Interior Minister Igor Taro Does Not Support Ending Mass Collection of Telecommunications Data

Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) has opposed Justice and Digital Affairs Minister Liisa Pakosta's (Eesti 200) proposal to end the mass collection of telecommunications data, which conflicts with EU law. According to Taro, telecommunications data is an indispensable tool for solving serious crimes. The Security Police Board also supports continuation of data retention.

Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) does not support bringing Estonia's telecommunications data collection practices into line with European Union regulations, as Justice and Digital Affairs Minister Liisa Pakosta (Eesti 200) has planned. Taro has presented his own vision for the future of telecommunications data retention, which does not involve abandoning mass collection.

Current Situation Conflicts with EU

Estonian law currently requires telecommunications operators to collect and retain for one year metadata of telephone calls: whom someone called, how long the call lasted, where the callers were located, and similar data. The conflict between this practice and EU standards has been known for years.

In May, the Justice and Digital Affairs Ministry, led by Pakosta, drafted legislation that would bring Estonian law into line with EU law and eliminate the obligation to retain data. Under the bill, law enforcement agencies could use data collected by telecommunications companies for commercial purposes.

Taro: Data is Irreplaceable for Investigations

Interior Minister Taro, however, believes the bill in its current form cannot be supported. "Upon reviewing the bill, we find that in its current form it is not possible to agree to it, as it does not take into account the needs of investigative authorities to fulfil the tasks assigned to them," Taro said.

He stressed that organized and serious covert crimes cannot be investigated using only telecommunications data collected for commercial purposes.

Interior Ministry's Proposal

The Interior Ministry proposes a solution under which, on the basis of a government order, telecommunications data could be retained for up to three years in the event of a threat to national security or constitutional order, with the order being extendable if necessary.

Additionally, the Interior Ministry wishes to allow telecommunications data to be retained in certain areas to prevent serious crimes. According to the proposal, data for one year would be retained on all calls made from within a 10-kilometre radius of Estonia's border or state defence facilities, as well as on calling cards and calls to foreign numbers. Similarly, on the basis of a government order, data could be retained for one year on calls made from a selected geographic area, near critical service providers, or from islands.

Security Police Board Also Supports Continuation of Retention

The Security Police Board also expressed support for continuation of telecommunications data collection in a letter sent to the Justice and Digital Affairs Ministry in mid-June. In a letter signed by Security Police Board Director Margo Pallošon, a proposal was made to collect connection data on the basis of a government order over a two-year period with the possibility of extending the deadline by up to two years.

In other respects, the Security Police Board's proposals for amending the bill were similar to the Interior Ministry's ideas.