Privacy Threats of Data Retention in Internet Communications

Data retention refers to the legal obligation of Internet service providers (ISPs) to retain the communication data of their subscribers for a certain period, in order to enable the legal investigation of possible crimes. However, the retention of communication data increases the security threats against the privacy of theirs subscribers. In this paper we explore the privacy issues of data retention in Internet communications. We also describe possible security mechanisms which may thwart these threats and minimize the risks against user privacy.