Following the publication of report by the Joint Committee for the Investigatory Powers Bill, ARTICLE 19 reiterates the need for a wholescale overhaul of the Bill in order to meet internationally recognised standards on freedom of expression and privacy.
“This is the second major report this week that is critical of the government’s mass surveillance plans. The message is clear: if the government wants to live up to its promise of a ‘world-leading oversight regime’, it must go back to the drawing-board and make freedom of expression and privacy protections the backbone of its surveillance legislation,” explained Gabrielle Guillemin, Senior Legal Officer at ARTICLE 19.
“The Joint Committee and the Intelligence and Security Committee both agree that the Bill has major flaws. If the British government wants to ensure that any new surveillance regime is compatible with fundamental rights and rule of law, strong protection for freedom of expression and privacy must be at the heart of this Bill. Anything less than a serious redraft of the Bill would signal that the government no longer has British citizens’ hard-won civil liberties at the forefront of its mind,” concluded Guillemin
ARTICLE 19 calls for the UK government to ensure that any legislation presented before parliament has proper protections for freedom of expression and privacy.
Notes
- ARTICLE 19 provided evidence to the Committee and is cited several times in the report.
- ARTICLE 19 is a founder member of Don’t Spy on Us, many members of which also submitted evidence.
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