Building the Global Privacy Movement

Reports and Analysis

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Coalition Perception Survey- English_Cover

Defenders Coalition: Impact of Communication Surveillance on HRDs in Kenya

The Defenders Coalition has undertaken a survey of HRDs across Kenya to understand their level of exposure and their perception of communication surveillance.

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Timeline of SIM Card Registration Laws

IMAGE SOURCE: "My Phone Bought This" by oliver t is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. LAST UPDATE: 16th May 2022. Mandatory SIM card registration laws require people to provide personal information, including a valid ID or even their biometrics, as a condition for purchasing or activating a SIM card

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Report: From Oppression to Liberation: Reclaiming the Right to Privacy

Whose privacy are we fighting for when we say we defend the right to privacy? In this report we take a hard look at the right to privacy and its reality for women, trans and gender diverse people. We highlight how historically privacy has been appropriated by patriarchal rule and systems of

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online gender based violence a privacy issue

#IWD2019 Online gender-based violence: a privacy matter?

For International Women’s Day 2019, Privacy International looks at some of the key themes around the intersection of gender rights and the right to privacy and we review the work we and our partners have done on those topics. When dealing with cases of non-consensual sharing of intimate images

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We Need to Fix the ‘Data Wild West’

During the last World Economic Forum in Davos, the CEO of Microsoft joined the chorus of voices calling for new global privacy rules, saying the following in regard to the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): “My own point of view is that it's a fantastic start in treating privacy

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Wrapping Up Data Privacy Week 2019

Over the past year, the Privacy International Network has uncovered, campaigned, and advocated on how trends in surveillance and data exploitation are increasingly affecting our right to privacy. To celebrate Data Privacy Day on 28 January, we shared a full week of stories and research, exploring

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Data Privacy Week: For Better or Worse, Privacy is High on the Global Agenda

The Privacy International Network is celebrating Data Privacy Week, where we’ll be talking about how trends in surveillance and data exploitation are increasingly affecting our right to privacy. Join the conversation on Twitter using #dataprivacyweek. Since 2014, the Privacy International Network

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Data Privacy Week: Working Towards Change

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Data Privacy Week: Privacy in Public Spaces

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Data Privacy Week: Confronting the Corporate Gaze

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Data Privacy Week: Exposing Harms, Fighting Back

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Exclusion and identity: life without ID

Photo credit: Francisco Javier Argel Questions of identification and ID, with their associated privacy risks, are only increasing. There are multiple dimensions to understanding the impact of ID and identification; a key one is to understand how it can exclude. This is why Privacy International is

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The Humanitarian Metadata Problem - Doing No Harm in the Digital Era

New technologies continue to present great risks and opportunities for humanitarian action. To ensure that their use does not result in any harm, humanitarian organisations must develop and implement appropriate data protection standards, including robust risk assessments. However, this requires a

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Perception Survey on Communication Surveillance and Privacy of Human Rights Defenders in Kenya

In December 2018, the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders-Kenya published a report analysing the needs and concerns of human rights defenders (HRD) in relation to privacy, data protection and communications surveillance. A summary of their findings is below. Access the full report on their

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Fintech’s dirty little secret? Lenddo, Facebook and the challenge of identity

Photo Credit: Max Pixel The fintech sector, with its data-intensive approach to financial services, faces a looming problem. Scandals such as Cambridge Analytica have brought public awareness about abuses involving the use of personal data from Facebook and other sources. Many of these are the same

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Cyber Security Awareness Month: Privacy and Security Must Go Together

Since 2004, October has been designated National Cyber Security Awareness Month in the United States. Many other countries have followed suit, as part of the effort to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity, and how we can all work together to improve it. However, cyber security (or

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Initial analysis of Indian Supreme Court decision on Aadhaar

Image attribution: By Legaleagle86 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. In a long-anticipated judgment, the Indian Supreme Court has ruled that India's controversial identification system Aadhaar is Constitutional. They based their conclusion on notes that there are sufficient measures in place to protect

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"Management takes no responsibility for your personal belonging"

Identity, discrimination, and the challenge of ID

Who are you? The Challenges of Identity and Identification “Identity” is a word that covers an incredible range of contested, deeply personal and highly politicised questions. These range from the political and the sociological, through to the psychological and philosophical. A question such as “who

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Having civil society at the table comes with great benefits: more inclusive, open and richer legislative processes

National and International civil society organisations (CSOs) play vital roles in many aspects of our societies as watchdogs of state powers, as representatives of the voices of the people, as experts to inform and educate an array of stakeholders. One of our key lessons learned from three decades

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Part 6 - Obligations of Data Controllers and Processors

This part of “The Keys to Data Protection” presents the responsibilities, obligations, and liability of those who process personal data, to ensure data controllers and processors are held accountable under the law.

