Czech operators to pass data to counter-intelligence - press

The legislation is to be dealt with by the government in late September, Pravo writes.

Pravo has written that along with the contacts of the persons in question, the required data will reveal their day-to-day movement as registered by operators' technologies, up to six months back.

Marek Benda and Jan Vidim, deputies for the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), said the secret services should only have access to the data under very strict conditions.

"This must have the same rules as bugging," Benda told the paper.

Jan Subrt, spokesman for the civilian counter-intelligence BIS, has dismissed any abuse of the data.

"We only demand this with the consent of a judge, as in the case of wiretapping," Subrt said.

Subrt said the operational and localisation details were vital for the BIS and in many cases had a bigger importance than the content of the conversation itself.

The amendment to the electronic communications law reacts to a ruling of the Constitutional Court from May stating that the police overused the phone statements and cancelled this method with which to break the right to privacy.

Under the amendment, operators will have the duty to secure the data against any abuse and it will be also strictly defined that the data must be stored for six months.

"The amendment to the criminal code limits the opportunity to demand the operational and localisation data only for the needs of criminal proceedings over deliberate crimes carrying the penalty of at least three years," Interior Ministry spokesman Pavel Novak told Pravo last week.

Author: ČTK
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