Fact Check: Clarifying claims about Europol's operational processing environments

Recently, online reporting has alleged that Europol operated a “secret” or “shadow” database outside the requirements of EU law and data protection rules.These claims are incorrect and are based on a misunderstanding of Europol's operational setup and legal framework.The reporting refers primarily to two different technical environments:the Computer Forensic Network (CFN); and the Internet Facing Operational Environment (IFOE).These environments serve...