News and Analysis

N&A, Long Reads, Press Release

Long Read

How Bulk Interception Works

This week, Privacy International, together with nine other international human rights NGOs, filed submissions with the European Court of Human Rights. Our case challenges the UK government’s bulk interception of internet traffic transiting fiber optic cables landing in the UK and its access to

Press release

Privacy International’s initial reaction to EU export control proposal

PI Research Officer Edin Omanovic said: “The European Commission has proposed sweeping updates [PDF] to trade regulations in an effort to modernise the EU’s export control system and to ensure that the trade in surveillance technology does not facilitate human rights abuses or internal repression

Press release

Privacy International and nine other human rights organizations pursue landmark case at European Court of Human Rights directly challenging UK and US mass surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden

Key points Privacy International, Liberty, Amnesty International, and seven other human rights organizations challenge UK mass surveillance and UK access to US mass surveillance at the European Court of Human Rights This is the first case before the European Court of Human Rights to directly

Long Read

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 –

Press release

David Anderson A Question of Trust report cover

David Anderson QC’s new report is an incomplete analysis of the case for mass surveillance powers

Caroline Wilson Palow, General Counsel, Privacy International said: “David Anderson QC’s report raises more questions than it answers. Anderson has not assessed the proportionality of the bulk powers he reviewed. Ultimately, the proportionality question is the crucial one. Would the public find

Press release

Press Release: Privacy International And Five Internet And Communications Providers Challenge British Government's Bulk Hacking Abroad Before The European Court Of Human Rights

Today, Privacy International, together with five internet and communications providers from around the world, have lodged an application before the European Court of Human Rights to challenge the British Government's use of bulk hacking abroad. Until we brought our original case at the Investigatory

Long Read

Monitoring the Surveillance Industry: Using data to protect privacy

Often when asked to discuss open data and privacy the objective is to successfully navigate the tension between the fundamental right to privacy, and the virtues of open data. And there is a tension. It is rare to see increased collection of data alongside greater privacy protections. The recently

Press release

Press Release: New Initiative From Privacy International Tracks The Global Surveillance Industry

New report entitled Global Surveillance Industry maps out growth and scale of global surveillance industry Privacy International, in collaboration with Transparency Toolkit, launches searchable database featuring over 1500 brochures and data on over 520 surveillance companies as well as over 600

News & Analysis

Privacy International launches the Surveillance Industry Index & New Accompanying Report

Privacy International Launches The Surveillance Industry Index And New Accompanying Report

Privacy International is today proud to release the Surveillance Industry Index (SII), the world's largest publicly available educational resource of data and documents of its kind on the surveillance industry, and an accompanying report charting the growth of the industry and its current reach. The

News & Analysis

Protecting Innovations and Protecting Data: Can we have surveillance and innovation?

Privacy can be seen as a reflex of innovation. One of the seminal pieces on the right to privacy as the 'right to be let alone emerged in response to the camera and its use by the tabloid media. Seminal jurisprudence is in response to new surveillance innovations... though often with significant

Long Read

Obfuscation And Work Arounds: How The Intelligence Agencies Have Been Obtaining Communications Data

Privacy International’s case on Bulk Personal Datasets and Bulk Communications Data comes to a head with a four-day hearing in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal which commenced on 26 July 2016. The litigation has brought to light significant revelations about the use of section 94 of the 1984

Press release

Privacy International's Initial Thoughts On The Advocate General's Opinion On Data Retention

Privacy International General Counsel Caroline Wilson Palow said "Today's opinion issued by the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) is a serious blow to the UK's Investigatory Powers Bill (IPBill). It, hopefully, presages a strong judgment from the Court itself. The bulk powers -

News & Analysis

The hidden costs of the IPBill

One of the most controversial aspects of the UK's Investigatory Powers Bill proposes the storing by ISPs and mobile network providers of 'Internet Connection Records' (ICRs). While vaguely defined, they will include your internet browsing history (although the Government is at pains to clarify that

News & Analysis

Next on EU Privacy: The Revision of the EU e-Privacy Directive

After the adoption of the EU General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Directive for Law Enforcement Agencies, the EU-US Privacy Shield, your understandable EU privacy policy fatigue is excused. But when a coalition of tech and telecom industries calls for a relatively obscure EU

Press release

New Twitter Bot ‘Reveals’ The Internet Browsing History Of Politicians

A new Twitter Bot, launched today by the global privacy rights organisation Privacy International, ‘reveals’ the internet browsing history of leading politicians, as well as details of their telephone, text message, WhatsApp, and even Snapchat communications. @GCHQbot has been launched to raise the

News & Analysis

8 Recommendations In 4 Countries: Not A Bad Score For The Right To Privacy At The 24th Universal Periodic Review

The reports of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the States under Review at the 24th session in January 2016 were adopted during the last Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, which took place from 13 June to 1 July 2016. Of the 14 Member States being reviewed, Privacy