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Terror won’t kill the privacy star – tackling terrorism propaganda online in a data protection compliant manner

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Abstract

Reacting to a series of terrorist attacks, the European Union has tasked Europol to establish an Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) to counter terrorist propaganda.

The political statement entailed a clear commitment to fundamental rights including data protection. This paper analyses the present and future applicable legal bases and elaborates on challenges connected to the practical implementation of the EU IRU. It also explains why Europol is often referred to as “the most controlled police agency in the world”.

The paper concludes that it is possible to tackle terrorism propaganda online in a data protection compliant manner.

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Notes

  1. See Europol [10], pp. 1 ff.; Drewer/Ellermann [7], pp. 195 f.

  2. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30759008, accessed on 21/01/2016.

  3. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34818994, accessed on 21/01/2016.

  4. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/world/europe/isis-claims-responsibility-for-paris-attacks-calling-them-miracles.html?_r=0, accessed on 21/01/2016.

  5. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35869985, accessed on 17/06/2016.

  6. https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jul/14/nice-bastille-day-france-attack-promenade-des-anglais-vehicle, accessed on 02/08/16.

  7. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-crime-munich-idUSKCN1021YZ, accessed on 02/08/16.

  8. https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/amoklauf-muenchen-breivik-101.html, accessed on 02/08/16.

  9. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/26/men-hostages-french-church-police-normandy-saint-etienne-du-rouvray, accessed on 02/08/16.

  10. See, for instance, Bigo et. al. [4], p. 1 ff.; Matthew/Shambaugh [20], pp. 223 ff.; Levi/Wall [18], pp. 196–205; Peissl [21], pp. 19 ff.

  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Killed_the_Radio_Star, accessed on 08/01/16.

  12. Korff/Brown [17], p. 119 ff.

  13. Walker/Conway [30], pp. 156–175.

  14. Cohen [5].

  15. Edwards/Gribbon [8].

  16. Reynolds [22], pp. 499–513; Rosendaal/Kert/Lyle/Gasper [24], pp. 81 ff.

  17. Mansfield-Devine [19], p. 2; http://www.computerweekly.com/news/4500249133/EU-launches-Internet-Referral-Unit-to-combat-online-extremism, accessed on 03/08/16; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/21/europol-internet-unit-track-down-extremists-isis-social-media-propaganda, accessed on 03/08/16; http://www.scmagazineuk.com/europol-to-combat-terrorists-on-the-internet/article/423852/, accessed on 03/08/16; http://www.news.com.au/technology/online/europol-launches-new-police-unit-aimed-at-shutting-down-isis-social-media-accounts/news-story/c0b967d9c5c657873979fa9467bb93c5, accessed on 03/08/16.

  18. Bebe [2].

  19. https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/europol-reform-but-who-polices-the-police/, accessed on 16/03/16.

  20. https://www.accessnow.org/europols-internet-referral-unit-risks-harming-rights-isolating-extremists/, accessed on 02/08/16; http://arstechnica.co.uk/tech-policy/2016/07/europol-iru-extremist-content-censorship-policing/, accessed on 02/08/16.

  21. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/11208796/How-social-media-is-helping-Islamic-State-to-spread-its-poison.html, accessed on 22/01/2016.

  22. Bebe [2]; also see Korff/Brown [17], p. 121.

  23. Bartlet [1]. http://quarterly.demos.co.uk/article/issue-5/how-to-beat-the-media-mujahideen/, accessed on 06/06/2016.

  24. Drewer/Ellermann [7], p. 200.

  25. https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/europol%E2%80%99s-internet-referral-unit-combat-terrorist-and-violent-extremist-propaganda, accessed on 22/01/2016; http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/europol-details-online-jihadist-hunt-a-8369/op-1, accessed on 21/01/2016.

  26. Also see https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/europol-internet-referral-unit-one-year; accessed on 02/08/16, which, however provides earlier figures.

  27. Korff/Brown [17], p. 120; also see Henderson [13], pp. 229 ff.; Rosendaal/Kert/Lyle/Gasper [24], pp. 82 f.

  28. Article 8 European Charter of Fundamental Rights, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf, accessed on 16/03/2016.

  29. The right to privacy is enshrined in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as in Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights, see https://secure.edps.europa.eu/EDPSWEB/edps/site/mySite/pid/84#privacy, accessed on 16/03/16.

  30. Henderson [13]; https://shawnetuma.com/2015/01/10/do-you-have-a-reasonable-expectation-of-privacy-in-social-network-posts-no-here-is-why/; accessed on 02/08/16.

  31. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/28/cashmore.online.privacy/, accessed on 29/03/16.

  32. Quoted as per Rosen [23]; also see Henderson [13], p. 229.

  33. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/26/infosec_show_roundup/, accessed on 07/04/16.

  34. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/17/schneier_action_figure/, accessed on 07/04/16.

  35. Schneier [25].

  36. Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights, also see http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/documents/eu_human_rights_guidelines_on_freedom_of_expression_online_and_offline_en.pdf, accessed on 16/03/16.

  37. de Hert/ Gutwirth [6], pp. 61 ff.; see for the impact of the Snowden revelations on US law enforcement Shaa [31], pp. 543 ff.

  38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r140gDllL9s, accessed on 11/03/16; for a comprehensive overview see Europol [9].

  39. Klitou/Demetrius [16], pp. 22–25; see also Tzanou [29], pp. 94–95.

  40. https://eu2015.lv/images/Kalendars/IeM/2015_01_29_jointstatement_JHA.pdf, accessed on 11/01/16.

  41. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/02/150212-european-council-statement-fight-against-terrorism/, accessed on 12/01/16.

