Image: Christiaan Colen, CC BY-SA 2.0
In June, Statewatch reported on a plan produced by the EU’s High-Level Group on access to data for effective law enforcement, which called for the reintroduction of mass telecommunications surveillance and the creation of backdoors to access encrypted data.
A follow-up report that seeks to “operationalise” the proposals has now been made public (pdf). The report is organised into three themes:
- Digital forensics: “the collection, analysis and preservation of digital evidence”;
- Data retention: information generated through the use of telecoms systems and devices, “notably IP addresses and port numbers,” to identify users and work out who has been talking with whom;
- Lawful interception: “covert access to data from a suspicious communication.”
The report “invites the Commission, the Member States, the European Parliament and all relevant stakeholders to draw inspiration from the recommendations and the report when developing measures to address the issue of access to data for effective law enforcement.” A multitude of specific proposals are made.
Documentation
