Dear Jon Davies, here's your newsletter from the frontline of digital
rights: defending and promoting citizens' rights in the digital age
This is our last newsletter of 2012. We began the year
with three major goals: to defeat
ACTA<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2012/acta-you-won>on>,
to prevent the draft Communications Data
Bill<http://www.openrightsgroup.orgblog/2012/joint-committee-slams-home-offices-snoopers-charter>becoming
law and to stop
default censorship of the
internet<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/press/releases/education-consult…se>.
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*<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/join/>n/>.
Joining today <http://www.openrightsgroup.org/join>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!<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2012/org-is-ready-for-legal-ac…
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 <http://www.openrightsgroup.org/join/> *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<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/press/releases/education-consul…
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<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2012/joint-committee-slams-ho…
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<http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-12-11/home-office-can-be-no-de…
”.
We are determined to ensure that this does not happen.
We went to
Parliamen<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2012/come-along-to-our-mp-…
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
<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2012/promobay-block>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<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/press/releases/bpis-promobay.org…
.
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<http://openrightsgroup.org/join>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
<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/join>against government and corporate
actions limiting your digital rights byjoining
today!<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/join>
*
*
* *
Fin us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/openrightsgroup>
Follow us on Twitter <http://twitter.com/openrightsgroup>
*News in Brief
* We took on Golden Eye in
court<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/press/releases/goldeneye-appeal-on-…
we’re currently waiting for the verdict which should come this week.
We’ve made it clear that Norwich Pharmacal Orders need close examination in
court.
*Mobile Censorship*
The Government decided against default ‘on’ censorship, but mobile blocking
continues. This week the website of St Mark’s church was
blocked<http://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2012/another-church-blocked-…
it belongs to the ‘New Wine’ denomination. It was classified as
‘alcohol’ despite the use of the word 'wine' not relating to use of
alcohol. * *
*ORG out and about *
Hacio'r iaith <http://haciaith.com/what-is-hacior-iaith-english/>, 19
January
ORG at the Welsh language free software, Internet and digital activism day
unconference
London supporter meet up, 21
January<http://www.meetup.com/ORG-London/events/74016472/>
Location TBC
Oxford Media Convention, 23 January
11.45<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/2012/nov/13/programme>
Jim Killock presenting on the panel: Smart TVs, SmartPhones and Stupid
Parents: What should government, business and citizens be doing to provide
greater protection for children online?
Oxford Media Convention / IPPR
Saïd Business School
* *
Follow us on Twitter
<http://twitter.com/openrightsgroup> | Find
us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/openrightsgroup>
*Contents CC-BY-SA <http://www.openrightsgroup.org/licence> Open Rights
Group 2011 *
*Our mailing address is:*
11 Marshalsea Road, Borough, London SE1 1EN
We need your help <http://www.openrightsgroup.org/volunteer> to fight for
your rights and to keep the web open and free.
Unsubscribe from this
list<http://action.openrightsgroup.org/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.…
Join
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--
*Jon Davies - Chief Executive Wikimedia UK*. Mobile (0044) 7803 505 169
tweet @jonatreesdavies
Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and
Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered
Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.
United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia
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Telephone (0044) 207 065 0990.
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