Latest EDRi-gram published

The latest EDRI-gram has been released, with a heavy focus on data protection. I wonder if they knew in advance of today's front page Guardian story? David Mery, a computing and telecoms professional, got caught up in the anti-terrorism efforts of the metropolitan police and outlines his experience of detention under the Terrorism Act.

The Met's police officers are under heavy pressure at the moment to be vigilant in their anti-terrorism efforts but this particular detention will have used valuable and scarce investigative resources without achieving anything.

And presumably Mr Mery, under the EU data retention proposals now becomes:

"- a person who is suspected of having committed or having taken part in a criminal offence or who has been convicted of such an offence, – a person who there are serious grounds for believing will commit a criminal offence, – a person who might be called on to testify in investigations in connection with criminal offences or subsequent criminal proceedings, – a person who has been the victim of a criminal offence or with regard to whom certain facts give reasons for believing that they could be the victims of a criminal offence, – a person who can provide information on criminal offences, and – a contact or associate to one of the persons mentioned above," (art.4.4)

Come to think of it we all fall into the

"– a person who might be called on to testify in investigations in connection with criminal offences or subsequent criminal proceedings, – a person who has been the victim of a criminal offence or with regard to whom certain facts give reasons for believing that they could be the victims of a criminal offence"

if we witness or are the victims of a crime...

There's no doubt that the police and security services need the best available technology and people trained to exploit it effectively in their fight against crime but the deployment of broad regulations, such as the data retention details proposed, with no feel for the reality of day to day policing or the people like Mr Mery who are unfortunate enough to get caught up in the metaphorical cross fire, helps neither the police nor the public.