Dutch Internet Providers Cancel Deal With Law Enforcement On Voluntary Assistance In Criminal Investigations

Court rules voluntary provision of client information is not lawful

Dutch Internet providers have cancelled their deal with law enforcement on the voluntary provision of confidential client information in the case of cybercrime investigations.

After the secret deal hit the newspapers last week, the organisation of Dutch Internet providers NLIP hastily declared they had stopped recently the Cupertino. The reason was a court decision last May, when a judge ruled the provision of confidential client information was not lawfull. In the pending case, police searched the house of a suspect whose name, address and residence was given voluntary by an Internet provider.

The internet providers now fear they will be hold responsible for violation of the privacy of their client, which can led to claims for compensation.

The NLIP also claimed the number of requests for Cupertino had exploded in the last years from between ten and fifty, to several hundreds.

The NLIP now advise the Dutch providers to only provide client information, when asked by an investigative judge with a court order. The NLIP says it is now waiting for new and clear legislation on the provision of client information and traffic information to the law enforcement.