AFTE CALLS UPON EGYPT TO PROTECT PRIVACY AGAINST UNCHECKED INTERNET SURVEILLANCE

GENEVA, SEPTEMBER 20 – Today AFTE joins a huge international coalition in calling upon Egypt to assess whether national surveillance laws and activities are in line with their international human rights obligations.

AFTE has endorsed a set of international principles against unchecked surveillance. The 13 Principles set out for the first time an evaluative framework for assessing surveillance practices in the context of international human rights obligations.

A group of civil society organizations officially presented the 13 Principles this past Friday in Geneva at a side event attended by Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion, Frank LaRue, during the 24th session of the Human Rights Council. The side event was hosted by the Permanent Missions of Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Hungary.

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaking at the Human Rights Council stated in her opening statement on September 9:

“Laws and policies must be adopted to address the potential for dramatic intrusion on individuals’ privacy which have been made possible by modern communications technology.”

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaking at the event, said that:

“technological advancements have been powerful tools for democracy by giving access to all to participate in society, but increasing use of data mining by intelligence agencies blurs lines between legitimate surveillance and arbitrary mass surveillance.”

Frank La Rue, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion made clear the case for a direct relationship between state surveillance, privacy and freedom of expression in this latest report to the Human Rights Council:

“The right to privacy is often understood as an essential requirement for the realization of the right to freedom of expression. Undue interference with individuals’ privacy can both directly and indirectly limit the free development and exchange of ideas. … An infringement upon one right can be both the cause and consequence of an infringement upon the other.”

Speaking at the event, the UN Special Rapporteur remarked that:

“previously surveillance was carried out on targeted basis but the Internet has changed the context by providing the possibility for carrying out mass surveillance. This is the danger.”

Representatives of AFTE, Privacy International, theElectronic Frontier Foundation,Access,Human Rights Watch,Reporters Without Borders, Association for Progressive Communications, and theCenter for Democracy and Technology all are taking part in the event.

Find out more about the Principles at https://NecessaryandProportionate.org

Founders & Signatory organizations:

Access

Fabiola Carrion – [email protected]

Association for Progressive Communication

Shawna Finnegan – [email protected]

Center for Democracy and Technology

Matthew Shears – [email protected]

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Katitza Rodriguez  –  [email protected] – @txitua

Human Rights Watch

Cynthia Wong – [email protected]

Privacy International

Carly Nyst – [email protected]

Reporters Without Borders

Lucie Morillon – [email protected]

Hélène Sackstein – [email protected]

SIGNATORIES

Argentina

Ramiro Alvarez – [email protected]

Asociación por los Derechos Civiles

Argentina

Beatriz Busaniche – [email protected]

Fundación Via Libre

Colombia

Carolina Botero – [email protected]

Fundación Karisma

Egypt

Ahmed Ezzat – [email protected]

Afteegypt

Honduras

Hedme Sierra-Castro – [email protected]

ACI-Participa

India

Elonnai Hickok – [email protected]

Center for Internet and Society

Korea

Prof. Park –  [email protected]

Open Net Korea

Macedonia

Bardhyl Jashari – [email protected]
Metamorphosis Foundation for Internet and Society

Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania

Abadacar Diop – [email protected]

Jonction

Portugal

Andreia Martins – [email protected]

ASSOCIAÇÃO COOLPOLITICS

Peru

Miguel Morachimo – [email protected]

Hiperderecho

Russia

Andrei Soldatov – [email protected]

Agentura.ru

Serbia

Djordje Krivokapic – [email protected]

SHARE Foundation

Western Balkans

Valentina Pellizer – [email protected]

Oneworldsee

Brasil

Marcelo Saldanha – [email protected]

IBEBrasil