Blog
The latest blogs from Open Rights Group
14 Sep 2016 By Jim Killock
GCHQ should not push ISPs to interfere with DNS results
While these two goals are not automatically in conflict, they are certainly in tension, which will also raise questions of trust.
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31 Aug 2016 By Javier Ruiz
Bad news in leaked EU Copyright Directive
Several documents have been leaked from the European Commission providing a clear picture of the proposed reforms to copyright that will be presented later in the year.
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23 Aug 2016 By Javier Ruiz
Review of bulk surveillance powers gives one side of the argument
David Anderson’s Review of Bulk Powers gives broad endorsement to the contents of the Investigatory Powers Bill.
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22 Jul 2016 By Slavka Bielikova
IPBill Committee stage latest sitting
Throughout the debate, the Lib Dem Lords mounted strong opposition to the Government in all three areas being discussed.
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20 Jul 2016 By Jim Killock
Is the CJEU passing the buck on data retention?
However, who is prepared to stand up against these practices when police or others say it is necessary for their work?
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14 Jul 2016 By Pam Cowburn
Could Boris Johnson’s appointment persuade the Lords that we need judicial authorisation?
Is it penning a goat-shagging limerick about Turkey’s President Erdogan?
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14 Jul 2016 By Pam Cowburn
Could Boris Johnson’s appointment persuade the Lords that we need judicial authorisation?
Is it penning a goat-shagging limerick about Turkey’s President Erdogan?
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14 Jul 2016 By Pam Cowburn
Could Boris Johnson’s appointment persuade the Lords that we need judicial authorisation?
Is it penning a goat-shagging limerick about Turkey’s President Erdogan?
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14 Jul 2016 By Pam Cowburn
Could Boris Johnson’s appointment persuade the Lords that we need judicial authorisation?
Is it penning a goat-shagging limerick about Turkey’s President Erdogan?
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13 Jul 2016 By Javier Ruiz
Telcos threaten to pull 5G investments if EU net neutrality rules are not watered down
A public EU consultation on the future deployment of 5G mobile technology closed yesterday.
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12 Jul 2016 By Ed Johnson-Williams
Net neutrality in Europe: what are the issues?
Net neutrality is the principle that Internet Service Providers should treat all data on the Internet equally.
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08 Jul 2016 By Javier Ruiz
Overview of the Digital Economy Bill 2016
Digital Economy Bill 2016
The Digital Economy Bill 2016 was announced in the Queen’s Speech 2016, and has its first reading in the House of Commons this week.
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29 Jun 2016 By Jim Killock
How digital rights will be affected by Brexit
The short term
Nothing changes in the short term.
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28 Jun 2016 By Pam Cowburn
What does Brexit mean for the IP Bill?
One of the consistent criticisms by ORG and other civil society organisations has been that there has been insufficient scrutiny of such an important and far-reaching Bill.
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15 Jun 2016 By Ed Johnson-Williams
Tesco Mobile customers should think twice before viewing ads for a £3 a month discount
Customers have to see “at least one ad, offer or piece of content” on at least 21 days each month to get the discount.
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13 Jun 2016 By Slavka Bielikova
Investigatory Powers Bill Report stage and Third Reading
Privacy Clause
There have been repeated calls for an overarching privacy clause to be added to the Bill.
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10 Jun 2016 By Javier Ruiz
What the Commons changed in the #IPBill
The vast majority of amendments presented by opposition parties were rejected with little discussion.
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07 Jun 2016 By Jim Killock
It’s not over. We keep fighting.
But thanks to your campaigning, some MPs – particularly Joanna Cherry, David Davis, Alistair Carmichael and Stephen McPartland – did a great job in putting the Government under pressure.
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03 Jun 2016 By Jim Killock
Understanding and reviewing the bulk powers in the IP Bill
This post represents the opinions of Privacy International and the Open Rights Group.
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03 Jun 2016 By Javier Ruiz
The Request Filter will turn your personal records into a police database
The Investigatory Powers BIll (IPB) is reaching a critical junction.
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26 May 2016 By Jim Killock
Andy Burnham’s demands – can they be met?
