While Europeans frequently point to the EU Privacy Directive as an example of superior privacy protection in Europe, that doesn’t mean Europeans can rest easy. UK officials recently delayed - but did not cancel - a plan to require that internet service providers (ISPs) retain large amounts of data related to internet and other communications traffic. Similar laws are already in place in other parts of Europe, including Germany, in keeping with the EU Data Retention Directive. Indeed, EU took issue with Sweden for not forcing its ISP to tow the line.
Earlier this year, UK officials backed away from a proposed central database which would have stored details of all UK phone, e-mail, and data traffic. As yet, US ISPs have no obligation to retain data, although law enforcement has pushed for such provisions on numerous occasions.
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