Casper Bowden, director of FIPR, described the statements as “hysterical” and Tony Bunyan, editor of Statewatch, accused the NCIS of “scaremongering,” according to a report by ZDNet.
At a press conference on Thursday, the NCIS called for expansion of the scope of electronic data retention in EU law. According to ZDNet, the NCIS argued that current EU proposals to delete all records of on-line transactions once a web session ends will have an adverse effect on the ability of law enforcement agencies to detect and investigate on-line crime.
The NCIS argues that the Council’s proposed amendment restricts its powers; the privacy groups argue that the NCIS is claiming a loss of powers it does not actually have.
The NCIS and its European counterparts have previously called for draconian data retention powers. These requests have been publicly opposed by the UK Home Office, the European Commission and also the EU’s Data Protection Working Party.