European Union justice ministers gave final approval today to new rules requiring telecom companies to store phone and Internet data for up to two years to help fight terrorism and other serious crimes.
Telecom and Internet firms will be required to store the data for between six months and two years, with each member state to decide the exact period on its territory.
They must keep a record of who contacted whom, and the time and location of calls. The actual content of calls, e-mails, text messages or Internet connections need not be logged.
EU countries have 18 months to implement the new rules, which already have the backing of the European Parliament.
The decision is a reaction to the bomb attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London last year and ignores the opposition of European telecom firms, which argued this would increase their costs. EU lawmakers and member states rejected calls for authorities to have to reimburse firms for the cost of storing such data.
EU Justice Commissionner Franco Frattini said national authorities would help implement the rules in respect of existing privacy rights.