Common Declaration
Aus Freiheit statt Angst!
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| - | + | '''Joint statement on the draft bill on telecommunications data retention''' | |
According to the draft bill on the reorganisation of telecommunications surveillance, telecommunications companies will be required, from autumn 2007, to store data about their customer's communications. For improved criminal prosecution it is to become traceable who communicated with whom in the last six months by telephone, mobile phone or e-mail. In the case of mobile telephone calls and SMS, the respective location of the user must also be recorded. By 2009 at the latest, internet usage is to become traceable as well. | According to the draft bill on the reorganisation of telecommunications surveillance, telecommunications companies will be required, from autumn 2007, to store data about their customer's communications. For improved criminal prosecution it is to become traceable who communicated with whom in the last six months by telephone, mobile phone or e-mail. In the case of mobile telephone calls and SMS, the respective location of the user must also be recorded. By 2009 at the latest, internet usage is to become traceable as well. | ||
Version vom 16:29, 29. Jul. 2007
Englische Übersetzung der Gemeinsamen Erklärung über das "Languages Without Borders" Netzwerk ist fertig.
Wenn ein Muttersprachler zu gegen ist, bitte noch mal Korrektur lesen.
Liebe Grüße, Ingmar 18:28, 28. Jul 2007 (CEST)
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Unanimous resistance against the coalition plans on storing telecommunication data
In a joint statement published today, 27 associations (Status: 22 January 2007) are rejecting a bill introduced by the Federal Minister of Justice, Brigitte Zypries, according to which data about every use of telephone, mobile phone, e-mail and internet is to be stored for the future (a so-called „telecommunications data retention“) so that it is at the police's and public prosecution's disposal. The associations describe it as “unacceptable” that sensitive information about the social relations, movements and the individual life situation of more than 80 million citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany is to be stored without any suspicion of a criminal offence. The joint statement is supported by associations for civil rights, data protection and human rights, by journalist organisations and media associations, by the internet economy and the crisis line, by associations of attorneys and jurists as well as by the consumer advice centre.
In addition to aiding criminal prosecution, the Federal Government justifies the planned telecommunications data retention with an EC guideline from march 2006 which has to be implemented. This argument is being rejected by Patrick Breyer, a lawyer in the working team for the telecommunications data retention: “The guideline on the telecommunications data retention is so apparently unlawful that Germany is not obliged to implement it.” The joint statement of today explains: “The guideline is in direct violation of the basic rights according to European Law and has been issued in breach of treaty.” Since July 2006, an action of nullity against the guideline has been pending with the European Court of Justice. The associations are demanding to wait at least for the outcome of this action before “such a far-reaching registration of the people's behaviour in Germany” will be concluded.
The alleged benefits of a telecommunications data retention are being questioned by a detailed analysis of the working team for the telecommunications data retention that was published on Friday. According to this analysis, the prosecutors lacked communication data only rarely. The result of a study of the Federal Criminal Police Office is that a telecommunications data retention could raise the average detection rate “from currently 55% to 55.006% at best”. A telecommunications data retention would not have had a significant influence on the crime rate in Ireland or other states. “Thus, it is not perceptible that a telecommunications data retention strengthens the population's security.”
Instead, the data storage would “cost millions of euros, endanger the privacy of innocent people, affect confidential communication and pave the way to a more and more extensive mass accumulation of information about the whole population.” If everyone has to be concerned that large parts of his communication behaviour, his movements and internet usage are being recorded, “communication issues and adaptation of behaviour” are to be expected. Therefore, mass data storage harms the “liberal society as a whole”, the working group for the telecommunications data retention said in a statement to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The wording of the joint statement of 22 January 2007:
Joint statement on the draft bill on telecommunications data retention
According to the draft bill on the reorganisation of telecommunications surveillance, telecommunications companies will be required, from autumn 2007, to store data about their customer's communications. For improved criminal prosecution it is to become traceable who communicated with whom in the last six months by telephone, mobile phone or e-mail. In the case of mobile telephone calls and SMS, the respective location of the user must also be recorded. By 2009 at the latest, internet usage is to become traceable as well.
