This report provides an overview of some of the legal powers that various European government agencies have in order to request the assistance of telecommunication companies with conducting real-time interception and the disclosure of data about their customers.

In the majority of cases, the telecommunication companies maintain complete control over data and provide assistance in surveillance activities only when the appropriate court order is presented to them. There are only a small number of examples in the EU where the government agency maintains complete control over surveillance activities, without informing the telecommunication companies.