PI Reports

PI responds to European Commission Consultation on the Privacy Directive 31/12/2009
PI has responded to the European Commission's consultation on the future of the legal framework for the protection of personal data in Europe.

Update on APEC process since February 2009 meeting in Singapore 01/03/2009
Privacy International participated in the APEC data privacy subgroup meeting in Singapore in February 2009. This report outlines the results of the meeting.

PI Report on APEC Privacy issues from 2008 to 2009 20/02/2009
As APEC moves to establish its privacy rules, Privacy International is providing this update on how the situation was evolved between the Lima meeting in 2008. This report was tabled at the APEC Data Privacy Subgroup meeting in Singapore in February 2009.

Privacy international identifies major security flaw in Google’s global phone tracking system 05/02/2009
One day after the global launch of Google’s “Latitude” phone tracking system, Privacy International has identified what appears to be a fundamental design problem that could substantially endanger user privacy.

PI Black Zone Report on Data Sharing - Sharing the Misery 25/01/2009
Of the hundreds of issues engaged each year by Privacy International, a small handful stand out because of the fundamental risk they pose to the foundations of privacy protection. The UK government’s proposal to legislate for wide scale sharing of personal data is one such instance.

PI Releases its annual report for 2008 21/12/2008
The 2008 Annual report reviews PI's activities and goals for the past year, and discusses our sources of funding, and potential projects for the new year. In 2008 our core activities can be grouped into three domains: Advancing and Protecting Privacy and Transparency Rules, Engaging with International Institutions and Processes, and Monitoring Anti-Terrorism Policies and other forms of Exceptional Surveillance.

Review of Draft Moldovan State Secrets Act 27/11/2008
Privacy International has reviewed the draft State Secrets Acts currently being considered by the Moldovan Parliament. The review finds that the draft continues the excessive secrecy of the current policies and in many areas, expands secrecy. It does introduce some modest improvements including better defining the categories of secrets and the inclusion of the public interest test. Overall, the adoption of the bill would represent a step backwards rather than making the system of secrets more open, efficient and accountable. The review was conducted for the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

PI authors report on Counter-Terrorism and Freedom of the Media 25/11/2008
A new report conducted by Privacy International for the Council of Europe Media and Information Society Division reveals effects of new counter-terrorism laws on media and free expression rights in European countries. The report “Speaking of Terror” examines how the “war on terror” has affected access to information, the growth of incitement, glorification and “extremism” restrictions on speech, blocking of internet sites, increased surveillance of journalists and limits on protection of journalists’ sources.

Civil Society Update of the APEC Privacy Initiative 02/09/2008
This is a Civil Society participants' report on the APEC Data Privacy Subgroup meeting in Lima, Peru, 12-15 August 2008. In relation to Civil Society participants concerns, the meetings provided re-assurance on some but also intensified others. It remains unclear as to whether the APEC initiative will, overall, offer any net benefit to consumers. Civil Society's strong preference remains comprehensive privacy legislation with higher standards; independent data protection or information privacy authorities; conditions on the transfer of personal information to third countries and effective enforcement mechanisms.

Privacy International reports on Asia-Pacific privacy process 23/04/2008
PI participated in meetings regarding the APEC Privacy Framework. In this report, PI summraises and analyses the results of the Peru meeting in February 2008.

PI presentation to Asia-Pacific meeting 23/02/2008
PI participated in the APEC privacy subgroup meeting in Peru. Our presentation outlined the challenges, procedures, and alternatives.

A Race to the Bottom - Privacy Ranking of Internet Service Companies 09/06/2007
This report has been prepared by Privacy International following a six-month investigation into the privacy practices of key Internet based companies. AOL, Apple, Facebook, Hi5, Reunion.com, Windows Live Space, and Yahoo! are identified as companies with policies and techniques that pose substantial threats to privacy, while Google is outed as being 'hostile to privacy'.

PI Responds to the UK Home Office on attempts to 'modernise' policing powers 31/05/2007
The text of a submission from Privacy International to the UK Home Office's consultation on 'Modernising Police Powers', where they call for shops to set up temporary detaining facilities, the collection of DNA and fingerprints for littering by anyone over the age of ten, amongst others.

PI Commentary on Surveillance and Threats to Journalism (off-site) 03/05/2007
For World Press Freedom Day 2007, PI and the World Association of Newspapers have released a new commentary discussing the increasing use of surveillance by governments to undermine journalists' legal right to protect the identity of their sources. The article is available in English, French, Spanish, Germany and Russian.

PI Report on Freedom of Information, Secrets and Protection of Sources in OSCE (PDF) 02/05/2007
For World Press Freedom Day, PI has released a new report which reviews freedom of information, state secrets and protection of journalists sources laws in the 56 OSCE participating states and finds that while most OSCE countries have adopted freedom of information laws, there has been an increasing abuse of state secrets laws and illegal searches and wiretapping to limit journalists' and the public's right to know crucial information about the activities of their governments. A 400 page compendium of responses from questionnaires is also available.

PI Comments on Draft Croatian Secrets Act 15/04/2007
At the request of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, PI has written a legal analysis of the draft Croatian Bill on Data Secrecy (Eng/Cr). The Review finds that the current Draft is flawed and represents a lost opportunity to adopt a law that is consistent with modern western standards on protection of state secrets. As it currently stands, the Draft raises serious concerns about its effects on public access to government information and should be significantly amended before it is considered by the Parliament.

PI Report for the European Parliament on U.S. travel surveillance 26/03/2007
Privacy International today released a report at the European Parliament on the regulatory failures surrounding the surveillance of passengers in the U.S. The report, commissioned by the European Parliament's LIBE Committee for civil liberties, finds that there are many loopholes for passenger surveillance within the existing EU-US agreement on data transfers, and this will likely get worse unless EU negotiators start holding the U.S. to account.

PHR2005 - Threats to Privacy 28/10/2006

ACLU and PI release report at the European Parliament on passenger profiling 19/10/2006
Privacy International and the American Civil Liberties Union released a report entitled 'The Positive Profiling Problem' that looks at the technological and political problems encountered by the U.S. authorities in their attempt to develop a passenger profiling system. The report was released at a seminar at the European Parliament on terrorism and civil liberties.

PI and ACLU show that SWIFT auditor has extensive ties to US Government 27/09/2006
The role of the consulting and engineering firm Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. in providing oversight for the SWIFT surveillance program, much touted by the program’s defenders, was called into significant question today by the American Civil Liberties Union and Privacy International, which released a memo that they prepared at the request of European regulators, documenting the consulting firm’s close ties to the U.S. Government.