Another important verdict from Germany's Constitutional Court: only weeks after nullifying North Rhine-Westphalia's 'law on protection of the constitution', today the Prime Court strongly limited the newly introduced procedures of data retention. Through provisional order they illegalize usage of collected traffic data without essential reason and without adjucation. Others may be more elaborate on the details, but I just want to say that this is another verdict to strengthen (or defend, as you prefer) civil rights against the greediness of an ever growing autocratic state. Sadly, judges didn't forbid data retention itself. It's just the data access that will be made much more difficult for prosecutors, but I don't complain. A big consequence is that it's no longer that easy for the content industry to get access to server log files without good reason: as far as I know the exchange of mp3 files isn't a terrorist threat yet. Another consequence would be that Germany's minister of justice Zypries has to resign. (Source)