Strong opposition is vital to ensure surveillance is conducted lawfully and proportionally.
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26 May 2016 By Jim Killock
How we make sure the bulk powers review is meaningful
As he mentions in his letter review of bulk powers is particularly important, if it is done correctly.
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18 May 2016 By Javier Ruiz
Government announces new data sharing legislation in Queen’s Speech
This is not a surprise, as the Cabinet Office has been preparing for over two years, with extensive discussions across government and with civil society groups under the Open Policy Making programme.
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06 May 2016 By Slavka Bielikova
IPBill Public Bill Committee – what happened?
Thirteenth and Fourteenth Sittings (28 April)
Transcripts of both sittings: 13th, 14th
The amendments tabled for these sessions discussed:
IP Commissioner and other Judicial Commissioners
Keir Starmer – speaking for Labour – brought to the table that the appointment of Judicial Commissioners should not follow the full Judicial Appointments Commission process.
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21 Apr 2016 By Javier Ruiz
Better Data in Government Consultation
The Cabinet Office is embarked on an attempt to redesign public administration, a new digital revolution led by a belief in the power of data to solve every problem.
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17 Mar 2016 By Jim Killock
The Investigatory Powers debate is missing one huge power: the ‘filter’, or police profiling engine
However, the really novel and threatening part of this proposal isn’t being given anywhere near the level of attention needed.
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15 Mar 2016 By Jim Killock
Phone your MP and ask them to go to the IP Bill debate
Can you call your MP’s office now to ask them to go to the debate?
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02 Mar 2016 By Jim Killock, Pam Cowburn and Javier Ruiz
The revised Investigatory Powers Bill: what has changed
There are two broad questions for Parliament.
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22 Feb 2016 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Next moves for the IPB: Split, Delay or Publish?
With criticism like that and their credibility undermined, we’re expecting Theresa May and the Home Office to do one of three things with the Bill: Split it, Delay it or Publish it.
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11 Feb 2016 By Pam Cowburn
Investigatory Powers Bill: Home Office needs to start again
The Joint Committee report’s is far from perfect – for example it accepts the Bill’s weak proposals for judicial authorisation – but its 86 recommendations cannot be addressed with anything less than a full rewrite.
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09 Feb 2016 By Ed Johnson-Williams
ISC comes down hard on Investigatory Powers Bill
The ISC is a committee of MPs and Peers who scrutinise the intelligence and security agencies.
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01 Feb 2016 By Javier Ruiz
Science and Technology Committee of Parliament slams Snoopers’ Charter
The Science and Technology Committee of Parliament has delivered a major blow to the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill (IPB) in its scrutiny report.
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28 Jan 2016 By Javier Ruiz
Data Privacy Day: the new EU Data Protection Regulation explained
The new Data Protection Regulation has taken four years to go through Brussels, in a convoluted process that has seen the original proposal from the European Commission utterly transformed through unprecedented levels of lobbying by companies and governments.
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Digital Privacy
28 Jan 2016 By Jason Kitcat
E-voting won’t solve the problem of voter apathy
As the old English proverb has it “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
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19 Jan 2016 By Pam Cowburn
Thanks to our supporters, we can make our mass surveillance film
Thanks to our supporters, we more than reached the target of our Indiegogo crowd-funder.
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Digital Privacy
19 Jan 2016 By Jim Killock
Does the government want to break encryption or not?
The government opens up by stating:
This Government recognises the importance of encryption, which helps keep people’s personal data and intellectual property safe from theft by cyber means.
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22 Dec 2015 By Pam Cowburn
How the Investigatory Powers Bill will affect Internet Service Providers
Earlier this month, President of BT Security, Mark Hughes, Director of Policy at Sky, Adam Kinsley, Director of Operations at Virgin Media, Hugh Woolford, Chair of the Internet Services Providers’ Association (ISPA), James Blessing and Managing Director of AAISP, Adrian Kennard all gave evidence to the Joint Committee scrutinising the IPB.
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18 Dec 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Ten Triumphs of 2015
We saw off a sneaky attempt to introduce Snoopers’ Charter into law.
