Epicenter.works

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Epicenter.works
logo
legal form registered association
( ZVR : 140062668)
founding February 2010
Seat Vienna ( ⊙ coordinates: 16 ° 22 ′ 18.3 ″  N , 48 ° 12 ′ 15.4 ″  E )
precursor Working group for data retention Austria
main emphasis Data retention , data protection , civil rights
Website epicenter.works

The association epicenter.works - Platform fundamental rights policy (short epicenter.works ) (formerly Working Group retained data Austria or short AKVorrat.at) was established in February 2010 as an association with headquarters in Vienna founded. In addition to the specific goal of the association, to combat data retention and thus to protect basic rights , epicenter.works also demands that all of the increasingly numerous anti - terror laws be subjected to a review . Other issues that the association deals with are net neutrality and surveillance. The association sees itself as an open platform against data retention, on which information, arguments and materials are collected, actions are planned and contacts are established. Epicenter.works names the Netidee funding program , the Chaos Computer Club and the Barracuda Networks company as donors .

history

Name change

Old logo of AKVorrat.at

Originally the association was called Arbeitskreis Vorratsdaten Österreich or AKVorrat.at for short . It was founded on February 6, 2010, as a result of the student protests in Austria in 2009/2010 , in order to take action against data retention and to demand an overall monitoring account. After the repeal of the EC directive on data retention and the presentation of a total monitoring account in the form of a catalog of actions for the evaluation of anti-terror laws (HEAT) , the original association goal was achieved, which is why a realignment was necessary.

Actions

Citizens' initiative for data retention (2006/24 / EG)

With the citizens' initiative "Stop data retention" started in October 2011, the association AKVorrat.at succeeded in drawing the general public's attention to the problem of data retention . The initiative asked the National Council to instruct the Austrian government to oppose the EU data retention directive (2006/24 / EG) approved by the Council of Ministers on February 21, 2006 and to ensure that all of the increasing number of anti-terror laws are appropriate and compatible to review the fundamental rights . The association AKVorrat.at used the opportunity to support petitions and citizens' initiatives via the Internet, which was only introduced in Austria at the beginning of October, and quickly became Austria's most successful online initiative at the time with a total of 106,067 signatures.

In July 2010 Austria was sentenced by the European Court of Justice with the threat of fines running into the millions for failing to implement the EC directive. Austria's request for oral negotiations because of the possible incompatibility with the European Charter of Fundamental Rights was rejected. The then EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding commented on this during a visit to Vienna .

“The new law is supposed to be here - I know there are some arguments in parliament, but that's not my problem. My problem is: is Austria able - yes or no - to present this new law? "

- Viviane Reding : The standard

Despite massive criticism from the Bar , the Data Protection Council and civil society, the guideline was adopted on April 29, 2011 and came into force on April 1, 2012.

Although the citizens' initiative was related to the Austrian implementation legislation for the EC data retention directive , it was directed not only against the implementation of the national directive in Austria, but also against the EC data retention directive itself, as well as against all under the pretext of anti-terrorist legislation legal encroachments on privacy . On May 31, 2012, the citizens' initiative was assigned to the Justice Committee by the Petitions Committee of the Austrian Parliament . The initiator and other signatories of the initiative were then invited to a hearing in the Justice Committee. On the same day, the committee report was published in which the Federal Government was asked to inform Parliament about the respective findings in accordance with the ongoing proceedings before the European Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court in order to be able to take the corresponding legal measures.

Constitutional lawsuit on data retention (2006/24 / EC)

The AKVorrat gives the Constitutional Court 11,139 powers of attorney for constitutional action against data retention in Austria

As a result of the entry into force of data retention in Austria on April 1, 2012, despite Austria-wide protests, AKVorrat.at called the data retention in Austria in a joint action with the justice spokesman for the Greens Albert Steinhauser under the motto Schaff now! to a joint complaint to the Austrian Constitutional Court (VfGH). These campaigns were aimed at those affected by data retention, i.e. people living in Austria, for example. B. have a telephone or Internet connection to win as a contender. By law, all those involved had to sign a power of attorney for an individual complaint with the Constitutional Court and submit the original and by post. Nevertheless, the AKVorrat.at managed to collect 11,139 declarations in a short time, which were officially submitted to the Constitutional Court on June 15, 2012 by wheelbarrow.

