The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that “general and indiscriminate” data retention is against EU law.
Despite the wish to leave the EU, it has shown how useful it is to have a powerful, independent judiciary that can hold the executive to account when it over-reaches its’ authority.
Read more at https://www.digitalbydefaultnews.co.uk/2016/12/21/eu-rules-against-uk-data-retention-law/
Read the judgement here: https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2016-12/cp160145en.pdf (full case-law at https://curia.europa.eu/juris/documents.jsf?num=C-203/15# )