Press Releases
19 September, 2023
ORG warns of threat to privacy and free speech as Online Safety Bill is passed
Open Rights Group has warned that Online Safety Bill, which has been passed in parliament, will make us less secure by threatening our privacy and undermining our freedom of expression.
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06 September, 2023
Government admits Spy Clause can’t be used safely
Open Rights Group has responded to a report that the Government has conceded that it will not use powers to scan private messages until it is “technically feasible” to do so.
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05 September, 2023
Online Safety Bill: US and UK campaigners warn of dangers of age verification
Proposals aimed at protecting children could force tech platforms to choose between freedom of speech and the right to privacy, a new briefing by digital rights campaigners, Open Rights Group and EFF has warned.
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10 August, 2023
UK Shaken by Major Data Breaches: Security Concerns Surge Over Data Protection Changes
Recent major data breaches, impacting crucial institutions like the Electoral Commission and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, have brought attention to potential risks linked to the proposed Data Protection and Digital Information Bill.
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20 July, 2023
Online Safety Bill: Peers have failed to protect our privacy and security
Open Rights Group has responded to last night’s debate on the Online Safety Bill in the House of Lords.
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19 July, 2023
Legal opinion finds Online Safety Bill may breach international law
Open Rights Group has received legal advice from Dan Squires KC and Emma Foubister of Matrix Chambers, which states that measures in the Online Safety Bill may involve breaches of international law.
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04 July, 2023
UK data protection reform: Experts and civil society organisations warn European Commission of threat to adequacy agreement
28 civil society organisations and privacy experts have written to the European Commission to raise concerns about the threat that UK data reform poses to European citizens’ data rights.
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30 June, 2023
Online Safety Bill: Peers need to consider privacy risks of age verification
Open Rights Group has responded to the government’s announcement that the Online Safety Bill will require “pornography companies, social media platforms and other services to be explicitly required to use age verification or estimation measures to prevent children accessing pornography”.
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28 June, 2023
Online Safety Bill: Suella Braverman fails to understand encryption risk
Open Rights Group has responded to an opinion piece in the Telegraph by the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman MP that claims that: “The government, tech experts, and wider industry partners have demonstrated that it is technically feasible to detect child sexual abuse in environments which utilise encryption whilst still strongly maintaining user privacy.
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26 June, 2023
Online Safety Bill: International organisations, academics and cyber experts urge UK government to protect encrypted messaging
Safeguard private communication
Over 80 civil society organisations, academics and cyber experts from 23 countries have written to the UK government to raise the alarm about proposed powers in the Online Safety Bill.
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19 June, 2023
Disbanding Windrush unit further undermines trust in Home Office
Open Rights Group has responded to a Guardian report that the Home Office has “quietly disbanded” the unit created to reform the department after the Windrush scandal, which saw thousands of people from Commonwealth countries incorrectly classified as illegal immigrants.
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25 May, 2023
ORG report finds that ICO failed to hold the government to account over use of public health data during pandemic
ORG’s new report exposes failures by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in protecting the public privacy and data rights during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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22 May, 2023
Meta fine: ORG warns that DPDI Bill could allow laundering of EU citizens’ data
Open Rights Group has warned that the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill could allow Meta to get around the suspension of data transfers from Europe to the United States, which was imposed by Ireland’s data protector regulator today.
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18 April, 2023
WhatsApp, Signal and Element: Online Safety Bill ‘poses an unprecedented threat to the privacy, safety and security of every UK citizen’
Open Rights Group welcomes calls by WhatsApp, Signal and Element for a re-think of government proposals that could force them to undermine the encryption of their services.
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29 March, 2023
Victory for migrants as judge rules immigration exemption is incompatible with GDPR
A High Court judge has agreed with Open Rights Group and the3million that the immigration exemption in the UK Data Protection Act 2018 is incompatible with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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21 March, 2023
ORG and the3million challenge Government in the High Court over the Immigration Exemption
Campaigners have a second judicial review hearing in the High Court on Tuesday 21 March 2023 to challenge the Government over the immigration exemption in the Data Protection Act 2018.
