Privacy International

Privacy International, a registered UK charity (No. 1147471), was founded in 1990 and was the first organisation to campaign at an international level on privacy issues. Privacy International is committed to fighting for the right to privacy across the world. It investigates the secret world of government surveillance and expose the companies enabling it; litigate to ensure that surveillance is consistent with the rule of law; advocate for strong national, regional, and international laws that protect privacy; conduct research to catalyse policy change; raise awareness about technologies and laws that place privacy at risk, to ensure that the public is informed and engaged.

To ensure that this right is universally respected, PI strengthen the capacity of its partners in developing countries and work with international organisations to protect the most vulnerable.

Privacy International envisions a world in which the right to privacy is protected, respected, and fulfilled. Privacy is essential to the protection of autonomy and human dignity, serving as the foundation upon which other human rights are built. In order for individuals to fully participate in the modern world, developments in law and technologies must strengthen and not undermine the ability to freely enjoy this right.

Open letter calling on Apple to abandon its plans to build surveillance capabilities into its products
Open letter calling on Apple to abandon its plans to build surveillance capabilities into its products 19 August 2021 Various

APC joined with an international coalition of over 90 civil society organisations in an open letter to Apple, calling on the company to abandon its recently announced plans to build surveillance capabilities into iPhones, iPads and other Apple products. 

Joint open letter by civil society organisations and independent experts calling on states to implement an immediate moratorium on the sale, transfer and use of surveillance technology
Joint open letter by civil society organisations and independent experts calling on states to implement an immediate moratorium on the sale, transfer and use of surveillance technology 26 July 2021 Various

Dozens of civil society organisations and independent experts joined forces to express their alarm at the media revelations that NSO Group’s spyware has been used to facilitate human rights violations around the world on a massive scale and to call on states to take immediate measures.

Open letter to Facebook and Google on equal and better transparency regarding political advertising on their platforms
Open letter to Facebook and Google on equal and better transparency regarding political advertising on their platforms 01 February 2021 Various

APC and a coalition of over 60 other organisations are calling on Facebook and Google to provide equal and better transparency regarding political advertising on their platforms globally. Online transparency should not be a privilege of the few, but the right of all.

Consumer and digital rights groups call on the international joint initiative on e-commerce to safeguard data protection and privacy
Consumer and digital rights groups call on the international joint initiative on e-commerce to safeguard data protection and privacy 16 November 2020 Various

This joint statement calls on countries participating in the WTO negotiations on global rules to make it easier for consumers and companies to trade online to design a deal that puts people at its the centre and fully protect their rights.

Joint letter calling for reforms to EU funding to ensure the right to privacy
Joint letter calling for reforms to EU funding to ensure the right to privacy 11 November 2020 Various

In this joint letter, APC, Privacy International and other civil society organisations raise their concerns over the funding and development of projects and initiatives which threaten the right to privacy and other fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

Open letter from human rights NGO coalition to the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism
Open letter from human rights NGO coalition to the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism 30 July 2020 Various

APC and 14 other organisations have joined together to send a public letter to the newly appointed Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) Executive Director Nicholas Rasmussen to apprise him of threats to human rights posed by GIFCT.

Joint civil society statement: States' use of digital surveillance technologies to fight pandemic must respect human rights
Joint civil society statement: States' use of digital surveillance technologies to fight pandemic must respect human rights 02 April 2020 Various

Over 100 organisations from around the world signed a joint statement stressing that digital surveillance to fight COVID-19 can only be justified if it respects human rights, and setting out conditions that must be met before the use of surveillance technology to fight the pandemic.

Joint open letter to the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism
Joint open letter to the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism 25 February 2020 Various

In response to the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) call for expressions of interest to join its Independent Advisory Committee (IAC), APC and other NGOs expressed their concerns about the IAC specifically, and the growing role of GIFCT more broadly in regulating content online.

 APC joins call urging Google to take action against exploitative mobile apps
APC joins call urging Google to take action against exploitative mobile apps 13 January 2020 APCNews

Privacy International issued an open letter to the CEO of Google parent company Alphabet Inc., asking Google to “take action against exploitative pre-installed software on Android devices.” The letter is both a caution and a call to action and has been endorsed by over 50 other organisations.

An open letter to Google
An open letter to Google 08 January 2020 Various

On 8 January 2020, Privacy International and over 50 other organisations, including APC, submitted a letter to Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai asking Google to take action against exploitative pre-installed software on Android devices.

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