Via Bernard and Damien comes news that Digital Rights Ireland is going to challenge the constitutionality of an Irish law which mandates telcos operating in Ireland to retain the details of all electronic traffic for 3 years.
This data can be requested from the telcos by the Gardai (Ireland’s police force) without a court order if the Gardaà are satisfied that it might be useful in the prevention of a (not limited to serious) crime.
When you consider that your mobile phone is constantly broadcasting your location under current legislation you are, when carrying one, effectively wearing a tracking device for the Gardaà (one with a three year memory).
Support Digital Rights Ireland in this battle. Let everyone you know, know about this and head on over to the Digital Rights Ireland support page and lend them some support.
Wow. That’s scary stuff, even for those of us who don’t live in Ireland. At least your government tells you they’re spying on you. 🙂
Sorry Tom. Can’t agree with you on this one. What about the key role mobile phone location info played in tracking the Enniskillen bombers and in the Robert Holohan case? Surely if you’re worried about your civil liberties you can just but a prepaid phone from a supermarket and not register ownership details?
Michael,
in both of the cases you refer to the records were requested within a couple of weeks (in the Holohan case, days) of the act. There is absolutely no justification for requiring the telcos to hold the records for three years.
And in either of those cases a judge would have granted a court order in a heartbeat.
So I firmly believe there is no justification for either forcing the telcos to keep the info for that long nor is there justification for allowing the Gardaà unfettered access to it.