Europe\'s plan to track Internet and phone use
European governments are preparing legislation to require companies to keep detailed data about peoples Internet and phone use that goes beyond what the countries will be required to do under a EU directive.
The New York Times reports that in Germany, a proposal from the Ministry of Justice would essentially prohibit using false information to create an e-mail account, making the standard Internet practice of creating accounts with pseudonyms illegal. EU countries have until 2009 to put the Data Retention Directive into law, so the proposals seen now are early interpretations. But some people involved in the issue are concerned about a shift in policy in Europe, which has long been a defender of individuals privacy rights. Full report in The New York Times