Global Human Rights Study Warns of Endemic Privacy Threats

[OneBlueSky]

annual Global Privacy Study released by Privacy International and the Electronic Privacy Information Center . . . dated 11/17/04 . . . (EPIC)

http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd<347>=x-347-83992

(EXTENSIVE section on privacy in the US here . . .
http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd<347>=x-347-83512)

(links don't seem to work, probably because they contain brackets that DU uses for formatting . . . have to go to the main site to access the report, I guess . . .)

A major international privacy report published today has concluded that governments across the world have substantially increased surveillance in the past year. The report warns that threats to personal privacy have reached a level that is dangerous to fundamental human rights.

The 7th annual Privacy and Human Rights survey, published by Privacy International & the US based Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) reviews the state of privacy in sixty countries and warns that invasions of privacy across the world has increased significantly in the past twelve months. The 800 page report is available free of charge at http://www.privacyinternational.org/survey/phr2004

The report paints a bleak picture of the erosion of the right to privacy, particularly since the September 11th attacks in the United States. It observed: that crime and public order laws passed in recent years have placed substantial limitations on numerous rights, including freedom of assembly, privacy, freedom of movement, the right of silence, and freedom of speech. Governments have continued to use terrorism as the pretext for an increase of surveillance, even when surveillance is unwarranted.

The report identifies a trend across the world toward mass surveillance of the general population, and cited a catalogue of illegal spying and surveillance activities by government agencies.

In response to calls for increased security many countries have pursued policy and legislative efforts that aim at implementing identification schemes, expanding the surveillance of communications for law enforcement and national security agencies, weakening data protection regimes, and intensifying data sharing and collection practices - all made possible by a growing cooperation between government entities and the private sector.

- much, much more, including reports on individual countries . . .

http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd<347>=x-347-83992