Open rights for all
Today is Open Rights Group’s third birthday. Most of you who read this will know that I care greatly (often to the point of apoplexy) about digital rights and personal privacy. ORG can somehow take all my pent up rage and manages to channel it into civil discourse and lobbying. This is important, both for my stress levels and for the nation as a whole.
As part of the celebrations they have published their 2008 Annual Report and for a slightly more casual approach this blog entry. Please have a read and if you aren’t already a member and have even the vaguest unease at the way our government is encroaching into ownership (and ongoing losses) of our personal data and online lives then give them your support.
Happy Third Birthday ORG!
TCSOTD 2007-11-27
Petition to abandon plans to create the Information Sharing Index
Henry Porter: A mass movement is needed to tackle the state’s snoopers
... hint: Open Rights Group is a good place to start
‘Biometrics are not a panacea for data loss’:A letter to the Joint Committee on Human Rights
Innocents fear DNA database errors
... ‘In the past year, more than 100 possible inaccuracies in the documentation of DNA profiles have been discovered, and a further 1,500 administrative mistakes have been logged on the system.’
A Chinese man is suing for divorce after discovering that he is the father of only one of his twins.
Taxpayer may have to pay £170bn for PFI schemes, says Treasury
Miss Mind the Gap sacked
... oh dear, TfL seem to have lost their corporate sense of humour
TCSOTD 2007-11-21
Ebay sale for two CD’s with some sort of database on them
... Ha ha ha ha ha
B3ta’s reaction to the HMRC data loss here
More serious reactions from ORG
... and Professor Ross Anderson, which is particularly worth reading.
Facebook is causing a different privacy row
... Channel 4 has a take on it too
TCSOTD 2007-06-26
Some in-depth background to that silly girl and her Silver Ring court case
... it’s sad but my first thought when I heard about this was “I wonder what link her family has to the Silver Ring Thing”
US Forth Amendment Rights have been extended to email
The ‘Law Abiding Majority’ doesn’t exist
... “More than six out of 10 people regularly commit crimes against the government, their employers or businesses, research suggests.”
... Ideal Government’s take on it
Department of Health caught editing history to agree with party line
... Dr Rant rants
First Vista only game cracked to work on XP
A worthwhile petition: bring back proper physics education
Some good comment on the ORG evoting report
Some lovely satire from Ken MacLeod: ‘Antichrist role ‘could hinder’ Blair’s conversion’
Why is last.fm not joining the day of silence protest
... more info here
TCSOTD 2007-06-20
ORG’s damning report on Electronic Voting has been released
... [14:17] The Register comments on it here
Alan Johnston has been in captivity 100 days
RPCEmu / Arculator: free Risc PC and Archimedes emulation
‘Go to work on an egg’ ad banned
EMI has DRM free sales boom
... ‘Dump the protection increase the sales’ what a surprise
US crowd beats car passenger to death
Chris Ware designed Cover for Candide
TCSOTD 2007-05-23
Police Chief’s ‘Orwellian’ Fears
Over 100,000 innocent young people now on the National DNA Database
ORG is looking for new Board members
Staff asked to snoop for police
Anger at plans for NHS database of gay men
... [16:42] Tim Worstall nails it
Madeleine’s eye holds vital clue
Result of Daily Mail Hatchet Job on Owen Barder
Traffic Wardens to get video cameras
... Someone clearly has too much money to spend. How long until crimes against traffic wardens increase?
... “The technology will also help wardens in their new role of issuing fixed penalties for anti-social behaviour.” Oh dear me.