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Parte 6 - Obligaciones de Los Responsables y Los Encargados del Tratamiento de Datos

Esta parte de "Las Claves para Mejorar la Protección de Datos" presenta las responsabilidades, obligaciones y responsabilidades de quienes procesan datos personales, para garantizar que sean responsables ante la ley.

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Parte 5 - Fundamentos Para el Tratamiento de Datos Personales

Esta parte de "Las Claves para Mejorar la Protección de Datos" describe y explica la base legal permitida para el procesamiento de datos personales, que debe estar limitada y claramente articulada en la ley.

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Part 5 - Grounds for Processing of Personal Data

This part of “The Keys to Data Protection” outlines and explains the legal basis permitted for the processing of personal data, which should be limited and clearly articulated in law.

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Part 7 - Independent Supervisory Authority

This part of “The Keys to Data Protection” outlines the models and structures as well as powers and functions of an independent supervisory authority, which plays an essential role as an independent oversight and enforcement mechanism of data protection law.

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Parte 7 - Autoridad Control Independiente

Esta parte de "Las Claves para Mejorar la Protección de Datos" describe los modelos y estructuras, así como los poderes y funciones de una autoridad de supervisión independiente.

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Part 1 - Data Protection Explained

This part of “The Keys to Data Protection” explains what data protection is, why it is needed, and how to works. It also outlines why it is essential for the exercise of the right to privacy. This part also provides a brief outline of data protection in practice.

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Parte 1 - Protección de Datos

Esta parte de "Las Claves para Mejorar la Protección de Datos" explica qué es la protección de datos, por qué se necesita y cómo trabajar estos temas. También describe por qué la protección de datos es esencial para el ejercicio del derecho a la privacidad.

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Part 3 - Data Protection Principles

This part of “The Keys to Data Protection” presents and explains seven key data protection principles, derived from regional and international frameworks, covering elements such as minimisation, storage limitation, and accountability.

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Part 2 - General Provisions, Definitions and Scope

This part of “The Keys to Data Protection” presents what should be provided for in the general provisions of a data protection law including the object and purpose of the law and definitions.

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Parte 2 - Disposiciones Generales, Definiciones y Alcance

Esta parte de "Las Claves para Mejorar la Protección de Datos" presenta disposiciones generales para una ley de protección de datos, que incluyen el objeto y el propósito de la ley y las definiciones básicas que debe contener.

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Part 4 - Rights of Data Subjects

This part of “The Keys to Data Protection” presents eight key rights for individuals (also known as ‘data subjects’) that should be followed and enforced by those who process personal data, including the right to access, the right to object, and the right to an effective remedy.

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Parte 4 - Derechos de Los Interesados

Esta parte de "Las Claves para Mejorar la Protección de Datos" presenta los derechos clave para los titulares de protección de datos personales, que deben ser respetados y aplicados por quienes procesan efectúan tratamiento de datos.

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Parte 3 - Principios de Protección de Datos

Esta parte de "Las Claves para Mejorar la Protección de Datos" presenta y explica siete principios clave para la protección de datos personales, derivados de marcos regionales e internacionales en la materia.

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The Sustainable Development Goals, Identity, and Privacy: Does their implementation risk human rights?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the United Nations-led initiative to define the development agenda. Building on the eight Millennium Development Goals, the SDG’s 17 goals – and the 169 targets – serve as an opportunity to tackle many of the most pressing issues in the world today. The

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From smart cities to safe cities: normalising the police state?

The idea of a “smart city” is primarily a marketing concept, used to sell data-intensive technologies under the pretext of improving the functioning of cities. This could include injecting ‘smart’ tech into delivering services, public safety, environmental monitoring, traffic control, among other

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Investigating Privacy Implications Of Biometric Voter Registration In Kenya’s 2017 Election Process

The use of biometric technology in political processes, i.e. the use of peoples’ physical and behavioural characteristics to authenticate claimed identity, has swept across the African region, with 75% of African countries adopting one form or other of biometric technology in their electoral

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Derechos Humanos y Seguridad Digital: Una Pareja Perfecta

La seguridad digital es una discusión crítica y hay que reconocer que la sociedad civil y los grupos de interés público no han sido suficientemente considerados. Como respuesta, varias organizaciones de la sociedad civil de América Latina se unieron para presentar informes que recuerdan a las

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Further questions on Cambridge Analytica's involvement in the 2017 Kenyan Elections and Privacy International's investigations

In December 2017, Privacy International published an investigation into the use of data and microtargeting during the 2017 Kenyan elections. Cambridge Analytica was one of the companies that featured as part of our investigation. Due to the recent reporting on Cambridge Analytica and Facebook, we

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International Women's Day 2018 - A Day in the Life of Women, As Told by Their Data

To mark International Women’s Day 2018, Privacy International and some of our partner organisations - Datos Protegidos , Derechos Digitales , the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders-Kenya , the Karisma Foundation , and the Foundation for Media Alternatives – are telling the stories of

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17 Privacy Wins From 2017!

