright Battle Threatens Right to Anonymity
Posted Jun 20, 2006 at 11:24 in Anonymity

EFF Argues Against Broad Subpoena for User Identities

San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argued Tuesday that a battle between Internet real estate services over copyrighted images should not threaten the rights of users to surf web pages and send emails anonymously.

Key Portions of Documents Unsealed in AT&T Case
Posted May 25, 2006 at 13:38 in Surveillance

Technician Describes Secret NSA Room at AT&T Facility

San Francisco - AT&T has set up a secret, secure room for the NSA in at least one of the company's facilities -- a room into which AT&T has been diverting its customers' emails and other Internet communications in bulk -- according to evidence in key documents partially unsealed today in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF's) class-action lawsuit against the telecom giant.