Liberties
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Snoopers Charter is Breaking the Law
Under a temporary surveillance law known as the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act (DRIPA), the Government forced communications companies to store details of every person’s internet activity, emails, texts and phone calls. Hundreds of organisations and government agencies – from police forces to HMRC – were allowed to grant themselves access to this data… Continue reading
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Book: ‘Officious – the rise of the busybody state
Officious – Rise of the Busybody State starts with people’s everyday encounter with busybodies in public spaces – then analyses the logic of the busybody state, explains its origins, and calls for a popular alliance defending the free realm of civil society. Continue reading
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A Note on the Taboo Subject of Stolen Elections
Back in the spring of 2016, an intrepid ACLU voting rights expert in California named Lori Shellenberger was able to help inform state legislators of the dangers of a new computer program against voter fraud called Interstate Crosscheck. The program claimed to identify people who were voting in more than one state. What it really… Continue reading
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The Snoopers Charter passes into law
Last night the Investigatory Powers Bill – or Snoopers’ Charter – passed through Parliament. It is a sad day for British liberty, but the fight does not end here. The new Act is overtly incompatible with human rights law and, we think, ripe for challenge. Our message to the Government: see you in Court. Continue reading
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CPNS – THE CRIME OF CRYING IN YOUR OWN HOME
Our new report found that CPNs have been used to order people to cut their lawn or clean their windows, as well as to target the homeless and prevent them from sleeping or entering certain areas. CPNs have even been issued banning people from crying or arguing in their own home. Continue reading
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Tell your MEP to stand up and say no to Censorship Machines and the Link Tax
For the last year we’ve worked together to ensure that the huge new copyright law in the EU doesn’t crush our free expression online. But when the proposal finally came out last month, it confirmed our worst fears: The Link Tax is still alive. Continue reading
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BREAKING: The Link Tax is Officially on its Way
The EU Commission has officially released some of the worst copyright laws in the world, including unprecedented new Link Tax powers for publishing giants. Earlier today, the Commission presented these new rules to the world. Over the past few weeks, leaks suggested the rules were worse than originally feared,3 and today’s announcement proved it. We… Continue reading
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The EU proposes a nightmare version of the Link Tax!
Today, a draft of the copyright law we’ve been anticipating was leaked and it confirms the worst. The EU Commission is going ahead with giving unprecedented powers to publishing giants – including the the Link Tax – giving them the ability to charge fees when snippets of text are used in hyperlinks. Continue reading
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Link Tax: Old Wine now in New Bottle
This is unreal. Yesterday, we asked you to tell the EU Commission to abandon plans for the link tax by sharing hard-hitting social media images. Thanks to you, later the same day, the EU Commission responded to our campaign on Twitter, saying “The @EU_Commission does not have any plans to tax hyperlinks.” But here’s the… Continue reading
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Last Chance to Kill the Link Tax!
The EU Commission are wavering on whether or not to keep going with the link tax. They’ve heard you and thousands of Internet users speak out, and now they have the final decision to make as they write the law -– link tax law, yay or nay? We need you to stop it before it… Continue reading
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Snoopers Charter Breaks the Law!
A senior judge at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has concluded that the Government’s surveillance law breaches our fundamental rights. Continue reading
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No to the Snoopers Charter!
ICRs (Internet Connection Records) are an expensive and unwarranted invasion on all of our privacy. They’re just one part of the controversial Snoopers’ Charter, which will be debated in the House of Lords, starting today. We want to show Peers just how intrusive these ICRs would be – so we’ve sent a mock ICR on… Continue reading
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Safe in Police hands?
6 July 2016 — Big Brother Watch How Police Forces suffer 10 data breaches every week and still want more of your data. A Big Brother Watch Report July 2016 Safe in Police hands? shows that between June 2011 and December 2015 there were at least 2,315 data breaches conducted by police staff. Over 800… Continue reading
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Last Chance to Save the Link!
There’s only 48 hours left to tell the European Commission not to make link tax laws! These proposals suggest making copyright laws apply to hyperlinks – going as far as suggesting all publishers should have the ability to charge fees to website owners for all the links shared.This is is our best chance to make… Continue reading
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EU Link Tax Update
On Wednesday the European Commission announced the results of their consultation on platforms where thousands of you gave your views on the link tax and proposed new copyright laws. We’ve been sifting through all of this for what it means for our campaign to save the link. Turns out there’s good news and there’s some… Continue reading
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Statewatch News Online, 27 May 2016 (10/16)
27 May 2016 — Statewatch e-mail: office@statewatch.org You can also access as a pdf file here: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2016/may/e-mail-gen-27-may.pdf European conference marking Statewatch’s 25th anniversary STATEWATCHING EUROPE Civil liberties, the state and the European Union 10:00 – 17:00, Saturday 25 June 2016 Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 Workshops and discussions on the refugee crisis in… Continue reading
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Statewatch News Online, 9 May 2016 (08/16)
9 May 2016 — Home page: http://www.statewatch.org/ e-mail: office@statewatch.org You can also access as a pdf file here: http://www.statewatch.org/news/2016/may/e-mail-gen-9-5-16.pdf European conference marking Statewatch’s 25th anniversary STATEWATCHING EUROPE Civil liberties, the state and the European Union 10:00 – 17:00, Saturday 25 June 2016, London BOOK NOW Continue reading
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NHS: Your opt-out finally honoured
On Wednesday, the HSCIC announced that they had received permission from the Secretary of State to finally honour his promise to you. You can opt out of data leaving the HSCIC for purposes beyond your direct care, and that is what happens. When he created the opt out that you took up, NHS England, who… Continue reading
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Video: UK Rejects UN Ruling that Assange Detention Is Illegal
After the UN finds Assange to be arbitrarily detained, Assange attorney Carey Shenkman explains how the UK is undermining the authority of the UN while simultaneously relying on it to release detained UK citizens Continue reading
The New Dark Age 