To celebrate the hard work of privacy advocates around the world, we highlight 17 #PrivacyWins from 2017!

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Wrapping Up Data Privacy Week

To celebrate International Data Privacy Day (28 January), PI and its International Network have shared a full week of stories and research, exploring how countries are addressing data governance in light of innovations in technology and policy, and implications for the security and privacy of

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Surveillance And The City: Turning Urban Centres Into A Panopticon

To celebrate Data Privacy Week, we spent the week discussing privacy and issues related to control, data protection, surveillance, and identity. Join the conversation on Twitter using #dataprivacyweek. Do you live in a “smart city”? Chances are, you probably do (or at least your city claims to be)

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Identity Policies: The Clash Between Democracy and Biometrics

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Data and Control: Protecting Rights, Protecting People

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Watching The Watchers: Accessing and Challenging Control Over Our Data

Privacy International is celebrating Data Privacy Week, where we’ll be talking about privacy and issues related to control, data protection, surveillance and identity. Join the conversation on Twitter using #dataprivacyweek. Exercising the right to privacy extends to the ability of accessing and

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Invisible Manipulation: 10 ways our data is being used against us

The era where we were in control of the data on our own computers has been replaced with devices containing sensors we cannot control, storing data we cannot access, in operating systems we cannot monitor, in environments where our rights are rendered meaningless. Soon the default will shift from us

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Texas Media Company Hired By Trump Created Kenyan President's Viral 'Anonymous' Attack Campaign Against Rival, New Investigation Reveals

The battle for Kenyan voters’ allegiance in the 2017 Presidential election was fought on social media and the blogosphere. Paid advertisements for two mysterious, anonymous sites in particular started to dominate Google searches for dozens of election-related terms in the months leading up to the

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Fintech: Privacy and Identity In the New Data-Intensive Financial Sector

Financial services are changing, with technology being a key driver. It is affecting the nature of financial services, from credit and lending through to insurance, and even the future of money itself. The field of fintech is where the attention and investment is flowing. Within it, new sources of

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Smart Cities: Utopian Vision, Dystopian Reality

The smart city market is booming. National and local governments all over the world expect their cities to become more efficient, more sustainable, cleaner and safer by integrating technology, increasing data generation and centralising data to provide better services. From large multinationals to

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Why we are so concerned about Government Hacking for Surveillance

Government hacking is unlike any other form of existing surveillance technique. Hacking is an attempt to understand a system better than it understands itself, and then nudging it to do what the hacker wants. Fundamentally speaking, hacking is therefore about causing technologies to act in a manner

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Cyber Security In The Global South: Giving The Tin Man A Heart

In this paper, Privacy International explores* what it means to be secure, and how governments and companies enact policies and laws that undermine security globally. Good cyber security policies and practices put people and their rights at the centre. By prioritising the individual and protecting

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The Right to Privacy in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan: UPR 28th Session

This stakeholder report is a submission by Privacy International (PI). PI is a human rights organisation that works to advance and promote the right to privacy and ght surveillance around the world. Privacy International wishes to bring concerns about the protection and promotion of the right to

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Track, Capture, Kill: Inside Communications Surveillance and Counterterrorism In Kenya

This investigation focuses on the techniques, tools and culture of Kenyan police and intelligence agencies’ communications surveillance practices. It focuses primarily on the use of surveillance for counterterrorism operations. It contrasts the fiction and reality of how communications content and

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A Brief Guide: How To Talk About Privacy At the UN

This briefing highlights opportunities for NGOs to raise issues related to the right to privacy before some selected UN human rights bodies that have the mandate and the capacity to monitor and provide recommendations and redress. The briefing provides some examples based on Privacy International’s

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International Women's Day 2017: A PI Network Highlight Reel

In this special briefing for International Women’s Day 2017, we explore through the work of the Privacy International Network some areas of concern being addressed in relation to privacy, surveillance, women’s rights, and gender. Coding Rights demonstrates the important of generating and

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Who's That Knocking At My Door? Understanding Surveillance In Thailand

This investigation looks at how surveillance is being conducted in Thailand. The first part of the investigation focuses on the ties between telecommunication companies and the state, and the second part of the investigation focuses on attacks conducted in order to attempt to circumvent encryption.

