Updates on Internet Privacy and Human Rights

In early November, a number of US-based rights groups called on government agencies to live up to their obligations under  1998 Executive Order 13107 and the ICCPR requiring point of contact responsible for responding to human rights violations within agency jurisdiction.  In letters to six agencies, including DOJ and the Department of Defense, the civil society groups renewed requests that they had first made in March 2015.   

The renewed requests were spurred by an October decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union striking down the EU-U.S. Safe Harbor arrangement that allowed free flow of information between the governments.  In its ruling, the Court emphasized the absence of a remedy in the US for improper processing of personal data.  According to the coalition organizations, “[s]ubstantial reform of U.S. surveillance laws and authorities . . . will be necessary in order to assure the EU and the rest of the world that U.S. companies are able to adequately respect the privacy of non-U.S. persons.”

Want to be part of the dialogue to address these issues?  RightsCon 2016 is coming up, March 20 to April 1, 2016, in the Silicon Valley.  According to the organizers at Access Now, “RightsCon brings together activists, visionaries, technologists, businesses, lawyer, civil society members, and engineers to advance the issues at the intersection of internet and human rights.”  Proposals for program sessions are due by December 4.  More information is available here.