Irish Authorities To Get Greatly Expanded Access To Personal Information

BrianD

Hey Raggamuffin! Expect that we'll have to retain deleted posts as well!! Only joking!! So what do folks think. I was surprised to learn recently that you can only use a dial-p connection in Ireland if you have your Caller ID switched on.

IRISH AUTHORITIES TO GET GREATLY EXPANDED ACCESS TO PERSONAL INFORMATION
Posted 1 Dec 2002 09:15:05 UTC

A new bill would require service providers in Ireland to retain logs of their customers' activities for up to four years, according to The Irish Times.

The information recorded would include that of the usual pen-register variety - telephone numbers dialed, websites visited, and email headers. But it could also include data on a person's physical location moment-by-moment, as broadcast by certain 3G mobile phones commonly carried in Europe. Even the most law-abiding citizens would have this information recorded and retained.

It is still unclear under what circumstances the information could be turned over to law enforcement bodies. We reported earlier this month that a much bolder U.S. program called Total Information Awareness (TIA) would provide all personal communications directly to the government for analysis, although no official attempts have yet been made to introduce the TIA regime.

Clearly, both the Irish and American plans are after the same goal - taking privacy away from the populus, in the service of some greater security which was never even requested by the populus in the first place.

Both plans violate current statutes designed to quell abuse of personal information. Ireland's proposed data-retention measure would apparently be in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. But like many others, these EU laws can be overridden in times of public emergency. Under the supposedly continuous threat of terrorism, EU member states are unlikely to protest anti-privacy laws enacted in Ireland or elsewhere.

Fortunately in Ireland, as in the U.S., strong public response to these proposals has come quickly. "We have serious concerns that this is treating everybody as a potential suspect in a crime," said an official from the Irish Council on Civil Liberties.

Before introducing the bill, Ireland's Department of Justice consulted Garda Síochána, the Irish national police force - but it seems that no other groups were allowed involvement in the legislation.

Raggamuffin

ah its alright brian remember if graemo is right then all this is merely something for us to overcome, rather than curtail are freedom.

i can sleep tonight (if it was'nt for this throat infection)

PiE

It's no joking matter to be honest.

Is this to be put to public poll/vote or is it gonna be decided for us in true Big Bro stylee? If it's the latter, it's truly frightening to think of the people in our goverment who'll be deciding this

Gar_ptc

since its irish organised, it'll be more hype than substance...and probably it's nothing new, jsut a new package.

i bet its the smae that goes on in all wee villages.
it'll just REALLY be nosy people going

*you'll never guess what mrs. smith of no.17 is doing.*

sure whatyou all worrying about?your lives have no importance...

just like mine.

they can look at whatever they want on me;
they gonna reap what they sow.


blah