Changes To Requirements For Retention Of Electronic Data Expected

The standards for protection of personal data established by the Natural Persons Data Protection Law (implementing Directive 95/46/EC) and the Electronic Communications Law (implementing Directive 2002/58/EC) will soon become subject to new exceptions with the implementation in Latvia of the newly adopted Data Retention Directive (Directive 2006/24/EC on the retention of data generated or processes in connection with the provision of publicly available electronic communications services or of public communications networks and amending Directive 2002/58/EC). The Data Retention Directive must be implemented by 15 September 2007.

The much disputed Data Retention Directive, aiming to ensure the availability of electronic data for investigation, detection and prosecution of serious crime, will impose obligations on the providers of publicly available electronic communications services or of public communications networks to retain certain categories of data generated or processed by such