Articles by Privacy International
International agreement imposes new controls on surveillance technology exports
The Wassenaar Arrangement has added two new categories of surveillance systems to its control list, recognising for the first time the need to subject spying tools to export controls.
International body intends to restrict export of surveillance systems used to commit human rights abuses
The 41 countries that make up the Wassenaar Arrangement, the key international instrument that imposes controls on the export of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, have released a statement describing their intention to finally clamp down on the billion-dollar surveillance systems industry.
Civil society letter expresses concern about allegations of state surveillance
The Open Government Partnership is an international platform for domestic reformers committed to making their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens. A joint letter to the OGP highlights civil society’s concerns about state surveillance practices.
Stormy Harbour: EU urges U.S. to make personal data transfers safer
We, and other privacy advocates, have criticised the poor provisions of the so-called Safe Harbour agreement, which allows free transfers of personal information from European countries to companies in the United States that have signed up and promise to abide by its Principles. Now the European Commission, prompted by the recent mass surveillance scandals, has […]
Unmasking the Five-Eyed monster, a global and secret intelligence-sharing regime
For almost 70 years, a secret post-war alliance of five English-speaking countries [US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand] has been building a global surveillance infrastructure to “master the internet” and spy on the world’s communications. Privacy International is launching an international campaign to pry open the “Five Eyes” arrangement and bring their secretive spying alliance under the rule of law.
UN General Assembly urged to reject mass surveillance
The UN General Assembly should approve a new resolution and make clear that indiscriminate surveillance is never consistent with the right to privacy, five human rights organisations said in an open letter.
Rush to aid Syrian refugees overlooks protecting right to privacy
In the rush to provide necessary aid to those afflicted by the crisis in Syria, humanitarian organisations are overlooking a human right that also needs protecting: the right to privacy.
The Surveillance Industry Index: An introduction
Over the last four years, Privacy International has been gathering information from various sources that details how the sector sells its technologies, what the technologies are capable of and in some cases, which governments a technology has been sold to.