Category Archives: government

They’re taking over the internet!

Posted on December 6, 2012 by

There’s a big story going around at the moment: the UN’s trying to take over the internet, or some variant of that. It’s all based on the current ITU proposals at the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) currently taking place … Continue reading →

Posted in Facebook, Freedom of expression, google, government, Internet, Piracy, Privacy, Snoopers charter | 10 Comments

Choose your dystopia – part 2!

Posted on November 20, 2012 by

I wrote a piece yesterday, ‘Choose your dystopia‘ in which I looked at some of the best dystopian visions and how our current government seems to be using them as templates rather than as nightmares to be avoided… and I … Continue reading →

Posted in Freedom of expression, government, Privacy, Snoopers charter, surveillance, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Choose your dystopia…

Posted on November 19, 2012 by

(See also Choose your dystopia Part 2 – here) I’ve always been a great fan of dystopian fiction – nightmarish visions of where our society is heading. I started reading them in my teens – well before the year 1984 … Continue reading →

Posted in Future, government, Human Rights, Privacy, Snoopers charter, surveillance | 9 Comments

A progressive digital policy?

Posted on August 28, 2012 by

Yesterday I read a call for submissions to Labour Left’s ‘Red Book II’, by Dr Éoin Clarke – to develop a way forward for the Labour Party. It started me thinking about what would really constitute a progressive digital policy – … Continue reading →

Posted in data retention, Defamation, Digital Economy Act, Freedom of expression, government, Internet access, surveillance | 17 Comments

Scrambling for safety?

Posted on April 19, 2012 by

This afternoon I was at ‘Scrambling for Safety’ – a fascinating conference, focussing on the proposed ‘Communications Capabilities Development Programme’, aptly if not entirely accurately dubbed the ‘snoopers’ charter’ by the media. The conference was organised by Privacy International, the … Continue reading →

Posted in data protection, data retention, government, Privacy, Privacy International, surveillance | 9 Comments

The politics of privacy

Posted on April 13, 2012 by

Why is it that despite what looks like very strong public hostility, together with a powerful media opposition, the proposed UK government surveillance programme, the Communications Capabilities Development Programme (a description of which can be found on the Open Rights Group … Continue reading →

Posted in data retention, government, Human Rights, Internet, Nick Clegg, Privacy, Privacy International, surveillance, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

A creditable approach?

Posted on August 10, 2010 by

Is the new UK government ‘privacy friendly’ after all? Some of the early signs have been very promising – from the headline-grabbing cancellation of the ID card programme onward – but the latest news out of Downing Street should start … Continue reading →

Posted in data protection, government, Privacy | 1 Comment