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15 March, 2023
Manchester 10: Open letter asks Andy Burnham to tackle discriminatory ‘gang’ surveillance
Advocacy groups and human rights organisations have written to the Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, and the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, Stephen Watson, to ask them to investigate discriminatory police practices in the wake of the conviction of ten young Black men, known as the Manchester 10.
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08 March, 2023
Revised DPDI Bill poses even greater threat to privacy rights in the UK
Open Rights Group has responded to the publication of a new draft of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill.
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07 March, 2023
26 civil society groups call on government to scrap Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill
26 civil society organisations have written to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan MP, calling for the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill to be dropped.
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24 February, 2023
Online Safety Bill: Spy clause could force Signal to pull services from UK
Messaging app Signal has announced that it will withdraw its services from the UK if it is forced to undermine encryption through proposals in the Online Safety Bill.
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22 February, 2023
Proposals to tackle domestic abuse threaten presumption of innocence
Open Rights Group has responded to government proposals to tackle domestic abuse in the UK.
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08 February, 2023
Open Rights Group responds to Shawcross review of Prevent
Open rights Group has responded to the Shawcross review of Prevent, which was published today
Policy Manager, Sophia Akram said:
Open Rights Group and other other NGOs previously raised concerns about Sir William Shawcross’s ability to be objective given his history of making disparaging comments about Islam.
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24 January, 2023
ORG welcomes Apple’s move to expand encryption
Open Rights Group welcomes Apple’s move to improve security with its Advanced Data Protection feature for iCloud.
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17 January, 2023
Threatening tech bosses with prison damages freedom of expression
As the Online Safety Bill returns to the commons today for its delayed report stage, it appears MPs might introduce prison sentences for tech bosses that fail to censor content harmful to children.
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12 January, 2023
Changes to Online Safety Bill embed power of tech companies, and do little for free speech
In the latest version of the Online Safety Bill, a provision governing so-called “legal but harmful” content for adults has been removed.
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30 November, 2022
Chat monitoring sneaked into Online Safety Bill through back door measure
For immediate release
The Open Rights Group’s policy manager on Freedom of Expression, Dr.
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28 November, 2022
Online Safety Bill sinking under flood of amendments
Attempts to solve social problems with draconian regulation of internet services won’t help victims.
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16 November, 2022
Online Safety Bill a threat to human rights warn campaigners
Civil liberties groups have warned that the Online Safety Bill will fundamentally undermine human rights in the UK.
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08 November, 2022
Compulsory ID cards are wrong, ineffective, Orwellian, and thoroughly un-British
Responding to the reports that the shadow Immigration Minister, Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has called for the introduction of ID Cards, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said:
“ID Cards were a good part of Labour’s decline and defeat in 2010.
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03 November, 2022
Proposed changes to Online Safety Bill will not protect free speech
Responding to the news that PM Rishi Sunak has ordered the Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan to ditch the “legal but harmful” clause and bring back the controversial Online Safety Bill back to the House of Commons before Christmas, [1] the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said:
“This proposed change will not protect free speech.
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27 October, 2022
Online Safety Bill should be scrapped
Bill is not fit for purpose
Threats to free speech and privacy of millions of UK citizens and residents
Responding to the news that the government has delayed the Online Safety Bill once again, Dr Monica Horten Policy Manager of the Privacy campaigning organisation, the Open Rights Group, said:
“The privacy of 40 million chat users is threatened by this Bill.
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19 October, 2022
Government’s Dismantling of Data Protection undermines rape victims’ protections from digital strip searches
• Laws that underpin new code of practice to protect rape victims from digital strip searches are about to be reformed.
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21 July, 2022
UK Intelligence chief’s plan to scan our phones turns them into ‘spies in your pocket’
Privacy and digital rights group say spy chief’s plans to scan our phones will turn them into a ‘spy in your pocket’.
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18 July, 2022
Open rights group sound ‘Red Alert’ as Nadine Dorries announces bonfire of data rights
Government’s Data Bill is dubbed as the ‘Data Oligarchs Charter’ by the privacy campaigning organisation, the Open Rights Group.
