News and Analysis

N&A, Long Reads, Press Release

Long Read

17 Privacy Wins From 2017!

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

Press release

Press Notice: Unprecedented Opportunity For PI To Cross Examine GCHQ In Open Court

Hearing: Cross examination of senior GCHQ official about Intelligence Agencies’ use of massive databases of information about everyone in the UK When: Monday 26 February 2018, 3.15pm Where: Royal Courts of Justice, Court 28, Strand, London WC2A 2LL Summary This is the first time GCHQ have given open

Press release

Privacy International, Open Rights Group submission to consultation on establishing a UK Privacy and Civil Liberties Board

Privacy International and Open Rights Group have submitted a response to the Consultation on establishing a UK Privacy and Civil Liberties Board.

Press release

Online surveillance becomes a priority for the Human Rights Council, as Pakistan joins the wrong side of the debate

Below is a joint statement from Privacy International and Bytes for All. This Friday, 27 September, marks the conclusion of the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council, a session which has, for the first time, seen issues of internet surveillance in the spotlight. Privacy International and Bytes

News & Analysis

EU parliamentarians propose to strip citizens of their privacy rights

Today, a coalition of civil rights groups, including Privacy International, launched a report and campaign website, nakedcitizens.eu, which calls on EU Members of Parliament (MEPs) to protect fundamental rights to privacy in a crucial vote next month. Concerned citizens and consumers are able to

News & Analysis

Our response to Australia's proposed reforms of national security legislation

Privacy International has urged the Australian Parliament to ensure that rigorous legal and judicial safeguards are at the heart of future reforms to national security legislation. In a submission to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security, Privacy International gave its full

News & Analysis

Do surveillance companies care about human rights?

On Friday, we wrote to 140 companies around the world that are known to be selling surveillance technology, to ask them a series of questions. We wanted to know whether or not companies conducted human rights due diligence when dealing with foreign companies or governments, how many of them were

News & Analysis

A guide to FISA §1881a: The law behind it all

Simply put, the National Security Agency is an intelligence agency. Its purpose is to monitor the world's communications, which it traditionally collected by using spy satellites, taps on cables, and placing listening stations around the world. In 2008, by making changes to U.S. law, the U.S

News & Analysis

French Minister states opposition to surveillance technology exports

Privacy International welcomes reports that the French Government has come out against the export of surveillance technology to oppressive regimes. According to the French website reflets.info, the State Secretary for the Digital Economy Fleur Pellerin announced her opposition to such exports last

Press release

Creativity Software declare themselves “proud” to supply surveillance technology to Iran in unrepentant response to Privacy International’s letter

Privacy International today received an email from Saul Olivares, Sales and Marketing Director of Creativity Software, in response to the letter we sent to Creativity CEO Richard Lee yesterday. Mr Olivares directed PI to an attached statement, in which Creativity stated that it was: …proud to be a

News & Analysis

Development & privacy: A winning formula

The following piece originally appeared on Linda Raftree's "Wait...What" blog, a site focusing on bridging community development and technology. New technologies hold great potential for the developing world, and countless development scholars and practitioners have sung the praises of technology in

Press release

Privacy International And The Italian Coalition For Civil Liberties And Rights Call To Amend DDL Orlando On Hacking

On 15 March 2017, the Italian Senate voted on a Bill, put forward by Justice Minister Andrea Orlando, that will reform the criminal justice system, including amending the Code of Criminal Procedure. Among the many provisions contained in DDL Orlando, currently pending approval by the Italian House

Press release

Privacy International Back In Court For A Hearing Related To The Collection Of Bulk Personal Datasets And Bulk Communications Data

The Case Privacy International v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs et al. (Bulk Personal Datasets & Bulk Communications Data challenge) Date: 5-9 June 2017 Time: from 10:00 onwards Location: Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, London WC2A 2LL United Kingdom Hearing overview

News & Analysis

Exploiting Privacy: Surveillance Companies Pushing Zero-Day Exploits

Private surveillance companies selling some of the most intrusive surveillance systems available today are in the business of purchasing security vulnerabilities of widely-used software, and bundling it together with their own intrusion products to provide their customers unprecedented access to a

News & Analysis

High stakes: UN enters late-stage negotiations for recognition of right to privacy in digital age

11 November 2014 With a draft United Nations General Assembly resolution on the right to privacy in the digital age expected to come in a mere few weeks, negotiations on this key international document have reached a critical stage. This year's resolution creates a significant opportunity to build

Long Read

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