Schlagwort: Europol

Despite territorial clause: Europol starts police cooperation with Israel

After years of negotiations, Europol and Israel agreed on closer police cooperation. A treaty on the exchange of personal data is to follow. According to an EU decision, such agreements do not apply in occupied territories.

The Israeli government concluded a strategic agreement with the EU police agency Europol on Tuesday. Israeli police chief Ronen Alsheich met the new Europol director Catherine De Bolle in The Hague for the signing ceremony. The Treaty provides for cooperation to combat cross-border crime. This includes cybercrime as well as fraud and terrorism. The 28 Member States can now also collaborate more closely with Israeli authorities. The participants exchange, for example, situation reports or trend analyses. Personal data are not covered by this agreement. Despite territorial clause: Europol starts police cooperation with Israel weiterlesen

88,000 files in the upload filter for „countering radicalisation“

13 Internet companies operate a database with videos and images, the upload of which is to be prevented. The information on the files comes from police authorities. Many companies react promptly to notifications for deletion, but the European Commission nevertheless threatens to impose a legal framework. „Illegal“ content should in future be detected and removed „proactively“.

An upload filter against the distribution of „terrorist content“ currently contains 80,000 image files and 8,000 video files. This is the message of the current „Progress Report towards an effective and genuine Security Union„, which the European Commission now regularly publishes. The content to be removed is stored in a „Database of Hashes“ currently operated by 13 Internet companies, including Facebook, Google and Youtube. The number of contents stored there has more than doubled in six months. 88,000 files in the upload filter for „countering radicalisation“ weiterlesen

European Union trains North African authorities to control the Internet

Under the neighbourhood policy the southern Mediterranean countries are supported with a police programme. Since 2004 measures in „cyberspace“ are on the agenda. Once again, this is the surveillance of social networks, upload platforms and video telephony.

The European Union wants to train North African countries in Internet surveillance. This is what Johannes Hahn, Commissioner responsible for EU neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations, writes in his reply to a question by MEP Sabine Lösing. In an unnamed „partner country in the southern neighbourhood“, training courses on „social media investigations“ are to be held as part of the „Euromed Police IV“ police programme. Further measures are to be taken in the areas of „cyberspace and terrorism“. These include financial investigations and digital forensics. European Union trains North African authorities to control the Internet weiterlesen

EU Data Retention Directive: For a limited time period, but with option to be extended?

As the preventive retention of telecommunication data is illegal throughout the EU, the retention of data from individual countries or regions might be an option. This is discussed by the EU member states, documents from the Council and the German Federal Government reveal. A “renewable arrest warrant” could be created for this purpose.

The EU member states are currently discussing a possible new version of the Data Retention Directive. The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council has proposed the adoption of “renewable retention warrants” in the responsible Council Working Party on Information Exchange and Data Protection. The Estonian Presidency had already touched on this issue in the second half of 2017, albeit offering scant detail at the time. According to the German Federal Ministry of Justice, these “still very preliminary considerations” are also being examined by the German Government. EU Data Retention Directive: For a limited time period, but with option to be extended? weiterlesen

Sharp increase of secret alerts in the Schengen Information System

European police forces and secret services use SIS II for covert surveillance of persons and property. The authorities are informed about suspects’ itineraries and persons accompanying them. The EU interior ministries are now discussing the further expansion of this surveillance method. Hits could be reported to several or all member states.

Secret alerts are being issued for increasing numbers of people in the European Union. This emerged from the Federal Ministry of the Interior’s response to a written inquiry. According to that, 129,412 persons were placed under secret surveillance using the Schengen Information System (SIS II) last year. In 2016, this figure was around 80,000. No information is available regarding the reasons for this sharp increase. Sharp increase of secret alerts in the Schengen Information System weiterlesen

Five million euros for Europol’s “decryption platform”

The EU is looking to improve its capabilities to circumvent and crack encryptions. Member states are to invest in hardware and software with Europol coordinating these efforts

The police agency Europol is set to receive a further 5 million euros to reinforce its capabilities with regard to decrypting content, as was reported by the European Commission in its Thirteenth progress report towards an effective and genuine Security Union. According to the report, the money will be set aside in the Europol budget for 2018. The Commission had already pledged these funds in its twelfth progress report, but did not disclose the amount until 24 January. Prior to this, the EU home affairs ministers had called for further support at their December meeting. Five million euros for Europol’s “decryption platform” weiterlesen