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14 July, 2022
Online Safety Bill Delayed: Opportuntiy for a rethink
For Immediate Release
The government has delayed Online Safety Bill debate until the AutumnParliamentarians must think through the consequences for free expression and privacyThe Online Safety Bill is to be delayed until a new Conservative leader is elected, giving MPs an opportunity for a rethink.
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21 June, 2022
Legal challenge of the Immigration Exemption
Second legal challenge to Immigration Exemption in Data Protection Act 2018
Campaigners have been granted permission to proceed to a full hearing by the High Court in relation to a second legal challenge of the Immigration Exemption.
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13 June, 2022
Civil Society hits out at Nadine Dorries over ‘rigged’ consultation
In a rarely seen move, more than 30 civil society organisations have gone public with their concerns over what they believe may be an unlawful consultation process.
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20 May, 2022
Human Rights organisations’ letter to UK Government on sanctions and internet access in Russia
EMBARGO: 09:00am Friday 20 May 2022
Human rights organisations express concerns over new sanctions that may interfere with the Russian people’s access to the internet, which will obstruct attempts to organize in opposition to the war, report openly and honestly on events in Russia, and access information about what is happening in Ukraine and abroad.
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04 May, 2022
Privacy organisation criticizes Government over failure to protect the safety and privacy of Ukrainian Refugees
Embargo: Immediate
A BBC investigation has revealed that the government’s re-settlement scheme for Ukrainian refugees puts vulnerable people at risk of serious harm from people traffickers and others.
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16 March, 2022
Government’s Online Safety Bill is an Orwellian Censorship Machine
Powers to imprison social media executives mirrors those exercised by Vladimir Putin in Russia
Ministerial powers to censor legal content still in place
Shifting bill promises more policy failures and disappointment
Responding to the news of the Government’s republication of the draft Online Safety Bill, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said:
“The fact that the Bill keeps changing its content after four years of debate should tell everyone that it is a mess, and likely to be a bitter disappointment in practice.
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25 February, 2022
The Online Safety Bill and Government crackdown on anonymity will punish victims
Embargo: Immediate
Responding to the news of the Government’s announcement on introducing Identity Verification as part of the Online Safety Bill, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said:
“This proposal would lead to a two tier Internet, where people who suffer abuse and use anonymity to shield themselves are actively discriminated against.
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08 February, 2022
Government’s new proposal could force people to age verify before using Google or Reddit
Embargo: Immediate
Responding to the news of the Government’s announcement on introducing a new legal duty as part of the Online Safety Bill which will force companies to profile visitors for all sites that publish adult content, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said:
“There is no indication that this proposal will protect people from tracking and profiling porn viewing.
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07 February, 2022
Experts hit out at the UK Home Office’s scaremongering anti-encryption campaign
Embargo: Immediate
In advance of the UK Safer Internet Day (8 February 2022), Open Rights Group, and leading security and technology experts around the world have accused the UK Home Office of misleading the public with a “scaremongering” campaign against end-to-end encryption, the technology that keeps messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal private.
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02 February, 2022
It’s about time UK ICO takes action
EMBARGO: Immediate
Responding to news of the Belgian privacy watchdog finding AdTech lobby IAB Europe’s ‘Transparency & Consent framework” in violation of GDPR, Mariano delli Santi, Legal and Policy Officer at Open Rights Group said:
“The verdict of the Belgian Data Protection Regulator is damning.
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31 January, 2022
The Prime Minister’s new ‘Brexit Freedoms’ Bill means less democracy, less freedoms, and less control.
EMBARGO: Immediate
Responding to Government’s announcement on pledging to bring forward a new ‘Brexit Freedoms’ Bill, Jim Killock, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, said:
“We were told Brexit meant ‘taking back control’, the Prime Minister’s new ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’ is aimed at reducing Parliamentary oversight.
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18 January, 2022
UK Government ‘alarmist spin’ on encryption
Open Rights Group denounce the UK Government’s ‘alarmist spin’ on encryption
Scaremongering campaign by UK Home Office will make public less safe by undermining trust in secure smartphone messaging
Over half a million pounds of taxpayers’ money spent on advertising campaign
Open Rights Group says weakening encryption through Online Safety Bill will only help predators, criminals, blackmailers and scammers
Open Rights Group and leading security and technology experts have accused Home Secretary Priti Patel of misleading the public with a “scaremongering” campaign against end-to-end encryption, the technology that keeps messages through services such as WhatsApp and Signal private.
