Fight Government Hacking Powers

Bringing transparency to government hacking and challenging its use through research, policy advocacy, and litigation.

Privacy International is challenging government hacking for surveillance by:

Bringing greater transparency to government use of hacking as a form of surveillance. We are pushing governments for disclosure, through litigation challenging government hacking, Freedom of Information requests, and by pressuring oversight bodies and political representatives for information.
Raising awareness about the privacy and security risks of government hacking for surveillance. We are publishing videos, explainers and analyses to explain these risks from a human rights and technical perspective. We are also developing a set of recommendations, which articulate how the international human rights framework and security considerations should apply to government hacking.
Working to restrain government hacking as a form of surveillance. We are directly challenging government hacking in court, one of the first cases of its kind in the world. We also intervene in cases addressing government hacking. We conduct legislative and policy advocacy, analysing legal regimes authorising government hacking against the safeguards and oversight measures in our recommendations.

Featured Content

Advocacy

PI's Response to the UK Government's Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill

The UK is once again seeking to expand its surveillance powers. Seven years after the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 became law, the UK Government is now trying to amend it in ways which would further undermine already insufficient bulk surveillance safeguards and introduce a notification regime which could be used to prevent companies from implementing important privacy and security measures. PI is joining other UK civil society organisations in objecting to this problematic Bill.

Long Read

The UK government's controversial proposal to expand surveillance powers: What you need to know

Building on our response to the government’s plans, this piece explains why what they want to do puts every one of us at risk.

Advocacy

Two kites with eyeballs flying in blue sky

PI response to UK Government consultation on Technical Capabilities Notices

Among the myriad of surveillance powers it already possesses, the UK government wants the power to stop companies - anywhere in the world - from making security improvements to their services without approval. To fall under this power, the company only has to service UK users, and yet the effects will be felt by every user, every where.

Advocacy

PI and EFF's comments on UNcybecrime treaty

Privacy International and Electronic Frontier Foundation Comments on the Draft Text of the UN Cybercrime Convention

In this joint submission, Privacy International (PI) and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) provide observations and recommendations on the proposed draft text of the UN Cybercrime Convention for the August 2023 session.