The highest court in Germany is to hold a hearing next Tuesday (22/12/09) to decide whether or not authorities should be allowed to require telecoms companies to store internet and phone data. Currently, the law allows this data storage and telecoms companies have to store the data for six months if there is a chance of it helping with police investigations. 34,000 citizens including the current Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger disagree with this law and have filed a lawsuit to that effect. On one side of the argument, citizens believe that the law violates a basic human right – that of privacy. On the other side, the authorities argue that lives could be saved and crimes prevented as was the case with the Sauerland terror group. Both valid points.