On 4 July, the Danish Committee on citizens IT-rights published a list of 10 recommendations on digital civil rights. The committee was established in September last year by the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. The recommendations deal with communication with the public sector, with privacy and registration, with freedom of expression and with access to information.

The recommendations paint a bleak picture of privacy in the state of Denmark. For example, as part of an anti-terrorism package telecom traffic data must be retained for 1 year. The committee now urges government to inform both citizens and internet service providers on the new rules and procedures for data retention, "upon completion of the administrative order, which is currently being drafted by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Research, Technology and Innovation."

Among the recommendations for freedom of information is a call to make sure filters or other means of protecting minors in public libraries do not hinder parental rights to freely seek information. The committee also agreed on establishing a working group with the aim of clarifying the premises for granting citizens digital access to information regarding which authorities have used their personal data and for which objective.

The committee consisted of representatives from various ministries, consumer organisations, the IT-business sector and civil society, amongst which EDRI-member Digital Rights.

Recommendations (04.07.2003)
http://www.edri.org/docs/denmark_it_rights.pdf