A new directive handed down by the European Union will require all ISPs to store all Internet traffic information for one year, while also giving law enforcement authorities the right to access that information to fight terrorism.
What does "Internet traffic information" mean in this case? All of it — everything from email, traffic patterns and even phone calls made over VOIP services.
According to online reports, the British government played a major role in passing the legislation, which will require the participation of all ISPs, not just the largest companies as was thought at one point.
Naturally, privacy advocates oppose the measure.
"I don't think people are aware of the implications of this move," said Simon Davies, director of Privacy International. "It means that everything we do online or on the phone will be known to the authorities. They are using this to produce probably the world's most comprehensive surveillance system.
He continued, "This is a disgraceful example of the covert influence that Brussels has across our freedoms and liberties. The entire episode has been marked by a litany of secret dealings, vicious political games and a complete absence of transparency."
But the measure's own massive scope might end up being its undoing. In order to store all Internet traffic information for a year, the European governments would need anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 terabytes of storage space.
