The European Union has ruled that the “general and and indiscriminate” collection of computer data by governments is only permitted when used to fight serious crime. The decision, handed down today by the European Court of Justice, directly challenges the UK’s recently-passed surveillance legislation, which includes plans to retain every citizen’s mobile and desktop browser history for up to a year.
The Court notes that the collection of such data means citizens feel they are under “constant surveillance” and allows governments to draw “very precise conclusions” about their private lives. “Only the objective of fighting serious crime is capable of justifying such interference,” said the Court, adding that legislation like the UK’s “exceeds the limits of what is strictly necessary and cannot be considered to be justified within a democratic society.”
While I have my reservations about many of the EU’s institutions (I’m actually a proponent of the concept of the EU – just not the current execution), the EU courts have consistently been a stalwart ally in citizen’s rights.
“While I have my reservations about many of the EU’s institutions (I’m actually a proponent of the concept of the EU – just not the current execution), the EU courts have consistently been a stalwart ally in citizen’s rights.”
Couldn’t agree more, as a UK citizen sad to see us leaving the EU. We should have stayed in and attempted to bolster the effort for reform. Sadly, under the current government the chances of that were somewhere between zilch and zero.
The UK is leaving the EU. They don’t give a fuck about what some pathetic little bureaucrat in Brussels thinks.
The UK will cease to exist if they do, in fact, leave. Scotland will declare independence (finally – the English we’re holding them back), and join the EU. And quite possibly (but far, far less likely – so more a “hopefully”) Northern Ireland will finally reunite with Ireland to form a whole Ireland on Ireland – the way it should be.
Edited 2016-12-21 23:46 UTC
Most Scots are of Anglo-Saxon origin. They share the language and culture of northern England rather than the Celtic culture of Ireland and Wales. Scottish “independence” has never been an important issue for the majority of Scots. In fact the “independence” movements have always been cynical power grabs by some French speaking nobleman (Robert de Bruis, William de Wales, Charles Sobieski Stuart).
The Scots chose to join England in the UK in 1707 for economic reasons after the collapse of the Darien Scheme which bankrupted their country.
The vast majority of people of Ulster (Northern Ireland) are the descendants of Scottish and European protestant immigrants. Most consider themselves to be 100% British and have absolutely no interest in joining a strange foreign country (Irish Republic) they have no cultural or religious connection with.
Edited 2016-12-22 03:16 UTC
Just to follow up your well made point, there was never such a concept as a “united Ireland” until they cam under British rule. Prior to that, it was the 4 kingdoms; Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster
So the Scots who chose to join a union of countries for economic reasons will now fail to choose to join another union on its own because of reasons other than economic?
Edited 2016-12-22 10:27 UTC
There goes Thom talking out his arse again! You do realise the UK existed long before the EU? It will continue to exist long after the EU as well.
The EU is not the be all and end all of civilization, and never has been.
Perhaps you should take a pill for that verbal diarrhoea you keep spouting!
I admire your capacity to cram as many unsubstantiated and controversial opinions as possible into just two sentences. Brexit, Scottish independence, united Ireland… If British politics were poker, you just bet your shirt.
Your complete and utter lack of knowledge of the nature of other European countries – even ones next door to your own – continues to be absolutely staggering, Thom.
Do you understand anything about the nature of the UK?
Edited 2016-12-23 08:55 UTC
If you don’t think Scotland aren’t going to push for, and get, a 2nd referendum, then you’re living in some sort of fantasy land. Scotland will be out of the union and back in the EU within 10 years. Less, if the UK goes for Hard Brexit.
Edited 2016-12-24 20:20 UTC
They can’t be isolationist to that level. Not economically or politically.
That’s cool though cuz no-one in the world cares what the pathetic little limeys think or do.
Edited 2016-12-22 07:02 UTC
Oh I’m sorry, did I offend your British sensibilities? Maybe you should go cry to the Queen.
We haven’t actually left yet. All we have done is had a non-legally binding referendum.
We still need to invoke Article 50 (basically officially saying we are leaving) which gives us 2 years fixed deadline and we are out. Until the end of those two years, we still have to obey every institution and law as we are still 100% full members.
Incidentally one of the “pathetic little bureaucrats” are british
Yeah! We’ll give a fuck about what some pathetic little bureaucrat in Whitehall thinks, instead! That’ll show ’em!
Wow! Why such aggression? @RE: you don’t get it, your uncompromising harshness does you no favours. Argue the point not the man. I too voted to leave but did so with heavy heart. It was the only way to escape being ruled by the likes of Juncker, Barnier and Schulz (he who is currently leaving the EU administration like a rat leaves a sinking ship). Just don’t expect a hard brexit. It will take time. By the time it happens, the EU may itself be a very different beast.
@Soulbender you are wrong (if only from a commercial viewpoint). It is a very integrated world. Large parts of Britain are owned by foreign firms (the British are far more open to this kind of thing than the French for example). As a tiny example: I use Chiltern Railways to get into London. Chiltern Railways is owned by Deutsche Bahn. Believe me, they care what happens. I am also convinced that our politicians have consistently lied (what politician doesn’t) to us about the extent of our net contribution to the EU (we are the 2nd or 3rd biggest net contributor). This realization prompts the laughable squawks from Barnier about presenting Britain with a bill for EU50bn. Believe me, he cares where the money is to come from.
Anyway to get back to the article. I am saddened to say that the current political environment demands a re-appraisal of the respect for citizen’s privacy. If the dopehead in the recent Berlin atrocity had not left his papers under the truck seat, the German authorities would be staring at a blank wall. Yes we have a huge level of CCTV monitoring in this country. Such systems also give us huge amounts of data.
There’s the rub. What use is data on everybody when you don’t know what you’re looking for? This isn’t like the movies; we can’t ask J.A.R.V.I.S to zoom in and enhance a grainy CCTV image and then perform a facial recognition match on every single person in 5 seconds flat.
More to the point: he was already being surveilled. The current suspect was known to the security forces. It wasn’t a lack of data on the 80 million other German residents that was the problem here.
Hi,
Many years of being treated like royalty has made The Queen become a huge reality TV fan… “Oh, look, Jimmy started painting his front fence! I wonder if that will make Mavis happy.“.
It’s The Truman Show, with a whole lot more channels.
– Brendan
Edited 2016-12-22 20:40 UTC
Left the id in the cabin? Why does this smell odd. Okay I will go with terrorist being idiots, but hmm..
It’s a big world with plenty of opportunities for Deutsche Bahn. It might smart a bit but they’ll survive without the UK market as will the rest of EU and the world.
Edited 2016-12-23 06:33 UTC
It’s a real shame this ruling didn’t come from the European Court of Human Rights, since that’s not part of the EU and Brexit doesn’t mean we’re withdrawing from its authority. I mean, we might do so, but I haven’t heard anything to indicate we are.
Wait for the supreme court judgement on article 50. If the government somehow manage to win that one they may very well try to use royal prerogative to with draw from ECHR. May has said she wants to withdraw from it on multiple occasions.
Thom, what’s your opinion on Flanders joining the Netherlands?