Comments on: Fighting data retention http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2005/12/09/fighting-data-retention/ Protecting your rights in the digital age Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:25:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Neil Dunbar http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2005/12/09/fighting-data-retention/#comment-205 Neil Dunbar Fri, 16 Dec 2005 19:01:07 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=52#comment-205 In reply to Alex, you can add Glyn Ford MEP to the list (one of the South West Labour MEPs). I wrote to him on this subject (not even opposing the measure entirely, but merely asking for assurance that the retention and access to retained data would only be for extremely serious crimes such as terrorism) and got damn all by way of reply. I wouldn't even have minded "Dear Neil, go jump in a lake.", but got zip in reply. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. In reply to Alex, you can add Glyn Ford MEP to the list (one of the South West Labour MEPs). I wrote to him on this subject (not even opposing the measure entirely, but merely asking for assurance that the retention and access to retained data would only be for extremely serious crimes such as terrorism) and got damn all by way of reply. I wouldn’t even have minded “Dear Neil, go jump in a lake.”, but got zip in reply. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised.

]]> By: Alex Riddell http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2005/12/09/fighting-data-retention/#comment-204 Alex Riddell Thu, 15 Dec 2005 19:57:39 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=52#comment-204 I can't say I'm surprised that the measure was passed. As with lots of activity in the EU, there has been little coverage of this in the mainstream media, which was presumably the reason for it being raised as an EU measure in the first place. Re: Phil's comments above, writing to complain about a measure and then not even getting the courtesy of a reply from an MEP does tend to give one an even more jaundiced view on who and what they think they are representing. I rather like the suggestion of creating a list of who isn't bothered enough to reply. I can’t say I’m surprised that the measure was passed. As with lots of activity in the EU, there has been little coverage of this in the mainstream media, which was presumably the reason for it being raised as an EU measure in the first place. Re: Phil’s comments above, writing to complain about a measure and then not even getting the courtesy of a reply from an MEP does tend to give one an even more jaundiced view on who and what they think they are representing. I rather like the suggestion of creating a list of who isn’t bothered enough to reply.

]]> By: Watching Them, Watching Us http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2005/12/09/fighting-data-retention/#comment-202 Watching Them, Watching Us Wed, 14 Dec 2005 12:39:36 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=52#comment-202 It looks as if the lobbying of MEPs has failed and they have passed this wretched directive: Bloomberg reports: <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=axISA7_U7mc0&refer=uk" rel="nofollow">EU Parliament Approves Phone-Data Storage for Anti-Terror Fight</a> It looks as if the lobbying of MEPs has failed and they have passed this wretched directive:

Bloomberg reports:
EU Parliament Approves Phone-Data Storage for Anti-Terror Fight

]]> By: Phil http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2005/12/09/fighting-data-retention/#comment-196 Phil Fri, 09 Dec 2005 15:53:47 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=52#comment-196 I will do as you suggest Suw, but I had something more ongoing in mind. Presumably people who use this site will be contacting their MEP's, and MP's for that matter, as and when other open rights issues arise and I just thought it would be useful to have a record of responses to previous questions put to them. I will do as you suggest Suw, but I had something more ongoing in mind. Presumably people who use this site will be contacting their MEP’s, and MP’s for that matter, as and when other open rights issues arise and I just thought it would be useful to have a record of responses to previous questions put to them.

]]> By: Suw Charman http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2005/12/09/fighting-data-retention/#comment-195 Suw Charman Fri, 09 Dec 2005 15:31:38 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=52#comment-195 Phil, why not put them on the Data Retention is No Solution wiki, link at bottom of article. I think it would be useful to see what MEPs are saying in response. Phil, why not put them on the Data Retention is No Solution wiki, link at bottom of article. I think it would be useful to see what MEPs are saying in response.

]]> By: Simon Gibbs http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2005/12/09/fighting-data-retention/#comment-194 Simon Gibbs Fri, 09 Dec 2005 14:35:50 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=52#comment-194 I was advised by one MEP to focus on Labour and Tory MEPs since they have lately moved in the wrong direction. I'm unable to do anymore letter writing today unfortunatley. I was advised by one MEP to focus on Labour and Tory MEPs since they have lately moved in the wrong direction. I’m unable to do anymore letter writing today unfortunatley.

]]> By: Phil http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2005/12/09/fighting-data-retention/#comment-193 Phil Fri, 09 Dec 2005 14:11:50 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/?p=52#comment-193 Does anyone think there is any merit in collating all the replies received somewhere? Having emailed several MEP's for the London area, the replies received range for a rather dismissive "please contact so-and-so about this, he is the expert", to a stock press release and one genuinely encouraging reply. Seems to me if the folks on here are going to lobby effectively, the message needs to be pitched to the audience. There's no point everyone emailing those who are already adopting a favourable position, we're just going to piss them off. Equally, we need to make the message simple and easy to understand for those that don't *ahem* fully grasp the minutiae of the issue. The ones that really annoyed me, however, were the ones that just sent back what looked like boiler plate text. I realise they are busy, busy people but there is a fine line between sending out stock text due to time constraints and just dismissing their constituents out of hand. I'm sure that if they were aware that there was a list somewhere on the net demonstrating that they were just paying lip service to the whole representative of the people thing, they wouldn't be quite so dismissive in the future. Any thoughts? Does anyone think there is any merit in collating all the replies received somewhere? Having emailed several MEP’s for the London area, the replies received range for a rather dismissive “please contact so-and-so about this, he is the expert”, to a stock press release and one genuinely encouraging reply.

Seems to me if the folks on here are going to lobby effectively, the message needs to be pitched to the audience. There’s no point everyone emailing those who are already adopting a favourable position, we’re just going to piss them off. Equally, we need to make the message simple and easy to understand for those that don’t *ahem* fully grasp the minutiae of the issue.

The ones that really annoyed me, however, were the ones that just sent back what looked like boiler plate text. I realise they are busy, busy people but there is a fine line between sending out stock text due to time constraints and just dismissing their constituents out of hand. I’m sure that if they were aware that there was a list somewhere on the net demonstrating that they were just paying lip service to the whole representative of the people thing, they wouldn’t be quite so dismissive in the future.

Any thoughts?

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