News and Analysis

The following was written by Mike Rispoli, Communications Manager at Privacy International, and appeared in the 'Journalism in Europe' discussion series, hosted by Central European University: "The response by world leaders to the horrific terrorist attacks in France earlier this month has been all

15 January 2015 The following op-ed appeared in openDemocracy, written by Edin Omanovic, Research Officer at Privacy International: It's not surprising that some of the states in Central Asia spy on people. Authoritarianism across the world relies on the intrusion into, and lack thereof, of a

In the wake of tragic attacks in France, politicians from across the world are calling for dramatically expanded surveillance powers, to spy on our phonecalls, ban encrypted communications such as WhatsApp and iMessage, and store details about our international travels for years on end. If it feels

The right to privacy is on the frontline of a struggle that has seen a number of other constitutionally protected rights threatened during the last few bloody months of Kenya's ongoing security crisis. After at least 64 people were killed in two attacks by Al Shabaab militants in late 2014, members

Going into 2014, there were high hopes for advancing privacy protections and to finally have the debate around surveillance we've been clamouring for. Privacy was even Dictionary.com's word of the year in 2013. Europe was on the edge of passing new strong privacy laws, despite protests from industry

After remaining in the shadows for decades, the right to privacy is finally having its day in the sun at the United Nations. And rightfully so, given how seriously the right has been uniquely threatened in the past few years. Technology continues to rapidly evolve in the digital age, Western

In a recent trip to Colombia, Privacy International learned that the Colombian mobile phone network does not use any form of encryption. In this sense, Colombian communications are stuck in the 1990s, where cryptography was not yet widespread, and was still tightly controlled by governments who

In the last two days multiple security vendors, newspapers and experts have weighed in on the existence of the “Regin" malware, among the most sophisticated ever discovered, and its possible origins at GCHQ and the NSA. The Intercept has now confirmed Regin was the malware found on infected internal

The United Nations today adopted an important resolution reaffirming the right to privacy in the digital age, condemning unlawful government mass surveillance and calling on member States to review their legislation and policies to ensure that they are in line with human rights law. Despite efforts

Privacy international is proud to release “Private Interests: Monitoring Central Asia”, a 96-page report detailing its findings from an extensive investigation into electronic surveillance technologies in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The report brings together

Governments across Latin America are struggling to put in place effective intelligence and surveillance oversight regimes that guarantee the rights of citizens, according to a new report released by Privacy International's partner in Argentina, Asociación por los Derechos Civiles. The report, "Who's

In Egypt, the internet, social media and online engagement have provided a critical platform in recent years for Egyptians to express their frustration and demand change after years of social, economic and political repression. The use of social media during protests, and the government's recent

To read Privacy International's take on the ruling, go here. What does the decision actually say? The primary question that the Court was asked to consider was whether Google Search has obligations under the Data Protection Directive 1995, the EU legal framework regulating how public bodies and