Online privacy is once again a hot topic, with the likes of the “Snooper’s Charter” repeatedly being snuck back through UK Parliament and currently standing to gain even more powers following the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday. Yet the current Conservative government’s plans for widely accessing data may face another obstacle, as the United Nations has declared that encryption and anonymity must be protected.
In a report, which is available in its entirety here, the UN has questioned whether rights to privacy and freedom of expression extend to protect online communications and, if so, how far governments are allowed to go to impose restrictions on those communications. More specifically, the UN is looking at restrictions on encryption and anonymity, and whether legislation against either contravenes human rights laws.
By: Matt Kamen,
