EU court rules German data retention rules illegal

BERLIN (AP) — The European Union’s top court has ruled that a German requirement for companies to retain the location and connection data of all people who use their services is illegal. The European Court of Justice said in a ruling published Tuesday that exceptions can be made in cases where national security is threatened. The ruling, which comes after a complaint by two German telecoms companies, is in line with previous privacy verdicts by the court. The European court has argued that data must not be collected if that means creating a complete profile of a person’s movements and contacts. Germany’s interior minister says the country will look for other ways to fight serious crimes like child abuse.