Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Kathy Sinnott's release below draws attention to some the biggest threats to our privacy—and our ability to maintain freedom of speech—the world has seen.

Many of us are looking for ways of keeping ourselves and our loved ones healthy. When some European countries like Germany, in anticipation of harmonised, compulsory, pan-EU restrictions on dosages, have limited maximum levels for niacin to 17 mg/day and zinc to 2.25 mg in new food supplements introduced to the market, people are beginning to look to using the black market to keep themselves healthy. The question is: are you being monitored? 

If you haven't yet read our 4 July story Are you being heard? Eavesdropping and wiretapping in Europe and the USAbring yourself up to speed on what's happening in the realms of unwarranted surveillance of our electronic communications both sides of the Atlantic—and how this could impinge on our ability to choose natural health.

 

 

Press Release

Monday, 7 July 2008

MEP Kathy Sinnott attacks anti-privacy amendments in “Telecom package”

Kathy Sinnott MEP for Munster (Ireland) is opposed to a series of amendments this week in Strasbourg to the European Telecommunications Directive designed to give the EU control over citizen’s internet usage. The proposed amendments to the could force internet service providers to turn over information on customers and monitor their internet usage. It could also force software makers to include spyware in their products to allow not only governments but also corporations to monitor citizen’s activities whether or not they are suspected of unlawful behaviour.


Kathy Sinnott MEP said "I am a great proponent of net neutrality. The reason the internet is what it is today, is that no-one owns it and no company or government has as yet taken control over it. These amendments being pressed by some MEP’s seek to move Europe closer to the Chinese internet model where usage is monitored and where an individual goes online can be curtailed. This will give vast control over our lives to governments and in some cases corporations. I believe that law enforcement agencies should be allowed to pursue specific targets (eg. child pornography, terrorism) but monitoring the entire populace is not the way to go about it. These intrusions into our privacy would be unacceptable and I will be urging my colleagues to vote down all such amendments on July 7th.”


If these amendments pass they will come before the European Parliament for debate and vote in September or October 09. If you are interested in being updated. Please let me know.


Kathy is Democracy co president of the Independence/Democracy Group in the European Parliament


For further information, questions or comments, please contact Kathy on:


Mobile: +353 87 278 6552

Brussels office: +32 228 47692

Cork office: +353 21 4888 793


Email: [email protected]

Website: www.kathysinnott.ie

 

ANH Comment

If you are a citizen or resident of Europe, please let your MEP know your concerns about such attempts to curtail the relative freedom of the internet. 

If you don't know who your MEP is, click here.

If you agree with Kathy Sinnott's point of view as given in her release, please let your MEP know. Ms Sinnott emphasises that while she doesn't disagree that governments should have the power to survey the internet and its users in the search for illegal activities such as child pornography or terrorism, generalised, routine surveillance of all internet activities would constitute a major and unnecessary invasion of our privacy. 

 

 

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