News and Analysis

N&A, Long Reads, Press Release

Press release

Argentina's Record On Privacy And Surveillance Under Scrutiny At The United Nations

This week in Geneva, the UN Human Rights Committee will examine the Argentina’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), an international treaty which places obligations on signatories to guarantee human rights such as the right to privacy. This review, by a

Press release

El Historial De La Argentina Sobre Privacidad Y Vigilancia Bajo Escrutinio En Las Naciones Unidas

Esta semana en Ginebra, el Comité de Derechos Humanos de la ONU examinará el cumplimiento de la Argentina con el Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos (PIDCP), un tratado internacional que establece obligaciones a los firmantes para garantizar los derechos humanos, como el derecho a la

News & Analysis

A week after Prism, much remains unclear

Remember when the world didn't know what Prism was? Those were the days. While privacy advocates, civil libertarians, and technologists had suspected or posited the existence of an extensive surveillance regime operated by the U.S. government, few knew the details and the extent of the operation

News & Analysis

Open Letter On The Financial Crisis Facing The Inter-American Commission

On 23 May 2016, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) reported that severe financial problems have forced it to cancel its July and October sessions in 2016, and all trips planned for this year and, if new funding cannot be secured by 15 June 2016, will lead to the non-renewal of the

Press release

The Commons Have Failed To Hold The Government To Account On Sweeping New Surveillance Powers

Harmit Kambo, Campaigns Director, Privacy International said "The overwhelming vote by MPs last night in favour of massively intrusive new state surveillance powers represents both a failure of the democratic process and a grim watershed moment for the privacy of every one of us. Over the course of

News & Analysis

Exorcising Ghost Workers: Is Biometrics the Solution?

When it comes to tackling corruption, we need to critically engage with the role of technology. One technology in particular is biometrics , a technology that identifies and stores on a database the identity of an individual through some physical characteristic, usually fingerprints or an iris scan

Press release

New Document Reveals That GCHQ And MI5 Stretched The Law To Breaking Point

Privacy International releases previously confidential correspondence between lawyers for MI5 and GCHQ and the former Interception of Communications Commissioner, highlighting problems with the relationship between the two bodies The correspondences show a lack of meaningful oversight and restraint

News & Analysis

Sandcastles At Low Tide: Joint Committee On Human Rights Scrutinises Investigatory Powers Bill

Another committee-led scrutiny. Another list of changes that need to be made to the Investigatory Powers Bill. This seems familiar. The Joint Committee on Human Rights has weighed in with scrutiny of the Investigatory Powers Bill prior to the Bill’s debate and vote in the House of Commons on the 6

News & Analysis

An Open Letter To Everyone Who Participated In Our ‘Did GCHQ Illegally Spy On You?’ Campaign

Thank you to those of you who joined our campaign, 'Did GCHQ Illegally Spy on You?'. If you made a claim to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) - the court that hears claims about surveillance by public bodies, including the intelligence agencies - to find out if GCHQ has illegally obtained your

News & Analysis

Rip It Up and Start Again: Senators go hard on Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill in Pakistan

The much maligned Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill (PECB) was dealt a critical blow by senior Senate members on Tuesday in Pakistan. Digital Rights Foundation, in conjunction with Bolo Bhi, held a consultation for members of the Pakistan Senate, other lawmakers, members of civil society, and the

Press release

Secretive Surveillance Tribunal Refuses To Review 650 Claims Of Unlawful Spying

Despite Government attempts to stop 650 claims about surveillance being investigated, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has today ruled that the cases can be heard However, the Tribunal is requiring the 650 claimants to submit further information demonstrating that they are "potentially at risk" of

News & Analysis

A Letter From Sir Humphrey Appleby To The Home Secretary

This letter originally appeared here. Dear Home Secretary You are fortunate that the SNP and Labour Party courageously abstained from the vote on the Investigatory Powers Bill, content with government assurances that mass surveillance of British citizens is not government policy. Mass surveillance

News & Analysis

I'm Your Private Spy-er, A Spy-er For Money

Last month, the UK Information Commissioner's Office announced a “private investigator crackdown”, citing concerns that private investigators were using hacking techniques to gain access to personal information. The use of dodgy private investigators and illegal hacking by private investigators in

News & Analysis

Mexican Supreme Court Fails Test To Stand Against Mass Surveillance. Next Candidate: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights

A few weeks ago we wrote about a landmark opportunity the Mexican Supreme Court had to set a precedent by taking a strong stand against mass surveillance. Last Wednesday, the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court of Mexico came to a disappointing decision for the protection of privacy, and for

News & Analysis

A Not-So-Secret-Anymore Ballot In The Philippines

The National Privacy Commission has had to firefight a huge leak of voter data in Philippines just one month before the elections Raymund Liboro, the Philippines’ National Privacy Commissioner, has had a tough few weeks. Barely has his office even existed -- he was appointed in March -- than it is

Press release

Privacy International to challenge UK Government's use of general warrants to hack unspecified groups of people and computers

Privacy International, the leading global privacy rights NGO, has today filed a Judicial Review at the UK High Court, challenging the Investigatory Power s Tribunal's (IPT) decision that the Government can issue general hacking warrants. This decision means that British intelligence agency GCHQ can