BRUSSELS -(Dow Jones)- The European telecoms industry is rallying against a European Union plan to increase storeage of phone and internet data, a document seen by Dow Jones Newswires reveals.
The document, jointly signed by five European telecoms associations, warns the E.U. program will increase their costs without increasing security against terrorism.
"The current proposals represent a radical change," the document reads. "However, law enforcement authorities have not provided evidence of the concrete necessity for change and of the alleged lack of effectiveness of the present storage, preservation disclosure practices."
After the recent attacks on London's subway system, European Justice and Interior Ministers decided to go ahead with a tough anti-terrorism proposal to require phone and Internet operators to store data on calls and messages for a year. Under the plan, which diplomats say ministers will approve in October, 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 requirements would pertain both to personal and corporate calls and messages - and to keep a record of the entire call from the beginning to the end. The data for unanswered calls must also be kept.
"The present data retention proposals unquestionably would raises costs for both business users and consumers, reducing the adoption of modern technologies throughout the economy and thus undermine European competitiveness," the document reads.
Another problem is the question of who will pay. The European Commission has proposed compensation for telecoms. But several ministers, including Germany's Justice Minister Brigitta Zypries, are refusing any payment.
If "governments still persist in adopting proposals for data retention beyond existing practices, industry expects a clear commitment from policy makers to ensure that all industry's costs are covered," the document reads.
-By Angelika Steinfort and William Echikson, Dow Jones Newswires; 32-2-741-1482; william.echikson@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires"
Posted to the site on 2nd September 2005
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/13943.php