The European Parliament has rejected an EU directive which would have allowed law enforcement agencies in Ireland and other member-states to retain personal communications information.
Welcoming yesterday's decision, Green Party MEP Ms Patricia McKenna said it was "a victory for the protection of civil liberties and the right to privacy".
She said the directive would have opened the door to widespread abuses by allowing state agencies retain and store personal telecommunications details for up to seven years "under the pretence of fighting crime".
Under the directive, law-enforcement agencies would not have been allowed to access the content of communications without a warrant.
They would, however, have been able to access private email and website addresses; the location of Internet newsgroups accessed, and the times and duration of land and mobile phone calls.
The Irish Council of Civil Liberties is one of a number of agencies seeking amendments to the directive in order to safeguard the privacy of people's email, telephone and fax communications. The council said the directive allowed for "blanket" surveillance.
Ms McKenna, who voted against the directive yesterday, expressed concern that it would be used to identify and track anti-capitalist demonstrators. "This would give the green light to so-called law-enforcement agencies to store and retain details of communications by people whose activities are entirely democratic and legal. This is completely unacceptable."
The directive has been referred to the European Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs where it is likely to be amended.
