[bestbits] New article on Cybersecurity and Human Rights

[David Cake]

Of course its not a new idea for people to be in control over their own data - but I think Andrew and Lea make a valuable contribution here in eloquently making the argument that privacy rights and being in control over your own data is not just a right to be protected (that might then be understood to sometimes be in conflict with national security), but rather in the internet world of porous borders an absolutely intrinsic part of national security. We need to strongly express the argument in the cybersecurity debate that any proposal to weaken individual privacy and security in the name of ‘national security’ (such as data retention or mass surveillance proposals, and absolutely efforts to weaken access to encryption or mandate ‘backdoors’) is misguided and actually weakens national security in a very meaningful way.

The rights argument and control over our own data should go without saying to civil society - but we can expect the security establishment to weigh arguments differently.

David

> On 24 Nov 2015, at 1:22 AM, Niels ten Oever <lists at digitaldissidents.org> wrote:
> 
> Signed PGP part
> Hi Jonathan,
> 
> Thanks for this! The idea of being in control over your own data and
> allow third parties access on your conditions is not new. It has been
> mentioned by Tim Berners-Lee before and the people in the Social Web
> Working Group in W3C have been doing quite some work on it:
> http://www.w3.org/Social/WG
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Niels
> 
> 
> On 11/18/2015 06:03 PM, Jonathan Jacobs wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Just to let everyone know that GPD's Executive Director Andrew
> > Puddephatt and Head of Programmes Lea Kaspar have co-written an
> > article for openDemocracy, titled *Cybersecurity is the new
> > battleground for human rights.  <http://bit.ly/1YgpO85>*
> >
> > In the article, Andrew and Lea argue that human rights defenders
> > need to start engaging with cybersecurity, both as an urgent threat
> > to our privacy and Internet freedom and as a potential site for
> > broader debates on what a free, open and rights-focused Internet
> > might look like.
> >
> > It also imagines what a new definition of cybersecurity, centered
> > on the security and rights of the end user, rather than on systems,
> > might look like:
> >
> > "It might mean a legal and normative shift in our conception of
> > data ownership, putting ownership and control of personal
> > information in the hands of the user, rather than the service
> > provider. It might mean guaranteed end-to-end encryption and public
> > education programs that focus upon personal privacy and data
> > protection. It could mean instilling stronger accountability and
> > oversight structures where data collection is deemed necessary, by
> > ensuring that the scope of such powers is narrowly defined, and
> > that oversight mechanisms include staff with high level computer
> > skills, and judicial authorisation for any interference in
> > people's’ privacy."
> >
> >
> > Read the full article here. <http://bit.ly/1YgpO85>
> >
> > We'd be interested to hear any feedback on the article; and please
> > share on your networks with anyone who might be interested.
> >
> > Best wishes, Jonathan
> >
> > -- *Jonathan Jacobs* Communications and Operations Officer | GLOBAL
> > PARTNERS DIGITAL Development House, 56–64 Leonard Street, London
> > EC2A 4LT Skype: jonathan.gpdigital Tel: (+44)207 549 0337
> > gp-digital.org <http://gp-digital.org/>
> >
> >
> >
> > ____________________________________________________________ You
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> 
> --
> Niels ten Oever
> Head of Digital
> 
> Article 19
> www.article19.org
> 
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