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The legacy of demonetisation: how India’s cashless future threatens to erode citizens' privacy

The move to digital payments, without an adequate legal framework, is a double-blow to privacy. India is proving to be the case study of how not to do the move to the cashless society. We are seeing in India the deeper drives to digital: linking financial transactions to identity. On the 8th

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Friends, Followers, Police Officers, and Enemies: Social Surveillance in Thailand

This report examines the emergence of social media based surveillance in Thailand, carried out potentially by people’s own networks of friends and family. It looks at the severe impact this has on personal privacy and points to potential solutions. In May 2014, Thailand experienced a military coup –

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Discussion About Cyber Security In Colombia

Written by: Maria del Pilar Saenz With a raft of recent scandals involving proven and possible abuses of surveillance systems by state institutions, there is a clear need to generate policy and practice in Colombia that promotes respect for human rights. It is necessary to keep this in mind as an

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State of Surveillance in India

Written by: Centre for Internet and Society This guest piece was written by representatives of the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS). It does not necessarily reflect the views or position of Privacy International. Introduction As part of the State of the Surveillance project, CIS conducted a

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State of Surveillance in the Philippines

This guest piece was written by Jessamine Pacis of the Foundation for Media Alternatives. It does not necessarily reflect the views or position of Privacy International. Introduction With a history immersed in years of colonialism and tainted by martial law, Philippine society is no stranger to

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International Women's Day 2016: Initiative of the Privacy International Network

The right to privacy is a qualified right. Gender is not and cannot be its qualification. For this year’s International Women’s Day, the Privacy International Network is sharing some of its successes as well as the challenges and opportunities we face in at the intersection of gender issues and the

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Tracking the global state of surveillance

Today, Privacy International is publishing the result of a global effort to benchmark surveillance policies and practices in the countries that are part of the Privacy International Network. We’re calling it the ‘State of Surveillance’. We designed a survey of questions based on some key issues

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The President's Men? Inside The Technical Research Department, The Secret Player In Egypt's Intelligence Infrastructure

Privacy International's new investigation (available in English and in Arabic), 'THE PRESIDENT'S MEN? Inside the Technical Research Department', sheds light on the Technical Research Department, a secret unit of the Egyptian intelligence infrastructure that has purchased surveillance equipment from

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The President's Men? Inside The Technical Research Department, The Secret Player In Egypt's Intelligence Infrastructure

It was summer 2014 when we first came across the acronym TRD while sifting through documents from the company Nokia Siemens Networks (Nokia) that had been leaked to Privacy International. The acronym was explained in the documents: it stood for Technical Research Department. What we learned from the

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Compliant or complicit? Thai Government made American industry complicit in speech prosecution

Written by Eva Blum-Dumontet A recent case of lèse-majesté in Thailand (speaking ill of the monarchy) is a worrying example of how Western companies do not just work with governments that fall short of international human rights standards, but can actually facilitate abuses of human rights. Our

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For God and My President: State Surveillance In Uganda

Privacy International's new report, For God and My President: State Surveillance in Uganda, exposes the secret surveillance operation and the government's attempts to buy further powerful surveillance tools, including a national communications monitoring centre and intrusion malware, in the absence

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Shadow State: Surveillance, Law And Order In Colombia

For nearly two decades, the Colombian government has been expanding its capacity to spy on the private communications of its citizens. Privacy International's investigation reveals the state of Colombia's overlapping, unchecked systems of surveillance, including mass surveillance, that are

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Tipping the scales: Security and Surveillance in Pakistan

The Pakistani government has significantly expanded its communication interception activities. This Privacy International report covers the intelligence services plan to capture all IP-traffic in Pakistan and other initiatives, pointing to gaps in the laws governing surveillance.

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Who's Watching The Watchers

In societies that are in the process of transition towards democracy, democratic control of intelligence organisations is both an indispensable requirement and a pressing need. In many cases, the most serious human rights violations committed by dictatorial governments were intrinsically linked to

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Aiding Surveillance

Information technology transfer is increasingly a crucial element of development and humanitarian aid initiatives: social protection programmes are incorporating digitised Management Information Systems and electronic transfers, registration and electoral systems are deploying biometric technologies

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Biometrics: Friend or foe of privacy?

Biometrics are particularly problematic due to the absence of legal protections in most countries across the world.

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A New Dawn: Privacy in Asia

Privacy has truly become an issue of global resonance. A quick glance at policy agendas in countries around the world shows that privacy and surveillance issues are increasingly important. The challenge, however, is improving the ability of governments and policy stakeholders to engage in a policy