April 18th, 2013
The Queen’s Speech is set to take place on 8 May this year, and according to UK-based campaigning group 38 Degrees, Home Secretary Theresa May is still pushing for the controversial Communications Data Bill to go through.
The £1.8 million plan — known as “the Snooper’s Charter” by opponents — would require that all telecommunications companies monitor the phone, e-mail, and web usage of citizens. Index has previously called the draft bill “unacceptable”, and said last year that “the decisions the UK Parliament takes on this bill will impact on human rights both in the UK and beyond, not least in authoritarian states.”
Write to your MP to and let them know that the bill should be dropped.
March 25th, 2013
Christos Syllas looks at the threats to journalists and activists in crisis-stricken Greece, where a climate of terror prevails
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Tags: Tags: austerity measures, Elder Pastitsios, freedom of expression awards, Golden Dawn, Helena Smith, Hot Doc, Kostas Arvanitis, Kostas Vaxevanis, Lagarde list, Maria Margaronis, Marilena Katsimi, Politics and society, press freedom, privacy, protest, self-censorship, SKAI, Thanos Dimadis, transparency, Vassilis Sotiropoulos,
December 20th, 2012
A tough but voluntary regulator is the best way to ensure a free press and a fair society, Index says in a new policy note (more…)
December 11th, 2012
The British government’s Communications Data Bill
is to be redrafted after the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he would block the current bill.
The bill, which would give government agencies unprecedented access to email, web and phone traffic, has been described as a “snooper’s charter” by free speech and privacy groups.
Earlier today, a joint committee of MPs and Lords
published a damning report describing the draft bill as “too sweeping”, and criticising the vague definitions of the powers given to the Home Secretary by the proposed law.
Writing for the Independent, MP Julian Huppert, a member of the Joint Committee on the Communications Data Bill, said: “After this report, there is absolutely no way that this Bill – with its incredibly wide powers and few safeguards – can possibly proceed.The Home Office has completely failed to show that it is needed, proportionate, possible or affordable. They must start from scratch.”
Index on Censorship has been heavily critical of the Communications Data Bill. In
evidence submitted to the committee in August of this year, Index described the powers granted to the Home Secretary by the bill as “unacceptable”, and warned, “The decisions the UK Parliament takes on this bill willimpact on human rights both in the UK and beyond, not least in authoritarian states.”
December 11th, 2012
The coalition’s plan to store information on every citizen’s use of email, the web, and phones have been dealt a serious blow by a parliamentary committee report. Padraig Reidy reports
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November 23rd, 2012
Greek Journalist Kostas Vaxevani after his arrest for exposing alleged tax cheats – Athens – Stathis Kalligeris | Demotix
Index on Censorship and other freedom of expression groups urge the European Union to defend free speech (more…)
November 1st, 2012
Investigative journalist
Kostas Vaxevanis, whose Hot Doc magazine published a leaked list (nicknamed the “Lagarde list”) of over 2,000 names of Greeks with Swiss bank accounts, has been acquitted of breaking data privacy laws. In a video uploaded the night before his arrest earlier this week, Vaxevanis said: “They are after me instead of the truth.” His arrest drew widespread condemnation from rights groups and international media.
October 24th, 2012
The more we live our lives online, the greater the temptation for governments and private companies to spy on us. Padraig Reidy highlights the dark side of our increasing dependence on digital communications
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