  42. Henderson [13], p. 234.

  43. Henderson [13], p. 234.

  44. https://iapp.org/news/a/fbi-gc-jim-baker-i-consider-myself-a-privacy-lawyer/, accessed on 07/04/16.

  45. See Article 2a Directive 46/95/EC.

  46. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/jha/2015/03/12-13/, accessed on 22/01/2016.

  47. https://www.europol.europa.eu/st/DPO/#/information_gathering, chapter 4.2, accessed on 04/04/2016.

  48. Drewer/Ellermann [7], p. 202. Also see Europol [9].

  49. Drewer/Ellermann [7], p. 200.

  50. See, for instance, for the situation in Germany Klesczewskiaff/Diethelm [15], pp. 737 ff.

  51. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_maiore_ad_minus, accessed on 02/08/16.

  52. https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2803402?hl=en, accessed on 11/04/16.

  53. https://www.youtube.com/yt/policyandsafety/en/communityguidelines.html#communityguidelines-line-crossing, accessed on 11/04/16.

  54. See, for instance, Statewatch as quoted in http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/11362300/Europol-to-be-given-new-internet-watchdog-powers.html, accessed on 11/04/16.

  55. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/jha/2015/03/12-13/, accessed on 22/01/2016.

  56. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a scientific approach that was adopted as an innovative way to conduct crime analysis. Now computer-assisted SNA techniques (\(i.e\)., algorithms) can be employed by analysts to measure and visualize any type of network data (data which are relational and related to certain attributes). Operational analysts are able to deal with complex and large volumes of data to quickly identify structural patterns that otherwise would remain unnoticed. SNA should not be confused with social networking and the types of network data available on websites such as Facebook and Google+. SNA may also be performed on such data sets but analysis of these publicly available sources is not a constituent element of this analytical technique. For a critical view on SNA in the context of social networking sites see Schulzki-Haddouti [26], pp. 32 ff.; Kant/Busch [14], pp. 40 ff.

  57. Drewer/Ellermann [7], p. 203.

  58. https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/european-parliament-adopts-new-regulation-europol, accessed on 02/06/2016.

  59. Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and replacing and repealing Council Decisions 2009/371/JHA, 2009/934/JHA, 2009/935/JHA, 2009/936/JHA and 2009/968/JHA, OJL 135/107, 24/05/2016.

  60. https://blog.twitter.com/2016/combating-violent-extremism, accessed on 08/06/2016.

  61. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/world/middleeast/us-intensifies-effort-to-blunt-isis-message.html?_r=2, accessed on 06/06/2016.

  62. Bartlet [1]. http://quarterly.demos.co.uk/article/issue-5/how-to-beat-the-media-mujahideen/, accessed on 06/06/2016.

  63. Bartlet [1]. http://quarterly.demos.co.uk/article/issue-5/how-to-beat-the-media-mujahideen/, accessed on 06/06/2016.

  64. http://jihadology.net/2015/07/06/guest-post-isis-and-the-hollywood-visual-style/, accessed on 09/06/2016; Bartlet [1]; also see http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/isis-try-lure-fighters-sick-8130091, accessed on 08/06/2016.

  65. http://jihadology.net/2015/07/06/guest-post-isis-and-the-hollywood-visual-style/, accessed on 09/06/2016.

  66. Bartlet [1]. http://quarterly.demos.co.uk/article/issue-5/how-to-beat-the-media-mujahideen/, accessed on 06/06/2016.

  67. Bartlet [1]. http://quarterly.demos.co.uk/article/issue-5/how-to-beat-the-media-mujahideen/, accessed on 06/06/2016.

  68. http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-7266-2015-INIT/en/pdf, accessed on 06/06/2016.

  69. Berger/Perez [3]; Shaheen [27].

  70. Cohen [5].

  71. https://secure.edps.europa.eu/EDPSWEB/edps/lang/en/EDPS/Dataprotection/Glossary/pid/84, accessed on 10/02/16.

  72. https://secure.edps.europa.eu/EDPSWEB/edps/lang/en/EDPS/Dataprotection/Glossary/pid/84, accessed on 10/02/16.

  73. See Tanz [28].

  74. Article 28 ECD.

  75. Article 34 ECD.

  76. https://www.europol.europa.eu/st/DPO/#/exercising_the_rules, accessed on 05/08/16; http://www.europoljsb.europa.eu/about.aspx, accessed on 05/08/2016.

  77. For details on how already the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty has further enhanced formal monitoring of Europol see Fletcher [11], pp. 38 ff.

  78. Article 10(1) and (3) Protocol on Transitional Provisions Lisbon Treaty.

  79. Fijnaut, quoted as per Groenleer [12] p. 282.

  80. Articles 39, 42 ff. ER, in particular, Article 43(3)(f) ER which reads that the EDPS may impose a temporary or definitive ban on processing operations by Europol which are in breach of the provisions governing the processing of personal data.

  81. Article 51(1) and (2) ER.

  82. Article 51(2)(a) ER.

  83. Article 51(2)(b) ER.

  84. Article 51(3) and (4) ER.

  85. Article 52 ER.

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  1. Europol, Eisenhowerlaan 73, 2517 KK, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Jan Ellermann

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This article is based on a minor thesis submitted in part fulfilment of the degree of M.Sc. in Forensic Computing and Cyber Crime Investigation at the School of Computer Science and Informatics at University College of Dublin under the supervision of Dr. Nhien An Le Khac.

The opinions expressed by the author in this article are personal ones and do not necessarily represent those of the organisation he works for.

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Ellermann, J. Terror won’t kill the privacy star – tackling terrorism propaganda online in a data protection compliant manner. ERA Forum 17, 555–582 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12027-016-0446-z

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