Non-absolute right to the secrecy of digital messages, or the European system of reliable identification of a person

Objective: to confirm or refute the hypothesis that the requirements, introduced in Germany and Great Britain, for the mandatory use of mass interception of messages (data) by providers (telecommunication operators), combined with big data analysis technologies, constitute a new stage in the development of European predictive policing, conducted in a close to real time regime, and serve as the basis for reliable Internet users’ identification systems.

Methods: the article uses the universal dialectical method of cognition, as well as general scientific (analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, modeling, comparison) and specific scientific research methods (formal legal method).

Results: the author comes to the conclusion that the identification model being created in European countries is designed to solve the problem of false user data. In most countries, there is no requirement for Internet users to register under a valid first name, last name and patronymic, if it is provided for by national custom. Having analyzed the legislation of these countries, the author concludes that they are aimed at creating a European system that will allow identifying Internet users with high reliability, in a mode as close to real time as possible.

Scientific novelty: based on a study of the legislations of Great Britain and Germany regulating the mass interception of messages and judicial practice of their application, the article describes the emerging European system of user identification on the web, which is aimed at creating a system of legalized identification of a person on the Internet. It is proved that the right to communication secrecy is actually considered as a relative human right that can be violated to ensure the state security against existing threats.

Practical significance: the research will help scientists, practitioners and students to better understand the trends in European legislation and the risks posed by the new European system of network user identification based on the analysis of their digital footprints.

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