The U.N. should make clear that “indiscriminate surveillance...
The U.N. should make clear that “indiscriminate surveillance is never consistent with the right to privacy” by adopting a resolution on digital privacy floated by Brazil and Germany, five major rights groups said Friday. Privacy International, Access, Amnesty International, Electronic…
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Frontier Foundation and Human Rights Watch told U.N. General Assembly members in a Wednesday letter (http://xrl.us/bp6y79) that adopting the resolution (http://xrl.us/bp6y8f) would “crucially reiterate the importance of protecting privacy and free expression in the face of technological advancements and encroaching State power.” The draft resolution reaffirms the right to privacy while recognizing the Internet’s global and open nature and its place in driving development. It affirms that people should have the same privacy rights online as offline. It urges governments to: (1) Respect and protect privacy rights, including in digital communications. (2) End violations of those rights. (3) Review their procedures, practices and laws on communications surveillance, interception and collection of personal data, including mass spying, with a view to upholding the right to privacy. (4) Set up or maintain independent, effective oversight mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability for government surveillance and interception. The draft also asks the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on the protection and promotion of privacy rights in the context of domestic and foreign surveillance and/or interception. If approved, the resolution would be the first U.N. statement on privacy in 25 years, Privacy International said. The organizations said they are “deeply concerned” that the countries in the “Five Eyes” alliance -- the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and U.K. -- are trying to weaken the resolution.