POLICY ISSUES

This section of the Cyber-Rights.Net Project will provide information about policy issues related to Internet privacy. It will deal specifically with issues in relation to the interception of communications, and encryption policy at a national, and international level of Internet regulation.

It will provide useful information and links in relation to national and international, governmental and non governmental, public and secret (private) developments in relation to the interception of Internet communications.

This section will also cover UK Regulations with special reference to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 which deals with such issues as interception of communications and government access to encryption keys (GAK).

New July 2001: European Parliament approves Cappato Report in relation to privacy in electronic communications, 11 July, 2001
The European Parliament Civil Liberties Committee approved today the report by Marco Cappato (Radical MEP of the Lista Bonino)  on the draft EU Commission proposal for a directive on privacy in electronic communications, with 22 votes in favour, 12 against and 5 abstentions, under the co-decision procedure. For reactions read ZDNet UK, European Parliament restricts access to personal data, 12 July, 2001. For documents and up-to-date information see the Statewatch Observatory on Surveillance in Europe pages

New:  Akdeniz, Y.; Taylor, N.; Walker, C., Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (1): Bigbrother.gov.uk: State surveillance in the age of information and rights, (2001) Criminal Law Review, (February), pp. 73-90 at http://www.cyber-rights.org/documents/crimlr.pdf

New: Looking to the Future: Clarity on Communications Data Retention Law, NCIS Submission to the Home Office, By Roger Gaspar, Deputy Director General, NCIS Chairman ACPO Police and Telecommunications Industry Strategy Group, on behalf of A.C.P.O. and A.C.P.O (S), H.M. Customs & Excise, Security Service Secret Intelligence Service, and, GCHQ, 21 August, 2000.
See also the Observer, Secret plan to spy on all British phone calls, 03 December, 2000.

New: Council of Europe, Draft Cyber-Crime Convention, version no 24, 24 November, 2000. See further the above Council of Europe section.

New: US Department of Justice, Draft Report: Independent Technical Review of the Carnivore System, November 2000. For further information see http://cryptome.org/carnivore-mask.htm