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10 Dec 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
The Investigatory Powers Bill: PR myth list
So we’ve broken down some of the lines that you might have seen used by the Government and those who are pro surveillance:
1.
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04 Dec 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Responding to “Nothing to hide, Nothing to fear”
This powerful sentence does many things:
It encourages a complete trust in state powers – that you will never face wrongful suspicion or misuse of powers, for only the guilty are affected by mass surveillance.
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05 Nov 2015 By Pam Cowburn
First take on the Investigatory Powers Bill
Legitimising bulk interception and previously unknown access to UK communications data
The draft bill spells out the powers that the security services have to collect content and data in bulk.
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04 Nov 2015 By Ed Johnson-Williams
Investigatory Powers Bill published and now the fight is on
Open Rights Group has been calling for a new surveillance law for years.
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29 Oct 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Bring on the fight for free expression
A chance at last for a full debate about free expression in this country?
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16 Oct 2015 By Pam Cowburn
Why ORG is offering to help protect MPs’ communications
The Wilson Doctrine is named after former Prime Minister Harold Wilson who in 1966, following a spate of scandals involving the alleged telephone-bugging of MPs, told the House of Commons that MPs’ phones would not be tapped.
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16 Oct 2015 By Pam Cowburn
Why ORG is offering to help protect MPs’ communications
The Wilson Doctrine is named after former Prime Minister Harold Wilson who in 1966, following a spate of scandals involving the alleged telephone-bugging of MPs, told the House of Commons that MPs’ phones would not be tapped.
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16 Oct 2015 By Pam Cowburn
Why ORG is offering to help protect MPs’ communications
The Wilson Doctrine is named after former Prime Minister Harold Wilson who in 1966, following a spate of scandals involving the alleged telephone-bugging of MPs, told the House of Commons that MPs’ phones would not be tapped.
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16 Oct 2015 By Pam Cowburn
Why ORG is offering to help protect MPs’ communications
The Wilson Doctrine is named after former Prime Minister Harold Wilson who in 1966, following a spate of scandals involving the alleged telephone-bugging of MPs, told the House of Commons that MPs’ phones would not be tapped.
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06 Oct 2015 By Javier Ruiz
Why the CJEU ruling on #SafeHarbor is a landmark victory for privacy rights
What is Safe Harbor?
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25 Sep 2015 By Pam Cowburn
ORG launches Corporate Supporter Scheme
It has been ten years since 1,000 digital activists donated £5 a month to create Open Rights Group.
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21 Aug 2015 By Javier Ruiz
Police body worn cameras raise security and privacy concerns
Sky has reported that UK police are using body worn cameras from the company Evidence.
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05 Aug 2015 By Jim Killock and Maxine Chng
Should file sharers face ten years in gaol?
The IPO has recently started consultation on proposals to increase the maximum prison sentence for criminal online copyright infringement to 10 years, aiming to match sanctions for online copyright infringement with physical copyright infringement.
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28 Jul 2015 By Maxine Chng
Answers needed from the Copyright Police
The City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) first became operational in 2013.
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22 Jul 2015 By Maxine Chng
UK Court rules DRIPA unlawful
The successful judicial review was brought by Liberty, represented by David Davis MP and Tom Watson MP, with ORG and PI acting as intervenors.
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14 Jul 2015 By Jim Killock
RUSI review adds to consensus for reform
Their Panel included three former senior security staff, and RUSI are themselves very close to the UK’s defence and security apparatus.
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10 Jul 2015 By Jim Killock
Caspar Bowden
Among his contributions to ORG were a series of lectures he gave prior to the PRISM revelations, where he pointed out the gaping holes in US legislation that could allow bulk collection and access to US corporations’ data vaults.
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09 Jul 2015 By Maxine Chng
DRIPA challenge in court today
Last year, Tom Watson MP and David Davis MP representing Liberty, brought judicial review proceedings to challenge the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act (DRIPA).
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23 Jun 2015 By Ed Johnson-Williams
Net Neutrality in Europe in danger
Net neutrality is the principle that Internet Service Providers should treat all data on the Internet equally.