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23 December, 2021
ORG BOARD ELECTION RESULTS 2021
We are pleased to announce that Steven Murdoch and Melanie Dymond Harper have been elected to the Open Rights Group Board of Directors.
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25 November, 2021
Privacy watchdog condemns Regulator’s lack of action
Responding to the ICO’s report on Adtech, detailing continued unlawfulness with no deadline for change, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said:
“The ICO has investigated, reported twice and explained repeatedly that the Google and the IAB-led adtech industry are in massive breach of the law.
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10 November, 2021
Lloyd vs Google: Government must provide mechanism for collective redress
Responding to the decision in Lloyd vs Google, at which the Open Rights Group (ORG) was an intervener, Executive Director of Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said
“There must be a way for people to seek redress against massive data breaches, without having to risk their homes, and without relying on the Information Commissioner alone.
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09 September, 2021
ORG warns over Government’s plan to pursue lobbyists’ agenda on data rights
Embargo: Immediate
Responding to the news of UK Government plans to consult on changes to key data protection safeguards in the name of innovation, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, said:
“The Government’s proposal would make it easier for companies to use and abuse your health data, and easier for Government to run so-called ‘mutant algorithms’ to decide your future.
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07 September, 2021
Open Rights Group calls on the ICO to do its job and enforce the law
EMBARGO: Immediate
Responding to ICO Commissioner Elizabeth Denham’s call on G7 countries to tackle cookie pop-ups challenge, Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group, said:
“The simple fact is that most cookie banners are unlawful, and the data collection behind them is, as her own report states, also unlawful.
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20 July, 2021
Complaint against the AdTech industry body, the IAB, and Google in the Upper Tribunal
Jim Killock and Michael Veale are today at the Upper Tribunal asking for their Complaint against the AdTech industry body, the IAB, and Google to be reopened, after the ICO closed it without taking action against it.
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12 July, 2021
Privacy Campaigners condemn the Government for abdicating their responsibility
Responding to racist comments that were directed towards several England players following the team’s loss on penalties against Italy in the EURO 2020 final, Heather Burns, Policy Manager at the Open Rights Group, said:
“Illegal racial abuse sent to England’s footballers must be prosecuted under existing laws.
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17 June, 2021
Privacy Watchdog Condemns Government’s plan to axe Privacy Rights and Protections
Responding to the publication of a report yesterday by the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform which has outlined their vision to “refresh the UK’s approach to regulation now that we have left the EU”, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group (ORG), Jim Killock, said:
“This so-called ‘independent report’ has been written by three conservative MPs, selected by a conservative Prime Minister to advise a conservative Government with the intention of canceling data protection altogether.
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14 June, 2021
ORG join over thirty digital and human rights organisations in calling on MPs to protect end-to-end encryption
Over thirty digital and human rights organisations call on MPs to keep their constituents safe by protecting end-to-end encryption from legislative threats
Today (14 June) Open Rights Group has joined over thirty digital and human rights organisations in calling on MPs to keep their constituents safe by protecting end-to-end encryption from legislative threats.
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26 May, 2021
Immigration Exemption judged unlawful, excessive, wrong by Court of Appeal
Today the court of appeal has unanimously found that the UK immigration exemption is incompatible with Article 23 of the GDPR.
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25 May, 2021
ECHR’s Judgment on UK Govt’s Mass Surveillance Program
Responding to the Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the UK’s RIPA regime for bulk surveillance, Jim Killock, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group and one of the organisations challenging the UK’s activities before the European Court of Human Rights, said:
“The Court has recognised that Bulk Interception is an especially intrusive power, and that ‘end-to-end safeguards’ are needed to ensure abuse does not occur.
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12 May, 2021
Government’s Kafkaesque plans for regulating online speech is condemned
Responding to the Online Safety Bill, Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said:
“Treating online speech as inherently dangerous and demanding that risks are eliminated under the threat of massive fines is only going to end up in over-reaction and content removal.
