Notices by Privacy International (privacyint@mastodon.xyz)

In December, Google made a major announcement - they're ending their ban on device fingerprinting.

This could dramatically reshape the future of web tracking and could have dire consequences on user privacy and your ability to stay safe online.

https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/12/our-response-to-google-s-policy-change-on-fingerprinting

We created a Handbook for Civil Society: Challenging Public-Private Surveillance Partnerships 💥

Learn how to investigate a government/business surveillance partnership and identify key technical and governance concerns 🔍 https://privacyinternational.org/learning-resources/challenging-public-private-surveillance-partnerships-handbook-civil-society

📣 We're looking for a new Legal Officer!

Apply to join our team in London to help us achieve PI’s goals as we formulate new and creative ways to demand change globally, including working with our partners across the world. 🌐

📋 Full job description: https://privacyinternational.org/opportunities/5333/legal-officer
📨 Deadline: Sunday, 14 July 2024 at 11:59pm BST.

🚨New job opening - Legal Officer🚨

Are you passionate about tech and human rights, curious about how tech affects power and shapes the future and ready to speak out for change?

📋 Full job description: https://privacyinternational.org/opportunities/5197/legal-officer
📨 Deadline: Sunday, 21 January 2024, 11:59pm GMT

In June '22, a pilot scheme was introduced to fit GPS ankle devices on people seeking asylum. This pilot was extended in June '23, despite the UK Home Office admitting that the data collected from the pilot didn’t show that GPS tracking was effective at preventing absconding.

They’re now considering applying GPS tracking to all people arriving via ‘unauthorised means’ to prevent absconding, all before the unproven pilot has concluded.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/27/home-office-may-fit-asylum-seekers-with-electronic-tags

Firstly, a FOIA response found that of people granted bail between Feb 2020 and March 2021 - more than 7,000 people - just 43 people absconded. Less than 0.56%.

https://privacyinternational.org/news-analysis/4907/shining-light-hostile-environment

Secondly, this practice has been described as “psychological torture” by those who are subject to it, and evidenced to cause physical and mental harm.

See Bail for Immigration Detainees' report: https://www.biduk.org/articles/research-reveals-inhumane-effects-of-gps-tagging-on-migrants

Furthermore, these tags can have serious consequences.

A hostile government can see whatever it wants to see in the data, and use it as evidence to deny people’s human rights claims, deport them, or arrest them.

We bought some similar tags from the open market and tested them, to see how they work, including the pitfalls of GPS data.

https://youtu.be/tktbVWKh-Dw?si=USHlM9-QOB4opyMb

Capita is an outsourcing company, paid millions of pounds to help the Home Office track the GPS location of non-British people 24/7 using ankle tags or portable devices.

This practice has been described as “psychological torture” by those subjected to it.
#DignityNotData

https://youtu.be/iEqRdWqZ-c4

We're hiring! Privacy International is looking for a new Advocacy Officer and a Tech Advocacy officer, so if you're interested in human rights, tech, law and policy, check it out!

https://privacyinternational.org/about/opportunities

Think @Office365 is just about Word, Outlook and Teams? What if we told you it can also be used by your employer to spy on you?

https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/4909/wfh-watched-home-office-365-and-workplace-surveillance-creep