Joint statement on the draft bill on telecommunications data retention
According to the draft bill on the reform of telecommunications
surveillance, telecommunications companies will be required as of
autumn 2007 to store data about their customers' communications. In
order to improve criminal investigation, it is to be traceable who
communicated with whom in the last six months by
telephone, mobile phone or e-mail. In the case of mobile phone calls
and text messages, the respective location of the user is to be
recorded as well. By 2009 at the latest, internet usage is to become
traceable
as well.
We consider unacceptable a recording of the German people’s
behaviour as far-reaching as that. Without any suspicion,
sensitive information about social contacts (including business
contacts), movements and the private lives (e.g. contacts
with physicians, lawyers, psychologists, helplines) of over 80 million
citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany is to be collected.
Telecommunications data retention thus undermines the professional secrecy of
lawyers, physicians, clergy, helplines and other
professionals, and also abets industrial espionage. It undermines the
protection of journalistic sources and thus damages the freedom of the
press. The enormous costs of telecommunications data retention are to
be borne by telecommunications providers. This will lead to price increases,
the discontinuation of services and will indirectly burden consumers.
Studies prove that the communications data available today is
generally sufficient for effective criminal investigations. There is no
proof that telecommunications data retention would provide for better
protection against crime. Instead it would cost millions of euros,
put the privacy of innocent people at risk, disrupt confidential
communications and pave the way for an ever-increasing mass
accumulation
of information about the entire population.
Legal experts expect the Federal Constitutional Court to
declare the retention of telecommunications data in the absence of any
suspicion unconstitutional. They also expect the European
Court of Justice to annul the EU directive
on telecommunications data retention. The directive violates
fundamental rights as safeguarded by European Law. The procedure in
which it was adopted violates the EU treaties. Ireland has already
initiated an action for annulment of the directive. The government
should at least await the outcome
of this action.
As representatives of the citizens, the media, professionals and industry we collectively reject the proposal of
telecommunications data retention. We appeal to politicians to fundamentally distance
themselves from the proposed systematic blanket retention 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)
| 