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11 May, 2021
Queen’s Speech: Privacy and Rights Campaigning Group criticises Government’s anti-freedom legislative agenda
Embargo: Immediate
Responding to the Queen’s Speech, Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said:
On the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill:
“Prime Minister’s controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill undermines any credibility as a self-identified libertarian.
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05 May, 2021
Facebook’s Oversight Board decision highlights need for independent scrutiny of Facebook’s decisions
Responding to Facebook’s Oversight Board uphelding Facebook’s decision made on January 7 to suspend then-President Trump from Facebook and Instagram, Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said:
“The oversight board have made some good recommendations, which emphasizes the need for independent scrutiny of Facebook’s decisions.
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30 April, 2021
Cross-party group of MPs warn Govt about unduly influencing Regulator’s appointment
Cross-party group of MPs warn Government about unduly influencing the appointment of the next Information Commissioner
In a letter to Oliver Dowden MP, the Secretary of State for DCMS, a cross-party group of MPs have warned the Government about ‘unduly influencing’ the process to appointment of the next Information Commissioner.
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19 April, 2021
Privacy Rights Campaigners warn against Home Office’s Orwellian war on Privacy
Responding to Home Secretary Priti Patel’s remarks asssociating end-to-end encryption with child abuse, delivered at a roundtable organised by the NSPCC, Jim Killock, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, said:
“Encryption, and end-to-end encryption, are basic security protocols deployed every minute.
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12 April, 2021
Government’s approach to NHS COVID-19 App is both a Privacy nightmare and a public health risk
Responding to news that an update to England and Wales’s contact tracing app has been blocked for breaking the terms of an agreement made with Apple and Google, Jim Killock, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, said:
“The Government’s proposed changes to the NHS App would have a significant impact on user privacy.
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01 April, 2021
Privacy Campaigners warn Boris of Home Office’s Dangerous and Orwellian impulses
Responding to Wired’s story that the Home Office is actively exploring legal and technical mechanisms to compel Facebook to circumvent end-to-end encrypted messaging in its platforms and apps such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, said:
“The Prime Minister is famed for his self-defined political identity as a “freedom-seeking libertarian”.
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04 March, 2021
Test and Trace is a privacy nightmare and a public health risk
Responding to the Sky News report that the check-in data from hundreds of millions of people who visited pubs, restaurants, and hairdressers between lockdowns was barely used by England’s ‘Test and Trace’ programme, Jim Killock, the Executive Director of Open Rights Group, said:
“The Government has repeatedly denied that it has any responsibilities for the data collected.
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03 March, 2021
Documents reveal controversial Immigration Exemption used in 70% of access requests to Home Office
Documents released today by the digital rights organisation Open Rights Group show that a controversial exemption in data protection law in the United Kingdom was used in over 70% of data access requests to the Home Office in 2020.
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23 February, 2021
PRIVACY CAMPAIGNERS URGE THE GOVERNMENT TO PROCEED WITH CAUTION ON VACCINE PASSPORTS
Responding to news that the Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove to lead a review into the use of vaccine passports, Jim Killock, the Executive Director of the Open Rights Group (ORG), said:
“Vaccine passports have the potential to be extremely discriminatory and invasive of personal privacy.
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26 January, 2021
ICO’s Elizabeth Denham Confirms illegal racial voter profiling by the Conservative Party
Responding to ICO’s Commissioner Elizabeth Denham’s confirmation of the Conservative Party’s illegal racial voter profiling, Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said: [1]
“The Conservative Party’s racial profiling of voters was illegal.
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22 January, 2021
ICO INVESTIGATES ADTECH WITHOUT ORG COMPLAINT
Responding to ICO’s announcement today that the regulator is resuming invetigation of massive data breaches taking place in the online ad industry through “Real-Time Bidding”, ORG explain that this shows the ICO is wrong to have closed complaints by Jim Killock and Michael Veale against Adtech earlier this year.
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16 December, 2020
Open Rights Group appoints two new Directors to its Board
The UK’s premier privacy and digital rights campaigning organisation, the Open Rights Group (ORG) has appointed two heavy hitters to its already impressive Board of Directors.