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11 Jun 2015 By Pam Cowburn
Anderson review: “It is time for a clean slate”
The UK’s Independent Review of Terrorism Legislation has said, “it is time for a clean slate” when it comes to surveillance law in the UK.
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22 May 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Imagine the web without hyperlinks
Our ability to link is under attack, and we need your help to save it!
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14 May 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
We’re 3000 strong
On Theresa May’s first day back in office she didn’t wait to re-arrange her desk plants, but instead committed to her favourite piece of legislation: The Snoopers’ Charter.
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08 May 2015 By Ed Johnson-Williams
This Government will put the Snoopers Charter and more back on the table
Against all expectations the Conservatives have won an absolute majority in the General Election.
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29 Apr 2015 By Elizabeth Knight
Does the Popcorn Time judgment put other software distribution sites at risk?
The blocking order is appended to the judgment, which improves transparency, something that ORG has been campaigning for as part of our 451 Unavailable project.
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27 Apr 2015 By Pam Cowburn
General Election 2015: What do MPs think about mass surveillance?
Post Snowden, there has been little parliamentary debate and no opportunity for MPs to vote on whether current levels of surveillance are acceptable in a democracy.
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17 Apr 2015 By Ed Johnson-Williams
Surveillance in the General Election Manifestos
We’ve picked out the most relevant parts from their manifestos on surveillance.
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07 Apr 2015 By Elizabeth Knight
Status of data retention in the EU following the CJEU ruling – update April 2015
We prepared the chart using information provided by member organisations of EDRi (European Digital Rights).
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19 Mar 2015 By Lydia Snodin
Digital Rights Are For Everyone, Including Young People.
When I was 17 I skipped an afternoon of sixth form to join the Open Rights Group outside parliament to protest the Digital Economy Bill.
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19 Mar 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Why do digital rights matter?
This isn’t just a question for our members, so I asked the staff in our office what motivates them and their campaigning for digital rights:
“I love the Internet.
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19 Mar 2015 By Jim Killock
Why are digital rights important?
Digital rights are your human rights in the digital age.
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19 Mar 2015 By Cory Doctorow
Every issue is a digital issue
A message from ORG Advisory Council and founding member Cory Doctorow on why digital rights matter.
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16 Mar 2015 By Jim Killock
GCHQ’s hacking technologies go unregulated and unsupervised
This is detailed in last week’s Privacy and Security report from the Intelligence and Security Committee in paragraphs 179–183.
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12 Mar 2015 By Ed Johnson-Williams
What the ISC missed – ORG’s quick take on the ISC report
The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) today released the results of their inquiry into GCHQ’s surveillance.
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10 Mar 2015 By Ed Johnson-Williams
MPs criticise TTIP on corporate courts and lack of transparency
A committee of MPs released a report today on TTIP (the Trans-Atlantic Trade & Investment Partnership) – the trade agreement being negotiated in secret by the EU and the USA.
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05 Mar 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Digital Rights Matter Day: Coming soon
Help us hit 3000 supporters!
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Digital Privacy
26 Feb 2015 By Jim Killock
GCHQ is damaging businesses and the digital economy – we need your help
But it is the Internet economy that is at risk, just as much as our civil liberties.
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25 Feb 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
CITIZENFOUR: Best documentary of 2014 on tonight
In response to Edward Snowden’s revelations that GCHQ and the NSA were invading the privacy of ordinary citizens through programmes unknown to the public, and to the politicians, ORG joined with Article 19, Big Brother Watch, English PEN, Liberty, and Privacy International to form the Don’t Spy on Us coalition.
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25 Feb 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Election funding update: half way there!
We launched our campaign to fund our election work on the 10th January with the goal of 300 new supporters
We’re excited to announce we are now 50% of the way towards our goal!
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09 Feb 2015 By Javier Ruiz
Hate speech social media bans may not be the answer
The All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism has recently published a major report raising concerns on the rise of attacks on Jewish people in the UK.
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05 Feb 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
The real impact of surveillance
The Government are finally having conversations about surveillance, but unfortunately they are simply framing it as an Us vs Them story, a choice between security and privacy.
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29 Jan 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Help fundraise for us
Events this week showed just why we need our members: four House of Lords peers attempted to sneak the Snooper’s Charter into law.
