In this article we take a quick look at the track records of western democratic governments when it comes to online privacy and data retention, rounding up the three best cases and the three worst cases.
Continue reading
The propaganda machine around the UK coalition government’s new online surveillance bill, designed to help law enforcement agencies spy on UK citizens without judicial oversight, is in full flow. The last two weeks have seen advocates from the Conservative party take to the airwaves, putting their views across TV and radio shows in attempt to convince the British public that the bill will help keep children safe from peadophiles and the general public safe from terrorists.
Continue reading
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are fast becoming one of the last refuges for internet users who want to ensure their web browsing is kept private. This year barely a week has gone by without unpopular, anti-online privacy, legislation, pushed by powerful entertainment industry lobbies, making headlines.
Continue reading
This week has reminded us of the twin threats online privacy currently faces from both the public and private arenas, with news of a new FBI surveillance unit designed to crack emerging technologies, and the revelation that Apple may be storing every word you say to the iPhone 4S voice assistant Siri.
Continue reading
Last week’s formal announcement of the UK government’s CCDP surveillance plans, may be the last nail in the coffin when comes to the online privacy of UK citizens, but it certainly isn’t the first. The UK has for some time led the way in Europe when it comes to a complete disregard for the privacy of internet users across the country.
Continue reading
With politicians Mike Rogers and ‘Dutch’ Ruppersberger trying desperately to push the CISPA surveillance bill through the US Senate, facing opposition from thousands of concerned citizens and president Obama himself, we though it was about time to take a closer look at the men behind these half-cocked pieces of legislation.
Continue reading
The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) was yesterday approved by the US House of Representatives, in a vote that brings the US one step closer to eradicating the very principle of user anonymity and privacy in the online space.
Continue reading
It may only be April, but 2012 has already seen a worrying number of legislative acts hit the headlines that threaten online privacy. From the entertainment industry-backed SOPA in the USA, to the UK’s surveillance state-issued CCDP, 2012 has seen governments and industries across the western world try to put the brakes on the vibrant, free-thinking, online ecology that has grown over the last decade.
Continue reading