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16 December, 2020
Facebook moving UK user agreements to USA is bad news for our privacy
Responding to news that Facebook will be soon shifting all its users in the UK into user agreements with the corporate headquarters in the US, reportedly making the change because EU’s privacy regime (which the UK follows) is among the World’s strictest, Jim Killock Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“Moving data out of the EU makes it harder to enforce your privacy rights.
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10 December, 2020
Rights Organisations Warn Government on National Data Strategy
Privacy and Migrants’ rights organisations warn Government on negative impact of National Data Strategy on migrants and refugees
A group of migrants’ rights organisations and privacy advocates have written to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, Oliver Dowden, expressing concerns about how the National Data Strategy, in its current form, is likely to impact migrants and refugees.
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09 December, 2020
Privacy Campaigners warn Government against stopping FB messenger Encryption
Privacy Campaigners warn the Government against seeking injunction to halt Facebook’s Encryption plans
Responding to reports that Government could issue injunction against Facebook’s encryption plans, Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“Encryption is a vital tool to help people protect their personal messages.
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02 December, 2020
Cross Party group of MPs ask Government to spell out privacy risks in UK-Japan Trade Agreement
A cross-party group of MP’s have signed a letter condemning Government’s refusal to explain or publish legal analysis of articles affecting privacy in the proposed UK-Japan Trade Agreement.
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12 November, 2020
Privacy Campaigning Organisation, the Open Rights Group has urged the Conservatives to confirm if they have stopped Racial and Religious profiling
An audit of the UK political parties by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) published yesterday unearthed that the Conservative party profiled 10 million UK voters by ethnicity and religion.
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09 November, 2020
UK-Japan trade agreement endangers privacy
UK-Japan Trade Agreement punches USA-sized hole in privacy and endangers trade agreement with the EU
Today, the Open Rights Group have published a briefing outlining the existential threat posed by the UK-Japan Trade Agreement towards our privacy and data protection rights here in the UK.
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05 November, 2020
Privacy organisation Open Rights Group taking the Privacy regulator ICO to court in a landmark case.
In an unprecedented move, the Privacy Campaigners at the Open Rights Group (ORG) have today announced that they are taking the UK’s privacy regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to court over the regulator’s failure to stop unlawful practices by the Digital Advertising Technology (AdTech) industry.
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18 October, 2020
Test and Trace police access is dangerous
Reacting to news that police will be granted access to Test and Trace data, Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said:
“It is dangerous to compromise the privacy of health data.
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29 September, 2020
Facebook and UK Privacy Regulator ICO Complicit in subverting democracy
Responding to Channel 4’s latest revelations about the massive cache of voter data used by the Trump campaign, Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said:
“This latest revelations lays bare two key problems.
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25 September, 2020
Cummings’ Data Plan Threatens UK Privacy Rights
Responding to reports about Dominic Cummings’ so-called “pro-tech” plan to re-write UK’s data protection laws, Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said:
“Any threat to our existing gold-standard data protection laws will have huge consequences for banking, health, entertainment, insurance and tech sectors.
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23 September, 2020
GOVERNMENT IGNORING TEST AND TRACE PRIVACY ISSUES
Privacy organisations have today demanded the Government clarify how people’s private data will be kept safe and secure under the new Test and Trace regulations, which come into full force with the launch of the NHSX App.
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11 September, 2020
Japan trade agreement could mean more “A level” style debacles
Reacting to the conclusion of the Japan-UK Trade Agreement, Matthew Rice, trade lead at Open Rights Group said:
“The Agreement apparently prevents algorithms being routinely checked.
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21 August, 2020
Cross-Party Group of MPs challenge Information Commissioner over Data Protection failure
Cross-Party Group of MPs challenge Information Commissioner over failure to enforce Data Protection in the Test and Trace Programme
In an unprecedented move, a cross-party group of more than 20 MPs have challenged the Information Commissioner over the regulator’s failure to enforce Data Protection standards and hold the Government to account.
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20 July, 2020
Government admits Test and Trace unlawful
The UK Government has been forced to admit they deployed the COVID-19 Test and Trace programme unlawfully without a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), following a legal challenge from privacy campaigning organisation, Open Rights Group (ORG).