We regard as unacceptable such a far-reaching record keeping on the behaviour of the people in Germany. Without any suspicion, sensitive information about the social relations (including business relations), the movements and the individual life situation (e.g. contacts with physicians, lawyers, psychologists, helplines) of over 80 million citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany is to be stored. Thus, a telecommunications data retention undermines the professional discretion of lawyers, physicians, spiritual advisers, helplines and other professional categories and promotes industrial espionage. It undermines the protection of journalistic sources and thus damages the freedom of press. The enormous expenses of a telecommunications data retention are to be borne by the telecommunications companies. This will lead to an increase in prices, a cessation of offers and will also indirectly put pressure on the consumers.
Studies show that the communications data that is already available is regularly sufficient for an effective detection of criminal offences. It could not be proved that a telecommunications data retention would provide better protection against crime. Instead it would cost millions of euros, endanger the privacy of innocent people, affect confidential communication and pave the way to a more and more extensive mass accumulation of information about the whole population.
Law experts expect that the Federal Constitutional Court will rule that a mandatory telecommunications data retention without any suspicion is unconstitutional. They do furthermore expect that the EC guideline on the telecommunications data retention will not stand in the European Court of Justice. The guideline is in direct violation of the basic rights according to European Law and has been issued in breach of treaty. Ireland has already taken action against the guideline. The outcome of this action should be awaited at least.
As representatives of the citizens, the media, the liberal professions and of industry we collectively reject the proposal of a telecommunications data retention. We appeal to political powers, to dissociate them categorically from the plans of an all-embracing and indepent-of-suspicion recording of data.
Signatories:
Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung Bundesverband Deutscher Zeitungsverleger e.V. (BDZV) Chaos Computer Club e.V. (CCC) Deutsche Journalistinnen- und Journalisten-Union (dju) in ver.di Deutsche Liga für Menschenrechte e.V. Deutsche Vereinigung für Datenschutz (DVD) e.V. Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV) Deutscher Presserat eco Verband der deutschen Internetwirtschaft e.V. Evangelische Konferenz für Telefonseelsorge und Offene Tür e.V. Förderverein für eine Freie Informationelle Infrastruktur e.V. (FFII Deutschland) Forum InformatikerInnen für Frieden und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung e.V. (FIfF) Gesellschaft für Datenschutz und Datensicherung e.V. (GDD) Gustav Heinemann-Initiative (GHI) Humanistische Union e.V. Internationale Liga für Menschenrechte (ILMR) Komitee für Grundrechte und Demokratie e.V. Netzwerk Neue Medien e.V. netzwerk recherche e.V. Neue Richtervereinigung e.V. (NRV) no abuse in internet e.V. (naiin) Organisationsbüro der Strafverteidigervereinigungen Republikanischer Anwältinnen- und Anwälteverein e.V. (RAV) STOP1984 Verband Deutscher Zeitschriftenverleger (VDZ) Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V. (vzbv) Vereinigung Demokratischer Juristinnen und Juristen e.V. (VDJ)
Further signatories:
Berufsverband Deutscher Psychologinnen und Psychologen e.V. (BDP) Bund demokratischer Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler (BdWi) Bundeskoordination Internationalismus (BUKO) Bundesverband deutscher Pressesprecher e.V. (BdP) Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft e.V. (BVDW) Bundesverband Frauenberatungsstellen und Frauennotrufe (bff) Bundesverband junger Autorinnen und Autoren (BVjA) Berufsverband unabhängiger Handwerkerinnen und Handwerker e.V. (BUH) Deutscher Anwaltverein e.V. (DAV) Deutscher Fachjournalisten-Verband (DFJV) FREELENS e.V. - Verband der Fotojournalisten Initiative Bayerischer Strafverteidigerinnen und Strafverteidiger e.V. Reporter ohne Grenzen e.V Verband der Internet-Cafes Deutschland e.V. (VICD) Verein zur Förderung der Suchmaschinen-Technologie und des freien Wissenszugangs e.V. (SuMa-eV) Verein zur Förderung des öffentlichen bewegten und unbewegten Datenverkehrs e.V. (FoeBuD) Verein zur Politischen Jugendpartizipation e.V. (VPJ)
Detailed statement of the working team for the telecommunications data retention...
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