The text that authorises the automatic storage of all electronic communications of everyone in Europe for a certain period of time, in order to make it possible for law enforcement bodies to access electronic information for detecting and prosecuting criminal offences, has been declared invalid by the European Court of Justice. The reason is that such storage enables the blanket mass surveillance of every citizen in the EU in an unnecessary and disproportionate way, without being based on a proper suspicion of criminal behaviours. This is a victory for our fundamental rights, our privacy and the protection of personal data in Europe.

After the recent Moraes report on the NSA adopted by the European Parliament that clearly condemns mass surveillance, we have eventually a legal decision backing this condemnation.

The Swedish government needs to immediately vote for the abrogation of the Swedish national implementation law of the data retention directive that took effect on 1^st May 2012, as well as the stop of all actions and expenditures related to it.

Press release from the court (English)

Press release from the court (Swedish)

Judgment (in English)