It appears that judgement in some little - known cases before the European Court of Human Rights against Russia and Hungary , regarding the UK 's large dragnet surveillance network , may have outlawed " massive surveillance of communications " in Europe , with the Court finding that surveillance must be individualised , say reports . Adversely , following the recent terrorist attacks , France proposed forcing companies to insert " backdoors " in their products , thereby allowing authorities to gain access of digital devices ; although it was rejected , it is expected to resurface if , or when , there is another attack . digital surveillance is often criticised as being necessary to prevent terrorism , to reduce social unrest and protect national security , however , it has also been criticised for violating privacy rights and limiting freedoms .
It appears that judgement in two little-known cases before the European Court of Human Rights against Russia and Hungary, regarding the UK's large dragnet surveillance programmes, may have outlawed "massive monitoring of communications" in Europe, with the Court finding that surveillance must be individualised, say reports. Adversely, following the recent terrorist attacks, France proposed forcing companies to insert "backdoors" in their products, thereby allowing authorities to gain control of digital devices; although it was rejected, it is expected to resurface if, or when, there is another attack. Mass surveillance is often cited as being necessary to fight terrorism, to prevent social unrest and protect national security, however, it has also been criticised for violating privacy rights and limiting freedoms.