STATEMENT: The public is enduring a shock and awe campaign of complex and contradictory executive commands, endowed with the weight of criminal sanctions. Ministerial decrees like those we've seen today require us to reflect on the damage parliamentary democracy has sustained /1
during this crisis. The restrictions may be justified, but this should be a matter for parliament. It is alarming that ministers are governing via press statements rather than the democratic process. /2
CONTACT TRACING: The Prime Minister’s plans to legally require pubs, restaurants and other premises to demand customers’ details and become data controllers overnight are excessive, intrusive and pose serious privacy risks. Voluntary systems that respect individuals’ judgement /3
and consent have more chance of fostering trust and co-operation.

We will see cases where people’s personal data is hoarded, lost and misused, whether for marketing or unwanted personal contact.

We have already made representations to some premises after people who gave /4
personal details for contact tracing received unsolicited messages from staff.

We will closely scrutinise the new law when it is published to assess the impact on our privacy rights. /5

🚨SUBSCRIBE 🚨 for updates: bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/subscribe/

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More from @BigBrotherWatch

2 May
GOOD NEWS! CPS to review EVERY charge, conviction + sentence brought under emergency coronavirus laws!

This follows our investigation into a teen wrongfully convicted after visiting his mum. In our report this week we called on CPS to review every case.

thetimes.co.uk/article/cps-wi…
This is the first time the CPS has ever launched a review of every charge under a specific law.

Huge thanks to our Researcher @madeleine_beth who has been calling courts! And Times journalist @fariha54 + human rights lawyer @Kirsty_Brimelow bringing much needed scrutiny👏
The Times view:

"This zealotry is unfair on law-abiding citizens who find themselves treated like criminals (..) That is particularly dangerous since the [rules] rely on public consent. Should large numbers decide to rebel, the police would not have the manpower to enforce them"
Read 6 tweets
19 Mar
STATEMENT on #CoronavirusBillUK:

The #CoronavirusBill:

Empowers police, immigration officers & public health officials to demand documentation; detain & isolate members of the public potentially indefinitely, including children; & forcibly take biological samples for testing /1
It permits prohibition of public events & gatherings without standard protections for strikes & industrial action that exist in Civil Contingencies Act 2004.

It weakens safeguards on the exercise of mass surveillance powers, quadrupling time review limits for urgent warrants /2
It is right that Government is taking rapid and robust action to protect public health, but we cannot let basic rights fall casualty to this crisis.

Our country faces challenges best when we hold onto our values, not abandon them. /3
Read 8 tweets
12 Feb
🚨 OFCOM & Online Harms regulation:

To be clear the Government is making private companies legally resposible for what we, individuals, say to each other. This explicitly requires mass surveillance & censorship.

This is going to be a disaster for privacy & free speech online.
The “duty of care” regulation proposed today gives social media companies legal responsibility for preventing psychological “harm” - undefined - arising from online chats between members of the public.

The result? Social media companies have to police private conversations.
The proposal goes far beyond policing unlawful content. It explicitly creates powers for lawful speech to be ‘regulated’.

It subjects lawful speech online to state-sponsored censorship, imposed by an unelected regulator. This directly undermines the right to free expression.
Read 7 tweets
12 Aug 19
BREAKING: Kings Cross under private facial recognition surveillance @kingscrossN1C

This is the worst case scenario for privacy. Huge areas of our capital have been sold off, privately policed - and now are being covered with Chinese-style surveillance.

ft.com/content/8cbcb3…
UPDATE: Silkie here. Just spent some time in Kings Cross Ltd

Look up at this helpful sign! 👀

#facialrecognition
Also spotted this. This is an Avigilon H4 camera. It’s features include ‘self learning video analytics’ such as ‘unusual motion detection’.
Read 7 tweets
23 Jul 19
NEW: Our report, Digital Strip Searches, reveals the shocking extent of excessive police demands for rape victims' mobile phones.

No victim should have to choose between privacy + justice.

Police must urgently devise a lawful + proportionate approach.

bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/upl…
Our call for urgent reform is signed by 10 rights groups:

@amnesty
@EVAWuk
@centreWJ
@JUSTICEhq
@privacyint
@libertyhq
@SBSisters
@fawcettsociety
@survivorstrust

And:
Victims Commissioner @VictimsComm
Jess Phillips MP @jessphillips
Caroline Lucas MP @CarolineLucas
@ManduReid
@amnesty @EVAWuk @centreWJ @JUSTICEhq @privacyint @libertyhq @SBSisters @fawcettsociety @survivorstrust @VictimsComm @jessphillips @CarolineLucas @ManduReid 2. Police mobile phone + digital download technology doesn’t allow victims to give police relevant pieces of evidence without feeling like their private lives will be put on trial:
Read 7 tweets
15 May 18
LIVE: Our report and campaign launch on UK police use of automated facial recognition in Parliament is starting imminently (16.00).

We will be hearing from MPs, Lords and rights and race equality groups.

Our campaign: bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/all-campaigns/…

Follow this thread for updates.
Thanks to @DavidLammy MP for his support for our campaign and event and to @GreenJennyJones for organising the first parliamentary debate in the House of Lords recently.
Our Director @silkiecarlo opens with some of the disturbing facts:

UK police have been using automated facial recognition at public events since Notting Hill Carnival in 2016.

In that time, the Met police has an accuracy rate of 2%, while South Wales police is no better with 9%
Read 20 tweets

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