Police State Protection Act

Press conference "Stop the State Protection Act" with ÖRAK and ÖJC in January 2016

In 2015, AKVorrat.at dealt intensively with the Police State Protection Act . For example, statements on the law were already published in the planning stage, as well as on every amendment request,

set up a petition which collected 30 078 signatures, organized a panel discussion with the security spokesman, and made a projection on the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter Terrorism with the title "Here is a new domestic secret service". Further actions carried out and a transparency report can be found in the 2015 annual report of the AKVorrat.

In January 2016, the controversial Police State Protection Act was passed and in June 2016 the parliamentary clubs of the Freedom Party and the Greens introduced the third complaint against the law that had been drawn up by the AKVorrat. Nevertheless, the law came into force in July. Despite some improvements since the original draft, the criticism of epicenter.works remains. In November 2017, after a third complaint against the law, the Constitutional Court published its ruling, which essentially did not change the implementation of the law.

Project HEAT

In March 2015, the association announced that it was working on a catalog of actions to evaluate anti-terror laws (HEAT). The aim of this catalog is to check the methods of surveillance in Austria for their conformity with fundamental rights. In this way it would be possible to provide information about the encroachments on privacy. By means of 43 parliamentary inquiries by the Greens and the NEOS , 355 questions were directed to seven ministries, which provided basic information for a surveillance accounting. This overall calculation is necessary in order to shed light on the interlinking of the surveillance measures and thus to contribute to a fact-based security policy. In September 2017, epicenter.works published the world's first implementation of the concept as part of a manual for the evaluation of anti-terror laws. Since November 2018, a further development funded by netidee has been in progress under the project name "HEAT 2.0".

Federal Trojan

On March 31, 2016, a draft law to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure was examined, with which the "" monitoring of messages transmitted via a computer system "( Austrian Parliament ) should be made possible. As early as April 12, 2016, the association submitted In the course of the assessment process, the data protection officers accused the Ministry of Justice of, among other things, having tapped into a newspaper duck on the basis of the draft . On June 7, 2016, the AKVorrat demonstrated together with the Chaos Computer Club Vienna in front of the Ministry of Justice against the planned law A wooden horse, which was supposed to symbolically represent the federal Trojan, was broken down into individual parts. Justice Minister Wolfgang Brandstetter commented at the same time on the unsuccessful draft law.

“The decisive factor is that so much criticism was expressed in the context of the assessment, in different directions, that we simply have to come to the conclusion: This is obviously not really useful as it was, so we have to think about something else - and that we are doing now. "

- Wolfgang Brandstetter : Pulse 4

In May 2017, epicenter.works called for a general ban on state spy software that would include the federal Trojan. The demand was introduced immediately based on the corresponding formulation of the law. In August 2017, epicenter.works presented the Austrian government with a comprehensive criticism of the surveillance package, in the draft of which the federal Trojan was also regulated. Although the association was successful in combating individual elements in the surveillance package, the federal Trojan is still one of the biggest problems, according to epicenter.works. Its introduction is currently planned for 2020.

Net neutrality

In the first half of 2016, the AKVorrat was active in the savetheinternet.eu campaign. The aim was to participate in the consultation phase on the guidelines drawn up by BEREC on net neutrality in order to achieve strict rules in the EU. In the course of the campaign, the AKVorrat office even took on a central role in coordinating the campaign. In the end, 510,370 individual comments from across the EU for stricter net neutrality were achieved.

