In this article we provide background on the initial challenge of the Huduma Namba and subsequent developments which led to an important ruling of the High Court of Kenya on the retrospective effect of the Data Protection Act as we reflect on its wider implications for the governance and regulation of digital ID systems.
Privacy International joined organizations and academics working around the world to urge member states in the Ad Hoc Committee responsible for drafting a potential United Nations Cybercrime Treaty to ensure human rights protections are reflected in the any future treaty. The first session of the Ad Hoc Committee will begin on January 17th.
The proposed treaty will likely deal with cybercrime, international cooperation, and access to potential digital evidence by law enforcement authorities, as well as human rights and procedural safeguards.
Short Message Services (SMS) are being used in MHealth initiatives which aim to deliver crucial information to expecting and new mothers. But there are concerns that there is limited transparency about numerous aspects of SMS health services, and how the data is being processed, by whom and in accordance to what safeguards.
Following recent moves to use export controls to reign in surveillance companies, members of Congress are demanding that the U.S. government now also impose sanctions. PI answers to some questions and looks at the potential impact.
In this piece we outline the main discussions and measures we need to see being systematically adopted to inform decision-making about digital solutions in the health sector, and provide examples of where these were not integrated in decision-making processes and with what consequences.
Governments have been digitising their health systems and, more broadly, healthcare. We provide an overview of what digital health initiatives have been rolled out, for what purpose, where and by who, as well as some of the concerns they raise for the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms.
Privacy International and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association respond to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's consultation on its draft privacy guidance on facial recognition for police agencies
Out-of-date devices can become privacy and security liabilities, as well as tools of exclusion. To accompany the soaring demand for a right to repair, we are demanding for device sustainability through long-term software support and more transparency from manufacturers.
Mexico's proposed new CUID biometric ID card, funded by the a $225 million loan from the World Bank, has been criticised by civil society organisations.
Over the last 20 years, vast data-intensive systems were deployed in Afghanistan by national and foreign actors. As we highlight some of these systems we present our concerns as to what will happen to them.
We analysed the WHO's guidance on "Digital Documentation of COVID-19 Certificates: Vaccination Status" (DDCC:VS). Here is our take on it and what we will keep an eye out for as countries deploy their own digital Covid-19 vaccination certificates.
The controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill (‘Policing Bill’) includes provisions for ‘extraction of information from electronic devices’ by immigration officers. The provisions to seize and extract rely solely on ‘voluntary provision’ of devices and ‘agreement’ to extract data.
We are concerned immigration officers not only lack requisite skills, the power imbalance between state and migrant calls into question whether provision of a device can ever be truly voluntary.
This proposal comes at a time when there is a total lack of transparency around Home Office use of mobile phone extraction.
The controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill includes provisions for 'extraction of information from electronic devices'. It relies solely on voluntary provision and agreement. We analyse the power imbalance between the State and individual - which calls into question 'voluntary provision' and 'agreement' as a basis for seizure of a device and extraction of data.
Privacy InternationaI, Liberty, Defend Digital Me, Open Rights Group and Big Brother Watch submitted a response to the College of Policing's public consultation on the Police use of live facial recognition technology.
In the response, we make it clear that all the aforementioned organisations believe that LFRT poses significant and unmitigable risks to our society.
In this briefing, PI together with Amnesty International and SOMO seek to aid civil society efforts toward greater oversight, accountability and remedy of corporate structures that have been reported to contribute to government surveillance of individuals, including human rights defenders.
