Civil liberties and rights
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Social issues
The counterproductive war on smokers
6 December 20109Revue Politika Brno -
Civil liberties
Big Brussels is watching you
9 June 2010De Standaard Brussels -
Private life
Arresting the cyber-police
3 March 2010Süddeutsche Zeitung Munich -
United Kingdom
ID or not ID, a moot question
1 July 2009PresseuropThe Independent
The European Commission is preparing a general ban on smoking in public areas. However, a Czech legal expert argues that the desire to legislate to improve public health could ultimately undermine civil liberties. 
The European Union believes that the high technology monitoring of its citizens' movements is justified by the need to ensure their security. But not everyone is convinced that increased surveillance will act as a safeguard. Activists, like lawyer Raf Jespers, argue that technology is already violating the fundamental right to privacy. 
The German Constitutional Court has ordered the immediate deletion of all private telecommunications data stockpiled since 2008 in the fight against terrorism. But whilst civil rights activists are whooping it up, the Süddeutsche Zeitung regrets that the judges missed a golden opportunity to quash the contentious EU counter-terrorism directive.