According to their own statements, the campaign was successful, so that BEREC followed the criticism and implemented the protection of a strong net neutrality in the guidelines .

In October 2016, the AKVorrat lodged a complaint with the telecommunications regulatory authority RTR. It was the first time in Austria that the rules on net neutrality were applied. The complaint was filed on behalf of several customers of the mobile operator Hutchison Drei. epicenter.works was also involved in a complaint about the "StreamOn" service of Deutsche Telekom.

In January 2019, epicenter.works published a study on the effects of net neutrality.

Monitoring package

On March 9, 2017, epicenter.works started a campaign under the domain überwachungspaket.at against the security package planned by the government. Epicenter.works calls for a "real objective security package" instead of the expansion of monitoring measures. In order to achieve this, the association provides, among other things, a call tool for making contact with individual MPs and members of the government. In June 2017, the association initiated an Austria-wide day of action called “Stop the surveillance package”. In July 2017, the government's specific plans for the surveillance package became known, and in September the then Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka announced that the law would not apply in the form known so far. In February 2018, the new government announced plans for a new version of the surveillance package, and shortly afterwards the association made it possible for citizens to sign critical statements on the surveillance package online. Despite criticism, the law was passed a few weeks later without a public hearing and the first measures came into force in June.

EU copyright reform

Epicenter.works has set up a campaign against the planned copyright reform under the domain pledge2019.eu.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ epicenter.works: Donations. In: epicenter.works. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .
  2. ↑ AKVorrat becomes epicenter.works: New name, same mission | epicenter.works. In: epicenter.works. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .
  3. ↑ The standard : Against data retention - with online signature. In: www.derstandard.at. December 21, 2011, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Die Presse: 100,000 signatures against data retention. In: diepresse.com. Die Presse, April 13, 2012, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  5. ↑ The Standard : Data Retention: Austria condemned for lack of implementation. In: www.derstandard.at. July 29, 2010, accessed November 2, 2015 .
  6. ↑ The standard : EU: Austria must implement data retention. In: www.derstandard.at. February 18, 2011, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Der Standard : Lawyers warn of "surveillance state". In: www.derstandard.at. February 6, 2010, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  8. ↑ The Standard : Data Protection Council unanimously against data retention. In: www.derstandard.at. March 29, 2011, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  9. ↑ The Standard : Data Retention: A Potemkin Village. In: www.derstandard.at. April 1, 2012, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Austrian Parliament : Stops the data retention. December 21, 2011, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  11. ↑ Austrian Parliament : Citizens' initiatives demand underground cabling for high-voltage lines. In: www.parlament.gv.at. May 31, 2012, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Austrian Parliament : Hearing in the Judicial Committee on data retention (2). In: www.parlament.gv.at. November 28, 2012, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  13. ↑ Austrian Parliament : Stops the data retention. In: www.parlament.gv.at. November 28, 2012, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  14. ↑ Der Standard : Austria-wide protests against data retention. In: www.derstandard.at. March 31, 2012, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  15. ↑ The standard : lawsuits against data retention in disks. In: www.derstandard.at. June 15, 2012, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  16. ↑ Working group on storage data Austria: AKVorrat publishes legal analysis: State protection law needs to be repaired. In: www.akorrat.at. March 9, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  17. ↑ The standard : AKVorrat mobilizes against the State Protection Act. In: www.derstandard.at. May 26, 2012, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  18. ↑ Petition against the planned State Protection Act , petition from the working group for data storage in Austria
