Hi everyone,
On November 21st, I attended a useful conference organized by Microsoft. It lived up very well to its title: “Justice, Security and Fundamental Rights: Dialogue on EU Law Enforcement Policies”.
In attendance were representatives from the European Commission, academia, telecommunication companies, “big tech”, UK & member state governments, representatives of data protection authorities and civil society, Europol, ENISA and various other important institutes. An impressive lineup, and I commend Microsoft for convening us in Brussels.
The whole event was useful, but I have grave worries about two aspects of the conversations there.
Firstly, European thinkers and policy makers were acting and talking as if the US federal government and courts are still “normal”, or will soon be so again. They will not, and we should update our world view.
Secondly, in the discussion of compelled telecommunication data
retention, it is rarely specified that this could be a 24/7 location
database of all EU phones and cars.
If that is the goal, everyone should be super clear about that.
Please do read on in the post Hello Europe, Joe Biden is gone.
Bert