This is our last newsletter of 2012. We began the year with three major goals: to
defeat ACTA, to
prevent the draft Communications Data Bill becoming law and to
stop default censorship of the internet.
After a year of campaigning we have done all that and more, with a swathe of victories in just the last two months (more details below).
These successes show why we need you to join ORG.
Joining today enables us to keep doing essential work like this, and take on more projects as we fight for your rights in the coming year.
Join and boost ORG Law Fund's success
Victory 1. Thank you to all those who helped our ORG Law Fund! After just a month and a half of campaigning we have reached our first goal: we have now raised enough new funds to hire a part-time Legal Officer.
Please join now if you have not yet given your support; 300 new supporters would enable the new position to work full time and give ORG greater capacity for legal work.
We will begin our legal project in the new year and look forward to expanding ORG’s work by tackling digital rights in the courts.
Default Blocking Victory
Victory 2. The Government have released their response to the consultation on default blocking.
We were delighted to see that they have listened to your voice and dropped plans for ‘default on’ filters at a network level. The Department should be applauded for this sensible approach.
Their response shows that we have overwhelmingly demonstrated the case against internet censorship. The Government agreed that content filters “on their own... are insufficient” and that parents should take responsibility for keeping their children safe online. Thank you to all those who wrote to their to MPs and responded to the consultation questionnaire.
ORG win on the Snoopers’ Charter
Victory 3. The Joint Committee have published their report on the draft Communications Data Bill after months of receiving evidence from many parties.
We were pleased that the report listened to our evidence and your letters. It was very clear that the draft Bill pays "insufficient attention to the duty to respect the right to privacy”. Despite the report's strong criticism of the Home Office, they may simply ignore the pages of evidence and push ahead with their plans, claiming there “can be no delay”.
We are determined to ensure that this does not happen.
We went to Parliament on Monday to meet MPs and let them know that these plans must be dropped. We need a fundamental review of digital surveillance laws.
Promo Bay back online
Victory 4. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) told Virgin, BT, O2, TalkTalk and Sky to block The Promo Bay, despite there being no copyright infringing material on there. After we contacted the BPI to remove the block, they wrote to us and confirmed that they have now asked the country's four biggest ISPs to remove The Promo Bay from their list of blocked websites.
The wide range of censoring powers the BPI currently has, and the lack of transparency with which websites have been blocked are clearly shown by this incident. We are planning to produce and maintain a transparency website with a list of all blocked websites to remedy that.
Support our essential work
We depend on your support to keep winning these campaigns. Join now as a member, and get a free book!
Without your donations, we would not be able to continue our campaigns. That's why we ask you to support us against government and corporate actions limiting your digital rights by joining today!