Despite internal political divisions and broad condemnation, yesterday’s ‘victory’ came after several Conservative Party (H) members had already warned they would vote against, ignoring last month’s accord reached with Labour (Ap).

Conservative Speaker Ingjerd Schou (H) opened the Parliamentary session, stressing that the directive,strengthens privacy and facilitates fighting serious, cross-border crime.

Internet and telecommunication traffic will be stored for six months, regardless of the access platform, after which it will be deleted with no copies being made.

89 were for and 80 against the vote and not greeted well by Opposition MPs, with three Conservatives opposing the Party line.

“One should not prepare a prosecution without firm suspicion,” Conservative Party politician Michael Tetzschner told newspaper Fædrelandsvennen.

His colleagues Torbjørn Røe Isaksen and Nicolai Astrup followed suit.

Liberal Party (V) leader Trine Skei Grande told NTB immediately following the ballot she found it “really regrettable. I do not think those who voted for the directive understand the consequences of the decision. Future generations will condemn us for what has been decided tonight.”

The Norwegian Data Inspectorate says it opposes the directive on grounds of privacy, writing on its website, “We remind you that crime fighting is not a privacy measure, rather an interest that must be weighed against the consequences of privacy,” they wrote on the institution’s website.

Nevertheless, the majority of the Conservatives that supported the law were satisfied with the outcome.

“We have won many important privacy policy victories via this agreement with an accommodating Labour Party,” Erna Solberg, leader of the Conservatives, told TV2.

The Data Retention Directive will be introduced in Norwegian law and the EEA agreement.

Read reactions by the Centre Party (Sp).

---