Net firms start storing user data

[Gary]

From today ISP's have to store details of emails and net phonecalls for a year.

"All ISPs in the European Union will have to store the records for a year. An EU directive which requires telecoms firms to hold on to telephone records for 12 months is already in force.

The data stored does not include the content of e-mails or a recording of a net phone call, but is used to determine connections between individuals.

Authorities can get access to the stored records with a warrant."

Land of the free we are not 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7985339.stm

[Rik]

Nor have we been for some time.

[Glenn]

Sadly that is true

[Gary]

The extra cost of storage must be a pain for ISP's like IDNet though  and no we have not been a free country for a long time sadly

[Rik]

The cost certainly can't be trivial, but like VAT collection, the Govt likes to shift costs away from its budget.

[Gary]

The cost certainly can't be trivial, but like VAT collection, the Govt likes to shift costs away from its budget.

Its odd to think IDNet have to store our emails and voip calls  in the end people will live by proxy, and half of the proxy services will be government traps I bet

[Simon]

Say one had a hard drive failure, and no backups, could an ISP now provide copies of emails to it's users?

[Rik]

It would be interesting to know how great a level of backup the Govt is insisting on.

[Noreen]

Say one had a hard drive failure, and no backups, could an ISP now provide copies of emails to it's users?

I think that they are only storing the connection details not the actual contents of emails.

[Rik]

That's how I read it.

[Gary]

Since some of mine go to a friend in Iran they will love that I bet 

[kinmel]

What about those of us who do not use external mail servers ?

Do Idnet collect the data just for their own mail servers, or for everything on Ports 25 and 110 that passes through them ?

[Sebby]

I'm not sure. I think you'd have to ask them.

[Rik]

The only things logged are those using IDNet's servers, external mail is logged by the service provider for that service, same for VOIP.

[kinmel]

The only things logged are those using IDNet's servers, external mail is logged by the service provider for that service, same for VOIP.

Can anyone point me to the regulation about people who do not use a service provider ?

Is it even possible to provide yourself with a "service" ?

[Rik]

Yes, if you use your own mail servers, for example. AFAIK, there is no obligation for an individual providing a service only to themselves to keep a record, but you'd probably need specialist legal advice to be certain, Alan.

[David]

  Its beyond belief.....

[kinmel]

Yes, if you use your own mail servers, for example. AFAIK, there is no obligation for an individual providing a service only to themselves to keep a record, but you'd probably need specialist legal advice to be certain, Alan.

Thanks Rik, I will just leave the Postfix logs buried in the O.S., I have never bothered clearing them anyway.

Mind you they will only get them if they can prove I am legally required to keep them and they also have a legal right to see them.

That is not because I have anything to hide, merely because I am paranoid about State intervention.

[somanyholes]

Thanks Rik, I will just leave the Postfix logs buried in the O.S., I have never bothered clearing them anyway.

The way I handle logs that I don't want to be recovered is as follows. Create an encrypted volume, store the logs here. Then if you need them to dissapear just delete the volume and job done

[kinmel]

The way I handle logs that I don't want to be recovered is as follows. Create an encrypted volume, store the logs here. Then if you need them to dissapear just delete the volume and job done

I like your thinking 

[Rik]

So do I.