EU Plans Security Proposal On Phone Data Storage

BRUSSELS -(Dow Jones)- The European Commission said Friday it will go ahead in September with a tough anti-terrorism proposal to require phone and Internet operators to store data on calls and messages for a year.

The proposal will be more stringent than a competing proposal made by E.U. governments, said E.U. Commission spokesman Friso Roscam Abbing. In particular, it will give little room for opt outs and guarantees for protecting the data.

Businesses say they fear complying with such an initiative could cost hundreds of millions of euros.

"We are working on impact assessments both with law enforcement authorities and the telecommunication companies," said Abbing. "Our hope is to get a proposal acceptable to everyone." The idea seems to be gaining traction, particularly in the wake of the recent bombings in London. Under the Commission proposal, telecom firms would have to store the data for 12 months, so it can be used by police in terrorism and crime investigations. Internet messages would have to be kept for six months. The new law would pertain both to personal and corporate calls and messages. At present, most operators keep information for three months for billing purposes.

While the contents of calls wouldn't be stored, the numbers and addresses of the subscribers would be, along with the date and time of the start and hang-up of a call and the date and time of the log in and log off of the Internet sessions.

How much telecom companies will be compensated remains vague. According to the proposal seen by Dow Jones Newswires, operators "will receive an appropriate compensation for demonstrated additional costs," but gives no more detail.

-By William Echikson,Dow Jones Newswires;32-2-741-1482; william.echikson@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires"

Posted to the site on 29th July 2005