Data Exploitation

Learn

Explainer

How to minimise targeted ads on social media: Uber

Explainer

Big Data

New technologies and electoral processes: online campaigning in social media platforms

19m53s

The incorporation of new technologies to electoral processes is a phenomenon with a global and exponential growth. Despite its benefits, online campaigning is not without challenges, and can pose threats to transparency and equity in electoral competition. Given the role of elections as

Campaigns

Advertisers on Facebook: who the heck are you and how did you get my data?

Investigating brands using Facebook for advertising, exposing how difficult it is to understand how our data's used and demanding Facebook make it easier to exercise our rights

Report and Analysis

Key Resources

A black female content creator at her desk in front of a camera with an ominous black box with data points and an eye on one face looking at her behind her shoulder

Content Creators Working for the Algorithm

Creators who produce content for big online platforms, from video game livestreamers on Twitch to adult content producers on platforms like OnlyFans, often find themselves forced to share a lot of data, putting their privacy and security at risk while being given limited information as to how this data is being used.

Long Read

Creating content in the gig economy: a risky business

The rise of the gig-economy, a way of working relying on short term contracts and temporary jobs rather than on an employed workforce, has enabled the growth of a number of companies over the last few years. But without the rights that comes with full employment, gig economy workers today don't have access to essential protections.

Long Read

The World Bank & social protection during crises: a privacy trade-off?

Privacy International ("PI") researched a number of social safety-net projects financed by the World Bank during the COVID-19 pandemic. To inform the World Bank's future implementation of these kinds of projects, this article reflects on how certain aspects of social protection projects can inadvertently lead to excessive surveillance of marginalised communities, impact equal access to urgent social protection disbursements, and interfere with people's dignity and right to privacy.

News

6th December 2021

The ICO’s announcement about Clearview AI is a lot more than just a £17 million fine

23rd September 2021

To Reduce Facebook’s Harms to Teens, Target its Data-Hungry Business Model

16th November 2020

Can we get our internet back now please?

27th October 2020

UK data regulator takes enforcement action to rein in data brokers' use of people's personal data

28th September 2020

International Safe Abortion Day: no safety without privacy

26th August 2020

UN experts report highlights role of private military and security companies in immigration management

Examples of Abuse

Want to know how this translate in the real world? Here is the latest example in the news.

"The Unsuspected Power of Big Data"

Article extract- translated from the original French. "A political big data company with close ties to the federal liberals and which worked on Emmanuel Macron's campaign in France is setting up its head office in Old Montreal to continue its growth and take advantage of Montreal's digital vitality

See more examples of abuse

Our Advocacy

Privacy International's proposed amendments to the EU Directive on Working Conditions and Platform Work

Summary

PI submitted amendments to the EU's Directive on Working Conditions and Platform Work to raise concerns about the threats workers face when they are subjected to automated decision-making systems. This is part of our work defending workers' rights to access information as well appropriate mechanisms to defend their interests, and, more broadly our efforts to ensure that automated decision-making systems are subjected to effective and robust scrutiny.