Marco Cappato, MEP
PRIVACY / EU : 40 ORGANIZATIONS FROM 15 COUNTRIES LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT THE CAPPATO (RADICALS) PROPOSAL AGAINST THE MASSIVE RETENTION OF DATA OF CITIZENS’ COMMUNICATIONS (TELEPHONES AND INTERNET): 10.696 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED AN OPEN LETTER UNTIL NOW
Next Thursday, May 30, the European Parliament will vote its second reading position on the Commission proposal on privacy in electronic communications. The EP draftsman Marco Cappato (Radicals) had proposed to the EP to delete any reference to data retention, gaining EP support in first reading and in second reading in the EP citizens’ freedoms and rights Committee. The Council wants this reference to be added in the text and the Popular and Socialist groups have now changed their position and follow the Council proposal. A campaign has now been launched by 40 civil liberties organisations united in the “Global Internet Liberty Campaign”, inviting MEPs to support the Cappato report on the deletion of data retention, and in a few hours 10.696 signatures from citizens of 60 Countries have already been collected on the website: http://www.stop1984.com/index2.php?lang=en&text=letter.txt
Brussels, 27 May 2002 – In an open letter sent to all MEPs, 40 civil liberties organizations from 15 Countries (among which the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, united in the GILC, Global Liberty Internet Campaign, www.gilc.org) have strongly recommended MEPs to vote against the general and exploratory data retention of individuals’ electronic communications (telephones, mobiles, SMS and Internet) by law enforcement authorities, proposed by EU Council and now supported by a “compromise” amendment tabled by the Popular and the Socialist groups.
In the open letter (first signer Marc Rotenberg from Electronic privacy Information Center) the organizations denounce that: “New retention requirements- as envisaged by the common position’s broad language- will create new risks to personal privacy, political freedom, freedom of speech, and public safety. Moreover, because of the cross-border nature of Internet communications, your decision could have repercussions that will reach far beyond the European Union.”
Declaration of Marco Cappato, Radical MEP of the Lista Bonino, Member of the Committee of Presidents of the Transnational Radical Party:
“I want to thank all the organizations of the Global Liberty Internet Campaign for this initiative and also all 10.696 citizens who have signed the open letter until now. We will use the 4 days remaining before the vote to address all MEPs and to try to find a majority in the European Parliament respectful of the individual liberties in the electronic communications.”
Here the complete list of the organizations first signers of the open letter: Electronic Privacy Information Center; a.c.t.i.o.n – kooperative kulturelle Vernetzung; American Civil Liberties Union; Association “Souriez vous êtes filmés”; Association For Progressive Communications (APC); Maurice Wessling; Bits of Freedom; BlueLink Information Network; Bugbrother; Center for Democracy and Technology; Chaos Computer Club; Community Media Network; Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility; Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties; Der Große Bruder; Deutsche Vereinigung für Datenschutz; Digital Rights; Electronic Frontier Finland; Electronic Frontier Foundation; Foundation for Information Policy Research; Free Software Foundation; GreenNet; Grüne Jugend Deutschland; Internet Freedom; Internet Society European Co-ordination Council; IRIS; Liberty; The Multiracial Activist; Nodo50, Altavoz por la Libertad de Expresión y Comunicación; Online Policy Group; Privacy International; Privacy Ukraine; Public Voice Lab; quintessenz; Samizdat; Statewatch; stop1984; Swiss Internet User Group (SIUG); StrawberryNet Foundation; VIBE!AT – Austrian Association for Internet Users; XS4ALL Internet BV.
For more informations: Marco Cappato office in the European Parliament: tel 0032 2 2847496 mcappato@europarl.eu.int, www.radicalparty.org