The European Parliament has voted to make ISPs and telephone
companies keep internet and phone data for between six months and
two years, to aid law enforcement agencies in their fight against
terrorism and serious crime.
Individual EU member states will be able to choose which
retention timeframe to adopt. They will also decide whether to
reimburse ISPs and phone companies for the extra costs involved in
storing the data and providing access to law enforcement
agencies.
Those countries that already have data retention rules, which
cover longer periods, will be able to keep them. The content of
voice calls will not have to be retained, nor will phone records of
calls not connected.
It is expected that the new rules for phone data will take
effect in around 18 months, but the rules on internet data will not
be enforced for three years.
The UK government has led calls for data retention following
July’s London bombings. Mobile phone records have been studied as
part of the investigation into the perpetrators’ movements.
The UK government has not said whether it will reimburse
companies for retaining the data. Companies have warned that the
costs are substantial and that they could be passed onto consumers
if they are not reimbursed.