The disputed amendments to the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) that would have given the Interior Ministry far-reaching eavesdropping power over private communication has not really changed, at least in the opinion of one group of privacy activists.

According to the Bulgarian non-governmental organisation Electronic Frontier, the word "interface" that was used for a situation in which the ministry would have direct, real time access is no longer used, but that does not mean the ministry has given up its desire to get such access.

"They just call it differently," Delyan Delchev of Electronic Frontier said.

In the latest version of the amendments, "they dropped the word 'interface' but now want access through 'monitoring systems and other input-output computer programme-technical means' (системи за мониторинг и други входно-изходни програмно-технически средства). In the end, that is one and the same thing," Delchev was quoted by Buglarian media as saying.

The problem with the type of access that the Interior Ministry wants, Delchev said, was that the ministry could ask for court permission to access private communication data after the fact, or not at all if it so chooses.

"The stories of the ruling party that there is no reason for concern and that mobile operators already have access to this data are unacceptable," Delchev said. Currently, personal communication data could only be used after court approval and abuse of such data was punishable.

"And in the end, you can change your mobile phone operator, but you cannot do that with the Interior Ministry," Delchev said.

The NGO has announced new protests starting at 9am on February 17 2010 in front of the buildings of Parliament.

GERB MP Krassimir Tsipov was quoted by Bulgarian-language daily Sega as saying that the NGO should read the law's clauses more carefully. According to Tsipov, the Interior Ministry would have access to private communication only as a Special Investigative Means. 

Alexandar Kashumov, head of the legal team at the Access to Information Programme, was quoted by Sega as saying that the definition of the type of access to personal communication data "has changed, but it is a very technical issue and concerns the collection of data through Special Investigative Means."

Amendments to the ECA were expected to be tabled for second reading in Parliament before the end of February 2010.