EU ministers approve data retention directive in controversial anti-terror move News
EU ministers approve data retention directive in controversial anti-terror move

[JURIST] EU justice and interior ministers meeting in Brussels Tuesday approved [European Council proceedings, PDF] a controversial data retention directive [DOC] passed by the European Parliament [JURIST report] in December designed to track down terrorists, paedophiles, and criminal gangs and calling for EU member states to store citizens' phone call and internet service data for 6 to 24 months without stipulating a maximum time period. The directive had sparked a year and a half of debate [JURIST news archive] among the member states over privacy issues.

While Britain, France, and Sweden are strong supporters of the measure, Ireland and Slovakia remain opposed, regarding national security as a matter for member states and not the EU. Ireland is considering an appeal to the European Court of Justice [official website]. European telecoms and internet service providers also oppose the measure [PDF]. EUObserver has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Rosa Parks arrested for not giving up bus seat to white passenger

On December 1, 1955, civil rights activist Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her action prompted a year-long boycott of the Montgomery public transit system, which only came to an end after bus segregation was ruled illegal by the federal courts. Read a brief biography of Rosa Parks from the Rosa Parks Library and Museum at Troy State Univerity, Montgomery. In 1999 Ms. Parks received the background report on the Pacifica News Network.

World AIDS Day

On December 1, 1988, World AIDS Day was observed for the first time.