PI launches new technology site

16/06/2010

Privacy International today launched "Cracking the Black Box" (https://boxcrack.net), a site devoted to discovering the answers to key technical mysteries behind some of the world's most controversial IT systems. The site encourages experts and whistleblowers to help resolve crucial questions about how technology is designed and deployed. The first two issues being addressed are the Google Wi-Fi controversy and the EU proposal to retain search data.

Every day in every newspaper on earth you'll read about privacy invasions created by companies and governments that use often incomprehensible technology to pry into our communications, our transactions and our lifestyle.

Sometimes we understand how this invasion is achieved. Sometimes the technologies and the techniques are known. But more often than not the systems are shielded in black boxes, shrouded by legal protection and obfuscation.

There are times when an organisation has every right to keep its technology secret. But there are times when it is in the public interest to crack open that black box. This is very much so when organisations have been less than honest or clear about what they do. Armed with precise knowledge of a system consumers can take action.

Cracking the Black Box aims to expose technology that is being used in inappropriate ways. We hope to bring together the insights of experts and whistleblowers to shine a light into the dark recesses of systems that are responsible for causing many of the privacy problems faced by millions of people.

How it works

We invite you to share your thoughts on the various topics on the site. These threads are pre-moderated and we reserve the right to remove material that is libelous, fictitious or abusive. We hope that the contributions to specific questions will help resolver some of the burning questions.

However we suggest that sensitive information should be send directly to us through the contact page. We advise the use of an anonymising system such as Tor (The Onion Router). If requested we will place this information on the site with whatever background data is required.