Source: http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=70
Timestamp: 2019-08-25 15:48:44
Document Index: 269908155

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 2', 'Art. 1', 'Art. 5', 'Art. 5', 'Art. 5', 'Art. 12', 'Art. 3']

Class-action law suit against data retention
On 9 November 2007, the Bundestag passed the bill by the majority of votes of the big coalition to implement data retention into German law.
A constitutional complaint directed against the law and initiated by the German privacy group Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung (Working group on data retention) was filed with the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany on 31 December 2007. The blanket storage of communications data violates the secrecy of telecommunications and the human right of informational self-determination. More information on the complaint can be found in our press release.
On 2 March 2010, the Federal Constitutional Court announced its decision. For more information on the decision, please refer to:
Court's press release: Data retention unconstitutional in its present form (2 March 2010)
Working Group on Data Retention press release: After data retention ruling - Civil liberties activists call for political end to data retention (2 March 2010)
Deutsche Welle Audio: German court throws out automatic storage of personal communications data (2 March 2010)
AP: German court overturns law on phone, e-mail data (2 March 2010)
Spiegel Online: German High Court Limits Phone and E-Mail Data Storage (2 March 2010)
Irish Times: Germany overturns law on retention of phone, internet records (3 March 2010)
EUobserver: German court strikes blow against EU data-retention regime (3 March 2010)
EDRi: German Federal Constitutional Court rejects data retention law (10 March 2010)
German Law Journal: Pitting Karlsruhe Against Luxembourg? (15 March 2010)
TILTblog: The German Constitutional Court Judgement on Data Retention (23 March 2010)
Data retention in Germany partly suspended by Constitutional Court - NGO demands resignation of... (2008-03-19)
Federal Constitutional Court press releases:
Application for a temporary injunction in the matter of "data retention" succeeds in part (19 Mar 2008)
Extended application for a temporary injunction in the matter of "data retention" succeeds in part (6 Nov 2008)
Application and proceedings (in German only)
Summary of legal reasoning (in English)
What exactly is data retention?
The complaint is available here (in German only). The following violations of basic rights are being objected to: First, complete retention of connection data violates the rights of the communicating individuals accorded by the following parts of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz, GG): Article 10(1) variant 3 GG (Privacy of telecommunication), Art. 2(1) GG, Art. 1(1) GG (Right to informational self-determination), Art. 5(1) sentence 1, main clause 1 GG (freedom of expression), Art. 5(1) sentence 1 main clause 2 GG (freedom of information), Art. 5(1), sentence 2, variant 2 GG (freedom of broadcasting). In comparison to its severe consequences and dangers, the anticipated benefits of data retention are disproportionately small. Second, the complete storage of connection data also violates the rights of companies and organisations obligated to record and store the data (Art. 12(1) GG (occupational freedom)). Third, complete retention of connection data violates the rights of communicating individuals and the rights of companies and organisations obligated to record and store the data granted in Art. 3(1) GG (equality before the law).
Legally, it doesn't make any difference whether one individual or 20,000 individuals lodge a constitutional complaint. Politically, however, a huge participation is a strong signal that citizens will not accept the majority of the parliament passing an unconstitutional law which contains elements of a totalitarian surveillance state.
What media reports covering the constitutional complaint are there?
DW World: Germans File Mass Lawsuit Against Sweeping Data Retention Law (31 Dec 2007)
Bloomberg: German Data Retention Law Partly Halted in Interim Court Order (19 Mar 2008)