2006-05-09 data storage – an european discussion

The new, at the end of Ferbruary passed “guidance for the suspicion-independently data-pool-storage” caused a pan-European discussion for different aspects. In to the fore came thereby two graved arguments which both could a crucial factor for the further boom of the internet and its communication-possibilities.
First of all there is the question of costs. In the last months the prices moved an a level which allowed many people to use online-choices of all kinds and so there took part at the development of the communication-society.
The data-storage which is demanded by the European Union causes enormous costs, which the companies sooner or later refer to the consumer.
But it depends however from the dimension, because if the storage-duration is long, the effort and therefore the costs for the IT-companies would be higher.
With the already current validly terms, this problem doesn’t grave; should it however get around to an implementation of a saving-period from 6 until 24 months, the costs would be increase rapidly and the using of the online-choices would be out of the question for many user.
The second aspect which was discussed refers to the control, which is indeed good for the criminal-investigation-department, however the privacy of each individual strongly limits. With the desired control all the possibilities of online-communication can be observered by law. Emails, SMS, chatrooms, but also VoIP-choices would be stored over a longer period, without the producer of the data would have influence on it. It is even feard that as a result of the observation an increasing want of confidence will find the way to the consumer, which the development of the communication-society could restrict. Neither the EU-parliamentarians nor the representatives from the economy support the prepared concepts so far, however in this case the ministers of justice of the member states have the arbitrement. (see http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/59255)