  19. ^ Der Standard : Opposition again expresses severe criticism of the State Protection Act. In: www.derstandard.at. October 1, 2015, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  20. ↑ Sea of ​​lights against surveillance: Hundreds of people bring light into the darkness of the secret service. In: www.akvorrat.at. January 24, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  21. ↑ Working group for data on stocks in Austria: Annual Report. In: www.akvorrat.at. June 7, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  22. ↑ Der Standard: FPÖ and Greens stand together against the State Protection Act. In: derStandard.at. June 27, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  23. ^ Futurezone: State Protection Act in force since July 1st. In: Futurezone. July 1, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  24. ^ Austrian Constitutional Court: Third party motion against the Police State Protection Act rejected. November 30, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .
  25. ↑ a b Working group on stock data Austria: AKVorrat starts a broad investigation into the surveillance situation in Austria. In: www.akvorrat.at. May 6, 2015, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  26. ↑ Der Standard : AKVorrat: 43 parliamentary questions about surveillance. In: www.derstandard.at. May 9, 2015, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  27. ↑ Der Standard : Surveillance in Austria: Government not willing to provide information. In: www.derstandard.at. May 12, 2015, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  28. ↑ epicenter.works: Catalog of actions for the evaluation of anti-terror laws. In: epicenter.works. August 31, 2017, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  29. ↑ HEAT 2.0. Retrieved June 6, 2019 .
  30. ^ Austrian Parliament : Code of Criminal Procedure 1975, Public Prosecutor Act, amendment. In: www.parlament.gv.at. March 31, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  31. ^ Working group for data on stocks in Austria: AKVorrat publishes a damning statement on the federal Trojan law proposal. In: www.akvorrat.at. April 12, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  32. ↑ Der Standard : Critique: Newspaper duck serves as a reason for federal Trojans. In: www.derstandard.at. April 10, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  33. ↑ Der Standard : Protest against Federal Trojans: AK stock slaughters a wooden horse. In: www.derstandard.at. June 7, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  34. ↑ Pulse 4 : Pulse 4 : Federal Trojan. In: www.youtube.com. June 7, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  35. ↑ epicenter.works: State espionage software must be banned! In: epicenter.works. May 4, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .
  36. ↑ epicenter.works: Monitoring package failed during assessment. In: epicenter.works. August 21, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .
  37. ↑ epicenter.works: Much achieved in the fight against surveillance packages, the sale of health data & Co. In: epicenter.works. April 20, 2018, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  38. ↑ The Standard: Monitoring Package: No further assessment planned. In: derStandard.at. February 22, 2018, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  39. ^ Initiative for Internet Freedom, European Digital Rights: SAVE THE INTERNET IN EUROPE. (No longer available online.) In: savetheinternet.eu. Archived from the original on July 21, 2016 ; accessed on November 2, 2018 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / savetheinternet.eu
  40. ↑ Network policy half-year balance of the AKVorrat | AK stock. In: akvorrat.at. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .
  41. ↑ Half a million votes for net neutrality. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .
  42. ↑ Net neutrality wins in the EU! | AK stock. In: akvorrat.at. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .
  43. ↑ The Standard: Net neutrality: Complaint against mobile operator "3". In: derStandard.at. October 5, 2016, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  44. ↑ epicenter.works: Thomas Lohninger at the shareholders' meeting: StreamOn violates network neutrality. In: epicenter.works. June 1, 2017, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  45. ↑ Thomas Lohninger, Benedikt Gollatz, Cornelia Hoffmann, Erwin Ernst Steinhammer, Ludger Benedikt Deffaa, Ali Al-Awadi, Andreas Czák: Report: The Net Neutrality Situation in the EU . Ed .: epicenter.works. 1st edition. Vienna January 29, 2019 (English, epicenter.works ).
  46. ↑ Take action against the surveillance package! | epicenter.works. Retrieved March 9, 2017 .
  47. ^ Netzpolitik.org: Austria: Day of action against surveillance package on June 24th. In: netzpolitik.org. June 21, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .
  48. ↑ Netzpolitik.org: Austria: surveillance package does not come for the time being. In: netzpolitik.org. September 4, 2017, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  49. ↑ Der Standard: Government approves surveillance package with federal Trojan. In: derStandard.at. April 20, 2018, accessed November 2, 2018 .
  50. ↑ https://pledge2019.eu/de