ORG publishes digital rights priorities for next government

Open Rights Group has published its six priorities for digital rights that the next UK government should focus on. The pledges are part of a wider agenda for digital rights that was sent to political parties earlier this year.

Executive Director, Jim Killock said:

“Digital rights in the UK have been undermined by attacks on encryption, mass surveillance, a failure to protect data protection rights and the hostile digital environment. It is the most marginalised people in society that are most harmed by this onslaught.

“We need a government that will protect our digital rights and keep us safe from attacks on our privacy and freedom of expression by public authorities, corporate interests and criminals.

“We urge all candidates to pledge to support not attack digital rights.”

Six pledges for digital rights

1. Protect our right to send secure messages

Everyone – including children and young people – should have the right to use end-to-end encryption to ensure that our communications are safe, secure and private. The next government should protect not undermine encryption.

2. Provide migrants with digital sanctuary

Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers need the same data and privacy rights as everyone else so that they can keep their digital identity and information safe. The next government should commit to ending the digital hostile environment.

3. Ban the use of pre-crime AI by the police

Predictive policing systems that use artificial intelligence (AI) to ‘predict’ criminal behaviour undermine our right to be presumed innocent and exacerbate discrimination and inequality in our criminal justice system. The next government should ban dangerous uses of AI in policing.

4. Defend our right to freedom of expression online

Freedom of expression online is being undermined by age verification, content takedowns, social media censorship and unfair copyright claims. The next government should commit to protecting our right to freedom of expression online.

5. Strengthen our data protection rights

We need strong data protection laws to make sure that governments and companies do not use our data to track, surveil and profit from us. The next government should strengthen our data protection rights and make sure that the data protection watchdog is fit for purpose.

6. End intrusive tracking by online advertisers

Advertising companies track our internet use to build detailed profiles so they can target us with adverts. The next government should restrict intrusive tracking by data brokers and online advertisers.