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16 July, 2020
ORG’S REACTION TO SCHREMS II JUDGEMENT: BREXIT UK MUST ‘LEVEL UP’ NOT RACE TO BOTTOM
EU PUSHING FOR HIGH STANDARDS, UK MUST FOLLOW
Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said:
“Schrems II means that the UK must choose either high standards with Europe, or a race to the bottom accepting low standards with the USA.
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24 June, 2020
Voters angered by stereotyping by UK parties
A report released yesterday by the Open Rights Group (ORG), shows UK political parties are attempting to profile millions of individuals for their income, religion, and political views.
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18 June, 2020
APP SWITCH IS WIN FOR PRIVACY
Open Rights Group welcomes the Government’s decision to switch to a ‘decentralised’ contact matching App, in the fight against COVID-19.
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05 June, 2020
ICO “stay” on Tribunal lifted
Open Rights Group welcomes the lifting of the ‘ICO stay‘ on the Information Tribunal, which means that complaints against organisations failing to uphold data protection rights can now be pursued.
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05 June, 2020
“Tracking app” wil be released at the end of June
Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group, commenting on the Government’s announcement that the “tracking app” wil be released at the end of June, said:
“The App needs safeguards in law to prevent it being abused before it is released.
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04 June, 2020
ORG demands Government act to secure ‘Track and Trace’ data
NHS Test and Trace has been launched, in breach of data protection laws.
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28 May, 2020
NHSX app must gain the trust of marginalised groups
A group of civil society organisations and privacy advocates have written to the government to demand that protections are put in place so that the NHSX Tracking app can gain the trust of people in marginalised groups.
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05 May, 2020
NHS app lacks privacy “due diligence”
Open Rights Group’s lawyers, AWO, have written to Matt Hancock and NHSX to demand immediate confirmation that they will conduct a full and adequate Data Protection Impact Assessment, consult with the ICO and publish the results.
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28 April, 2020
NHS app may suffer basic usability issues
Reacting to NHSX’s Chief Executive’s announcement to Parliament that their contact-tracing app would be released next month, Open Rights Group’s Executive Director said it was still unclear how the app would be both usable, and avoid using new Google-Apple APIs.
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24 April, 2020
Please explain how NHS app will work, asks Open Rights Group
Reacting to NHSX’s announcement that “in the coming weeks, the NHS will be launching a contact-tracing app”, Open Rights Group’s Executive Director said that transparency over the app was paramount.
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27 March, 2020
NHS Must Explain Role Of Surveillance Company
PALANTIR HAS NEGATIVE REPUTATION—CAUTION AND TRANSPARENCY NEEDED
Reacting to news that surveillance company Palantir is in discussion with the NHS to “clean” and analyse bulk health data, including tracking of spare beds, ventilators and calls to 111.
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11 March, 2020
Campaigners welcome the creation of a Commissioner to oversee use of biometrics by Police in Scotland
Following the news that the Scottish Parliament has voted in favour of creating a Scottish Biometrics Commissioner, Matthew Rice, Scotland Director, Open Rights Groups said:
It has been a long time coming but we applaud the Scottish Parliament have voted to create a Scottish Biometrics Commissioner.
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06 March, 2020
Political parties deny true scale of using personal data for campaigning to Select Committee
The House of Lords Democracy and Digital Technologies Committee have received written evidence from the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and the Conservatives on their digital campaigning practices.
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20 February, 2020
Google move endangers UK privacy
Moving UK users’ data to the USA makes bulk surveillance easier, and data protection harder.
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12 March, 2020
Online Harms Regulation Threatens Free Speech
Appointing state regulator for online speech creates censorship incentives: ‘duty of care’ is vague and an undefined concept
Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group said:
“This is a dangerous proposal that could cause vast restrictions on free speech.
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06 February, 2020
ORG response to child’s rights groups letter to Facebook
Open Rights Group, responding to today’s reports of a child’s rights groups letter to Facebook, responded:
Encryption provides a secure internet for all, including children, and while well-meaning, these efforts are misguided.
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