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By Simon Davies Two weeks ago the Director of US National Intelligence, James Clapper, gave an interview with Eli Lake of The Daily Beast, in which he broke some new ground by stating that the core problem in recent spying controversies is that the NSA should have been more open about its activities. Against a …
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By Simon Davies UK Foreign Secretary William Hague is facing mounting pressure to resign following the disclosure today of sensational webcam images that show him parading theatrically in a rubber gimp suit. The leaking of these and more than 40,000 other intimate webcam images of senior public officials is likely to seriously undermine the government’s …
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By Simon Davies Earlier this week the Secretary General of the European Commission issued a volatile administrative ruling that had the remarkable effect of simultaneously retarding both privacy and transparency. The decision by Europe’s top civil servant came after a two-month consideration of an appeal by the Privacy Surgeon against the Commission’s refusal to disclose …
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By Simon Davies Thailand’s tourist authority is fond of marketing its country as the “Land of Smiles”, however in recent years the place has been anything but. “Seething cauldron” might be a more apt slogan. Widespread anger at alleged corrupt activities of former Prime Minister Thakskin Shinawatra has fueled a mass movement against the military …
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By Simon Davies The Privacy Surgeon today launches its new audio interview series “The Privacy Channel” in which we explore a range of key issues with some of the world’s most influential leaders of thought and policy. Our aim isn’t just to discuss privacy with defenders and experts, but also to engage with those who …
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By Simon Davies In recent days a rather odd sequence of events has unfurled in Japan which has led some observers to speculate that this endlessly surprising nation is starting to wake from its 40-year slumber over privacy and civil liberties. Over the past few decades the Japanese population has been ambivalent about rights issues, …
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By Simon Davies The US Justice department last night contacted Spanish authorities to demand the extradition of an elderly Detroit pensioner who has been accused of “aiding the enemy”. An extradition request presented yesterday to El Departamento de Justicia says 67 year-old grandmother and pottery enthusiast Rose Porter had spoken publicly about “matters of a …
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By Simon Davies There are many inspiring stories of heroic actions by journalists and editors – tenacious tales from the front-line in pursuit of truth. Unfortunately for one British Sunday newspaper – the Observer – inclusion in that noble circle may have to wait until the paper conducts a deep dive into its principles. Over …
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By Simon Davies The full plenary of the European Parliament today opened a Pandora’s Box by voting to hold a full inquiry into US surveillance programmes, including the bugging of EU premises. The resolution was endorsed by group leaders and was approved by 483 votes to 98 with 65 abstentions. The Parliaments Civil Liberties, Justice …
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By Simon Davies A raft of new spying disclosures over the weekend should have convinced the European Parliament that an immediate inquiry is needed to systematically investigate the extent of communications interception in the EU. Sadly, the indications are not positive. With an election coming up in May 2014 and a summer break looming, it …
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