Privacy International launched a campaign in February to allow people to sign up for a formal request to find out if GCHQ has illegally spied on them.
ENCRYPTION, ONLINE ANONYMITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS — Securing Safe Spaces Online https://t.co/LFbT5sfXI3 #privacy #encryption #security
— Pablo Valerio (@frontwave_eu) June 19, 2015
The campaign follows a ruling that found GCHQ had gathered communications data in breach of articles eight and ten of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Article eight refers to the right to respect for private and family life and article ten protects freedom of expression.
What does GCHQ know about our devices that we don't? https://t.co/ZdncyCD2gA
— Graham Linehan (@Glinner) June 19, 2015
The fact that more than 25,000 people have come forward to sign up to say they believe their personal data has been snooped on by GCHQ is significant. Privacy International intends to collate the inquiries from around the world and submit them to the UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
Encryption protects your data, your privacy and your anonymity. And sometimes, your life: https://t.co/injcshvVvQ pic.twitter.com/ceUMM8ESF3
— PrivacyInternational (@privacyint) June 19, 2015
Strength of Public Opinion
Eric King, Deputy Director at Privacy International told Sputnik on Friday:
"We're extremely pleased with the reaction and amazed that so many people feel so strongly about this issue and will continue to campaign for GCHQ to demanding that they finally come clean on unlawful surveillance."
The Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), ruled in February 2015 that: "the regime governing the soliciting, receiving, storing and transmitting by UK authorities of private communications of individuals located in the UK, which have been obtained by US authorities pursuant to Prism and/or Upstream, contravened Articles 8 or 10 ECHR."
Those who have been found to have been illegally spied on can seek the deletion of their records, including emails, phone records, and Internet communications. Given the mass surveillance capabilities of the NSA and GCHQ, and that the agencies "share by default" the information they collect, an unlimited number of people could have been affected by the unlawful spying
.
