Organisations could be forced to store e-mail and phone data for up
to two years if European Union proposals become law.
The proposed rules, part of a European Union drive against
cybercrime, state, "A period of a minimum of 12 months and a
maximum of 24 months for the retention of traffic data is not
disproportionate in view of the needs of criminal
prosecutions."
The proposals threaten to reignite the controversy that surrounded
the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, with ISPs and telcos
complaining about the costs of storing data records and civil
liberties groups complaining about the invasion of privacy.
At present, organisations only have to retain data for the time
needed to compile bills.
The UK Government has said it would resist the proposed
legislation, which will need approval from individual European
Union governments.
