Civil society groups European Digital Rights (EDRi) and the Fundamental Rights European Experts Group (FREE) have demanded an end to lawless spying on individuals around the globe. At a meeting with the Chair of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee today, the two groups handed over a document (pdf) containing detailed analysis of the current European and US legal frameworks. The document will be submitted to all relevant policy-making and governmental bodies.

In light of recent revelations, which have profoundly undermined trust in online communications tools, there is an urgent need for transparency, predictability and proportionality.

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Deutsch: GB: Automatische Kennzeichenerfassung illegal

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), UK's data protection authority, issued on 24 July 2013, an Enforcement Notice asking the Hertfordshire police to stop using a vehicle plate tracking system that it considered as unlawful.

The ICO notice is a result of a complaint made in June 2013 by No CCTV, Privacy International and Big Brother Watch against the so-called “Ring of Steel” of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras around the small town of Royston which is tracking all cars entering or leaving the town.

The data col

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Deutsch: Freiheit statt Angst 2012

The 4-day "Freedom Not Fear 2012" (FNF 2012) event came to a successful end on Monday, 17 September 2012.

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Deutsch: Zwei Jahre Stockholm Programm: Europa auf dem Weg zu einer elektronisc...

It has been two years now since the Stockholm Programme - a 5-year plan for Justice and Home Affairs - was adopted. On 24 November 2011, an experts' and activists' round table, organised in the European Parliament, raised the question whether Europe was on its way to an e-Fortress.

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Deutsch: INDECT – Datenschutzethik eines Geheimprojekts

A new document on ethical issues published by the INDECT European research project on public surveillance has once more attracted the scrutiny of the media. Previous allegations of secrecy were followed by an attempt to strengthen the project's Ethics Board. The new document however notes that addressing ethical concerns requires time that cannot be spent on research.

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Deutsch: Französisches Verfassungsgericht: Nein zu Polizeizugriff auf CCTV im ...

On 25 February 2010, the French Constitutional Council gave its decision on the appeal made by a group of more than 60 senators and 60 deputies against the law reinforcing the fight against gang violence and the protection of people under public service missions.

The appeal was referring to three articles of the law.

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Deutsch: Italien: Das Anopticon Projekt – wie Überwachung in seine Schranken...

Nowadays, CCTVs are the practical implementation of the "Panopticon", theorised in 1791 by Jeremy Bentham as the "ideal prison", one that keeps people in place by using their natural fear of being surveilled.

The Anopticon project is a reaction to the huge rise in CCTVs installations in Italian cities. Information on CCTVs - where they are, what they point at, which area is being surveilled - is collected by members of the project and put online, publicly accessible via the "Big Brother Viewer".

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Deutsch: Das Stockholmprogramm – das neue gefährliche Überwachungssystem de...

Civil rights groups are worried about a new EU proposal that would enhance a "dangerously authoritarian" European surveillance and security system that will include ID card register, Internet surveillance systems, satellite surveillance, automated exit-entry border systems operated by machines reading biometrics and risk profiling systems.

On 15 June 2009, EU justice ministers discussed on the so called Stockholm programme trying to set up the first EU "domestic security strategy for the EU", by the end of this year.