Search results for tag #ukpolitics
“Child safety is vital, but giving ministers sweeping powers to make communication conditional on digital ID is a profound and risky expansion of state control.”
🗣️ ORG’s James Baker on new Henry VIII powers to extend age verification across any part of the Internet without going through the UK Parliament.
ORG is calling on the government to create a UK digital sovereignty strategy.
The UK needs more control over its digital infrastructure, so our systems can't be switched off.
It's a matter of national security and consumer protection.
Sign our petition ⬇️
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-trump-s-kill-switch-secure-our-digital-sovereignty
#BigTech #enshittification #DigitalSovereignty #ukpolitics #ukpol
“We need to end the dominance of Big Tech companies who lock users, businesses and governments into using services that are underpinned by harmful business models."
“The EU and the UK need to take action to rebalance this power, promote competition and support alternatives to Big Tech."
🗣️ James Baker for ORG.
#BigTech #enshittification #DigitalSovereignty #ukpolitics #ukpol #eu
ORG and European civil society groups have warned about the reliance on a few dominant companies for digital infrastructure.
This means they can degrade their services without consequences – known as enshittification, as coined by Cory Doctorow.
Read more about the report and open letter to EU institutions ⬇️
#BigTech #enshittification #DigitalSovereignty #ukpolitics #ukpol #eu
Age walls could be erected at the UK government's whim.
New Henry VIII powers would give Ministers the ability to impose age verification way beyond social media.
We'll have to surrender our ID to unregulated providers to access information and services. It only makes Big Tech more powerful – data is their lifeblood.
We must stand up for #privacy! It starts with protecting VPNs.
Sign our petition ➡️ https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-government-protect-vpn-use-uk
https://peertube.openrightsgroup.org/w/87PRaAiX1qKCMSk3RRLPYZ
We have a right to be presumed innocent. Not predicted guilty.
AI that claims to 'predict' crime will only replicate the historic discrimination and abuse already experienced by over-policed communities.
Sign the petition to ban it in the UK ⬇️
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ban-crime-predicting-police-tech
#SafetyNotSurveillance #precrime #AI #policing #automatedinjustice #ukpolitics #ukpol
So-called 'crime predicting' tech automates racism in the UK criminal justice system.
Even the police have admitted that it's biased, with it being based on flawed police data 🤷
We need to stop pouring in good money after bad.
We need an outright ban on its use.
#SafetyNotSurveillance #precrime #AI #policing #automatedinjustice #ukpolitics #ukpol
Putting VPNs behind an age wall threatens our privacy.
They keep young people safe from harassment. Business networks secure. Journalists, campaigners and whistleblowers shielded from harm.
Privacy is online safety ✊️
Sign the petition to protect VPN use in the UK ⬇️
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-government-protect-vpn-use-uk
#vpn #privacy #cybersecurity #ageverification #ukpolitics #ukpol
Cyber security authorities, including the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, advocate the use of VPNs to enhance online safety.
“Implementing age verification for VPNs could undermine their privacy benefits and pose challenges for legitimate users, including young individuals seeking online privacy and security. We risk trading one risk posed to young people for another.”
🗣️ @JamesBaker for ORG.
We welcome today's UK High Court ruling on Palestine Action.
The proscription not only criminalised political #protest but had far-reaching consequences for free speech online and counter terrorism programmes like #Prevent.
The government must change the Terrorism Act so future ones don't make similar proscriptions with worse consequences.
With the ban still in place, we need to hear how Ofcom expects platforms to remove #PalestineAction content.
The UK needs digital sovereignty to keep our communications, banking, energy, travel and healthcare systems secure.
If we stay dependent on foreign tech firms for our digital infrastructure, the UK risks its independence and resilience.
Sign our petition ⬇️
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-trump-s-kill-switch-secure-our-digital-sovereignty
Hidden within the UK Online Safety Act is the spy clause that threatens encryption on messaging apps.
As ORG's James Baker says, Ofcom "may be waiting to see what happens in Europe with the Chat Control proposal, because it’s quite hard for the UK to go alone.”
We spoke to Computer Weekly about some of the privacy threats coming up in 2026 ⬇️
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366636751/Privacy-will-be-under-unprecedented-attack-in-2026
#e2ee #encryption #ofcom #onlinesafetyact #ukpolitics #ukpol
Expanding facial recognition without proper safeguards in place puts our rights on the back foot.
We should be able to walk down the street without being ID’d at every step.
The UK Parliament must wake up and halt the march of this tech with its questionable accuracy.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3r7pwpgeweo
#facialrecognition #police #policing #ukpolitics ukpol #surveillance #privacy
Say No to Digital ID 🚫
Nearly 3 million people signed the petition against Digital ID. Next Monday, MPs will debate this 4th largest petition in British history.
Tell your MP (UK) to attend the debate and stop digital surveillance.
Use our tool ⬇️
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-attend-debate-digital-ids
#NotoDigitalID #DigitalID #surveillance #privacy #ukpolitics #ukpol #ID
At a whopping £1.8 billion, Digital ID is costly to the UK taxpayer and our rights.
This divisive scheme wasn't on Labour’s manifesto. It’s the last thing this government should be embarking on during a cost of living crisis.
The whole thing needs to be binned.
https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/28/digital_id_cost/
#NotoDigitalID #DigitalID #privacy #surveillance #ukpolitics #ukpol
Can a toddler be a terrorist?
A shocking new report has found that babies and toddlers have been referred to the UK's controversial counter-terrorism scheme Prevent hundreds of times since 2016.
ORG has shown that data collected under the Prevent programme is widely shared and retained for years even when referrals are marked ‘no further action’. Lives are being impacted from an absurdly young age.
Read more from Hyphen:
https://hyphenonline.com/2025/11/12/babies-referred-to-prevent-counter-terror-islamist/
UK politics, digital ID [SENSITIVE CONTENT]
Dear Estonian government: could you please schedule an embarassing leak of all digital ID records for sometime in the next few weeks? That would really help us out.Censorship creeps onwards 🤐
Ignoring issues with the UK Online Safety Act, the government is using Henry VIII powers to engulf more content.
Aimed at blocking 'self-harm' content, algorithms will misidentify support resources and content will vanish behind age gates.
https://www.digit.fyi/uk-gov-to-toughen-online-safety-act-against-self-harm-content/
#onlinesafetyact #onlinesafety #osa #censorship #freespeech #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol
The cybersecurity wrecking ball is turning to VPNs ‼️
It's dangerous to attack a tool that can help to keep adults and children safe online.
Age-gating this tech for UK users would increase cybercrime and put under 18s at a greater risk of predators.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn438z3ejxyo
#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #VPN #cybersecurity #privacy #ukpolitics #ukpol
"No matter your age, the [UK] Online Safety Act will restrict the content available to you online.”
“Adults are being forced to hand over information to unregulated age verification providers in order to get the uncensored version of social media apps such as X, Reddit and Bluesky.”
🗣️ ORG's Sara Chitseko.
https://theface.com/society/online-safety-act-palestine-young-voters-democracy-uk-politics
#OnlineSafetyAct #onlinesafety #osa #censorship #freespeech #ukpolitics #ukpol #ageverification #freedomofexpression #privacy