Dear Jon Davies,

We're running a free workshop near you on Wednesday June 20th to help you learn about two key digital rights issues and practice lobbying your MP.

Join us and become a digital rights champion!

Venue: Resource for London, 356 Holloway Rd, London, N7 6PA
Date and time: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Find out more and sign up at the Eventbrite page.

What's happening?

Open Rights Group needs your help to defeat the latest attacks on internet freedom! We need to convince MPs that they should oppose new proposals for more surveillance and censorship.

These training sessions will help you learn about two of the biggest current digital rights issues. And we'll help you practice how to discuss them with your MP. The training will last for around four hours. First we will give you a good background briefing on the issues and an overview of the campaigns. Then we will do some practical training on how to speak to your MP, and cover other campaigning ideas too.

We'll be covering two big topics:

The “Snoopers’ Charter” - aka the Communications Data Bill - was announced in the Queen's speech and is about to be published by the government. The bill will create new powers to intercept and collect information about who you talk to online. Your communications via Google, Facebook or Skype will now be open to what may be a large number of government officials. We want to see the powers to collect and access communications data tightened up, not extended ever further.
Internet censorship. The government is considering whether Internet Service Providers should have to block websites that contain 'adult content' by default, with an 'opt out' for uncensored access. That would mean an infrastructure of censorship that could, through mistakes, abuse or mission creep, lead to more and more content being blocked for people in the UK. Our research on mobile Internet censorship recently showed how often the wrong websites can be filtered, for example. We want to prevent this further move towards private policing of the internet and free speech, and recommend better ways to help parents manage their children's Internet access.

You can help stop these proposals. And we are here to help you! You don't need any previous knowledge of the issues or experience talking with your MP.

Find out more and sign up at the Eventbrite page.

We're also running similar events around the country. Tell your friends!

Edinburgh, Saturday, 23 June
Manchester, Wednesday, 27 June
Sheffield, Thursday, 28 June
Birmingham, Wednesday, 4 July
Bristol, Saturday, 7 July

Thank you,

Jim Killock
Executive Director

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