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27 Jan 2015 By Jim Killock
Lords should drop the Snooper’s Charter and let the parties set out their views at the election
Many Lords argued that Parliament should be given the chance to vote on the legislation, decrying the years of delay – read repeated defeats – in bringing this Bill into law.
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Digital Privacy
20 Jan 2015 By Richard King
Default censorship is wrong and unfair to Sky’s customers
Sky Broadband have announced they will force web-filters on all customers, starting this week, unless the account-holder opts out.
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15 Jan 2015 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
Join today and vote for digital rights
We don’t protect our civil liberties by attacking them.
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Digital Privacy
13 Jan 2015 By Jim Killock
What does David Cameron want?
On Monday, David Cameron declared war on encryption as the latest knee-jerk reaction to the atrocities committed in Paris against Charlie Hebdo journalists.
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13 Jan 2015 By Pam Cowburn
Letters from ORG’s Advisory Council members: Mass surveillance is not needed
Paul Bernal, lecturer at UEA Law School:
It is not just libertarians who are dismayed by the growing calls for the return of the Snooper’s Charter in response to events in Paris, but anyone who has studied the reality of recent terrorist atrocities and the role of intelligence and surveillance.
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09 Jan 2015 By Pam Cowburn
The response to the Charlie Hebdo murders is not more untargeted surveillance
We know that the Hebdo offices were already a target, having been firebombed in 2011, over the publication of a caricature of the prophet Mohammed.
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19 Dec 2014 By Elizabeth Knight
ORG signs amicus brief in Microsoft case
In the case, US law enforcement agencies are seeking to access data in an email account held on a server in Ireland.
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18 Dec 2014 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
10 Brilliant Moments
This year we saw thousands of people take part in our campaigns to defend our rights online.
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08 Dec 2014 By Lydia Snodin
ORGCon Day 2 – Learning How To Campaign
The second day of our annual conference was a series of interactive training sessions to share information on how to campaign, plus an all-day hack space.
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05 Dec 2014 By Elizabeth Knight
Court ruling paves the way for European Court of Human Rights to consider ‘Privacy not PRISM’ case
The decision should enable the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to proceed with hearing the “Privacy not PRISM” case brought by ORG and others.
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05 Dec 2014 By Elizabeth Knight
Court ruling paves the way for European Court of Human Rights to consider ‘Privacy not PRISM’ case
The decision should enable the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to proceed with hearing the “Privacy not PRISM” case brought by ORG and others.
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05 Dec 2014 By Elizabeth Knight
Court ruling paves the way for European Court of Human Rights to consider ‘Privacy not PRISM’ case
The decision should enable the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to proceed with hearing the “Privacy not PRISM” case brought by ORG and others.
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05 Dec 2014 By Elizabeth Knight
Court ruling paves the way for European Court of Human Rights to consider ‘Privacy not PRISM’ case
The decision should enable the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to proceed with hearing the “Privacy not PRISM” case brought by ORG and others.
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05 Dec 2014 By Jim Killock
Website blocking orders made more transparent
So far, BT, Sky and Virgin are providing more information about the blocks, stating that:
you have the right to apply to the High Court to vary or discharge the Orders below if you are affected by the blocks which have been imposed.
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02 Dec 2014 By Ruth Coustick-Deal
ORGCon2014: In review
Thank you so much for coming to ORGCon2014, we hope you had a brilliant time, and enjoyed learning and meeting with the digital rights community.
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26 Nov 2014 By Elizabeth Knight
Lee Rigby murder should not be used as excuse for an increase in state power
The report showed that Rigby’s killers Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale had appeared in seven different investigations by the security services and there were “errors in these operations, where processes were not followed, decisions not recorded, or delays encountered”.
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24 Nov 2014 By Jim Killock
Blanket data retention does not come in ‘good’ and ‘bad’ forms
These principles include that data retention should be targeted against a specific threat, confined by criteria such as a specific time or place.
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12 Nov 2014 By Florri Burton
3 days to go till ORGCon2014
We are all busy getting ready for ORGCon2014 this weekend.
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