Dear Sir Theresa May just announced a new counter-terrorism bill. Expanding the reach of the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act (DRIP) that was rushed through earlier this year, the proposed 'Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill' is a further affront to our digital rights. It will: Expand the amount of information that companies are forced to keep about you, especially targeting mobile companies. Continue a dangerous pattern of placing innocent citizens under surveillance, violating the right to privacy. Require public institutions, including NHS trusts and nursery schools, to keep tabs on people they think may be extremists, opening the door to politicised workplace surveillance of emails and web use. Include other human rights threats: measures such as temporary exclusion from the UK are also included, which Liberty and other groups will be fighting. You can read our initial response to the Bill here: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/pre...se-to-the-counter-terrorism-and-security-bill If this wasn’t worrying enough, it could be law within a matter of weeks. It was introduced yesterday and will be debated in a fast-track procedure. Once again the Government are in preventing real debate and scrutiny in the name of national security. The Bill was published the day after the Intelligence and Security Committee report into the murder of Lee Rigby. The timing of this has been criticised by ISC members themselves who have accused the government of spin. ORG will stand against this: Please join us today. https://www.openrightsgroup.org/join We have been voicing our concerns that Internet companies are becoming another arm of the surveillance state. You can find us on Buzzfeed, Channel 4, BBC, The Guardian, Wired, The Telegraph, The Independent and more. When this Bill is debated in Parliament we will come back to you and ask you to contact your MP to vote against these new abuses which cement mass surveillance, but right now we need more support to reach new audiences.This is our chance to make our voice for digital rights heard. There’s a general election in six months. Theresa May is campaigning on a platform of rolling back human rights and personal privacy. Together we can make our politicians understand why digital rights matter. But we need your help. Members of Open Rights Group make campaigning for internet privacy possible. Every new member means we have more funds to plan bigger and better actions. Please help us fight this Bill and join us today. https://www.openrightsgroup.org/join Best wishes, Jim
