Telecoms must destroy private data: Judge

Internet providers and telecom companies no longer have to store communications data, the court ruled today, stating that the importance of privacy outweighs the need for the information, NOS reports. The judge scrapped the law that obliges companies to do so. Internet provider BIT, the Dutch Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the journalists' union NVJ and the foundation Privacy First together filed a lawsuit against the Dutch state in this matter. These parties' lawyer thinks it appropriate that the judge found the right to privacy more important. According to the lawyer, the ruling is also in line with advice from the Data Protection Authority and the Council of State. Starting in 2009, telecom companies were obliged to store customer data for a year. In 2013, however, the European Court ruled that the mass storage of call and internet data is a serious violation of user privacy. This ruling by the court has now brought Dutch law in line with European law.