The Wardman Wire

Privacy international have published a survey of the “effects of new counter-terrorism laws on media and free expression rights in European countries”.

It is a report about the extension of laws which impact on human rights and freedom from interception of communications, through freedom of expression to photography in the street.

Via Spy Blog, the Executive Summary:

International bodies including the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU) have adopted many international agreements that either ignore or only pay scant attention to fundamental human rights and the importance of a free media. Their agendas are often driven by those countries that are most aggressive in adopting expansive counter-terrorism laws including the UK, US and Russia. The role of European institutions such as the EU and the CoE have resulted in greater adoption and harmonization of these laws than most other regions.

New laws on prohibiting speech that is considered “extremist” or supporting of terrorism have been a particular problem. These laws are used in many jurisdictions to suppress political and controversial speech. Newspapers have been closed and journalists arrested. Web sites are often taken down or blocked.

State secret and national security laws are regularly being used against journalists and their sources even as access to information laws are widely accepted and adopted across the CoE. There are also growing restrictions imposed on photographers not based in law.

Protection of journalists’ sources are often undermined by governments seeking to identify officials who provide information even though they are widely recognized both in national laws and in decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. Newsrooms are often searched.

New anti-terrorism laws are giving authorities wide powers to conduct surveillance. Other new laws impose technical and administrative requirements on the ability to intercept communications and keeping information. Of particular concern are data retention laws which require the routine surveillance of all mobile and Internet users that can be used to easily identify sources and journalists’ investigations.

and the List of Contents:

Contents

Executive summary, page 3
I. Introduction, page 5
II. Effects of international bodies on Council of Europe member states, page 7
United Nations, page 7
The Council of Europe, page 8
The European Union, page 10
III. Limits on access and gathering information, page 13
Access to Information Laws, page 13
State Secrets Legislation, page 15
Limits on Photography, page 17
IV. Limits on freedom of expression, page 19
V. Protection of journalists’ sources and materials, page 25
VI. Wiretapping and surveillance of journalists, page 29
VII. Conclusion, page 35
VIII. Appendix, page 37
Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the Council
of Europe on protecting freedom of expression and
information in times of crisis, page 37
Declaration on freedom of expression and information
in the media in the context of the fight against
terrorism, page 40

I hope we are not going to have to continue to rely on the dubious idea of Government Ministers rediscovering foundational principles when they leave office, and are no longer in any position to achieve very much.

In the meantime, however, this is one for Tom Harris - what about it, Tom? Are you man or ostrich? The evidence was there some time ago, and continues to accumulate. Why not try the report with a cup of coffee. This fight is cross-spectrum and will not be going away, and you do yourself no favours by talking about the “paranoid right“. Open Democracy and Liberal Conspiracy are prominent lefties, for a start.

Download the report: Speaking of Terror: A survey of the effects of counter-terrorism legislation on freedom of the media in Europe.