Internal security institutions meeting internet governance a comparative view on the uk and germany

Abstract

Because of the Internet’s ever increasing capacity to offer an infrastructure of open interaction, governmental interest in monitoring the Internet is also growing around the world. A demonstrative example might be the attempts to make any technology-based communication ‘traceable’ with the help of a European scheme of data retention (EU direction 2006/24/EC) and its national ratifications. Considering this, two assumptions arise: Firstly, governments try to achieve their logic of ‘real life’ internal security within the realm of the Internet. Secondly, the Internet has changed societies in so far as it has opened space for new relevant communities and actors, who use more and more institutionalised paths of policy shaping. This will be shown by analysing the interaction of institutions and actors involved in the process of data retention implementation in the UK and Germany. Societal and political differences will be briefly touched, as they build the framework of any political decision making process.