Tag: human rights
U.S. to world: No privacy concerns here, move along
The U.S. government does not protect the privacy rights of non-citizens beyond its borders. That’s the message it will deliver at the U.N. Human Rights Council tomorrow in its official response to the 348 recommendations received during the second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the U.S. human rights record in Geneva.
U.N. board pushes countries toward peace on the internet, but gives short shrift to users’ rights
A United Nations board of security experts representing 20 governments has released a report critical to the future of the internet. This iterative report aims to identify areas of consensus and prevent conflict between nation states. The report fails to mention encryption, and includes underwhelming statements about rights online. However, it does help to establish boundaries for proper state behavior that are critical to maintaining a secure and free internet.
Access joins letter to UK officials criticizing GCHQ for spying on human rights groups
This week, Access joined a coalition letter to the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom sharply criticizing the government for spying on international human rights groups. The letter responded to revelations in a ruling by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which disclosed that Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) had spied on organizations in South Africa and Egypt. The UK is a member of the so-called Five Eyes coalition of governments — including the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — that collaborates on intelligence gathering.
Protecting human rights in third countries: Access Now submits input to European Parliament
Access has submitted input to the European Parliament (EP) Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) on a draft report on human rights and technology. This report focuses on “the impact of intrusion and surveillance systems on human rights in third countries.”