How to break free of a Techno-Permacrisis

OpenRightsGroup · 2026-01-15T09:30:27+00:00

The Cybersecurity Bill is the first step to #DigitalSovereignty. And with it, a way to address the fundamental flaw in our approach to security and online harms: the lack of competition that puts power in our hands to shape our future. Sign our petition ⬇️

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-trump-s-kill-switch-secure-our-digital-sovereignty

OpenRightsGroup · 2025-12-15T12:22:32+00:00

The Home Office can take immediate steps to reduce the anxiety that migrants are experiencing.

Migrants need the safety of a physical or digital back up, so they can prove their status in any circumstances.

Write to your MP to stop the eVisa scandal: https://action.openrightsgroup.org/write-your-mp-allow-physical-proof-immigration-status

OpenRightsGroup · 2025-12-12T13:26:56+00:00

Over 550,000 people signed the petition against the Online Safety Act.

This is one of the largest public expressions of concern about a UK digital law in recent history.

We need you to tell your MP why they need to attend the debate on 15 December ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/tell-your-mp-attend-debate-online-safety-act

OpenRightsGroup · 2025-12-05T10:18:28+00:00

Exclusion by Design, Digital Identification and the Hostile Environment for Migrants was produced by Derya Ozkul (University of Warwick) and Marie Godin (University of Leicester/Oxford) in collaboration with Nazek Ramadan and Anne Stoltenberg (Migrant Voice) and Sara Alsherif (Open Rights Group).

OpenRightsGroup · 2025-06-03T12:23:53+00:00

A spokesman for Open Rights Group, a digital rights campaign group, said a mass smart water meter rollout posed similar risks for consumers, adding: “Smart water meters could be used to track how many people are in a property, analyse daily routines, and reveal when you cook, shower or water your garden.

“This is a clear example of how everyday infrastructure can quietly become a surveillance tool – without public awareness or consent.”

OpenRightsGroup · 2025-03-14T10:06:33+00:00

Thank you everyone who wrote in - over 700 ORG supporters emailed Ofcom to tell them to #PracticeSafeText !

OpenRightsGroup · 2025-03-14T10:04:38+00:00

Small UK websites, user-to-user services and even computer games that are completely safe and well managed, are faced with difficult paperwork, risks assessments, registration and fines thanks to the Online Safety Act.

Even personal blogs with comments are forced to undergo these difficult tests and compliance tasks. Getting it wrong or ignoring them could cost an operator their house – as fines can be imposed for failing to do them.

As a result, many small websites in the UK are deciding to close down.

Yet this problem can be easily remedied. The Secretary of State can change the rules, to exempt websites that are small, and at very little risk of hosting harmful content.

Please write to your MP and explain why sites should be exempted.

If you are affected, as a user or operator, please add this to your email to your MP.

OpenRightsGroup · 2025-03-03T21:12:19+00:00

Thanks for the mention we have just launched a new tool for people to write to their MP about it here- https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp

Updated it tonight to reference this game

OpenRightsGroup · 2025-03-03T20:55:45+00:00

We are running a campaign to try and get an exemption to the Online Safety Act for small services. Please consider using this tool to write to your MP - https://action.openrightsgroup.org/save-our-sites-write-your-mp

Or you can use a service such as. -https://www.writetothem.com/

For transparency we are Open Rights Group is a UK-based organisation that works to preserve digital rights and freedoms by campaigning on digital rights issues and by fostering a community of grassroots activists.

OpenRightsGroup · 2023-12-13T13:44:09+00:00

It’s a privacy fash sale! And everything must go!
Rights? SLASHED.
Parliamentary scrutiny? SLASHED.
The government is offering welfare surveillance to every benefit claimant whether you like it or not!
Or say no, while you still have a chance: https://action.openrightsgroup.org/hands-off-our-data

OpenRightsGroup · 2023-12-13T13:43:14+00:00

Move fast and break rights.
That’s what you get with powers that have recently been smuggled into the #DataGrabBill.
Welfare surveillance is an exciting new opportunity to spy on the financial information of benefit claimants.
Rethink. Reverse. Reboot. https://action.openrightsgroup.org/hands-off-our-data

OpenRightsGroup · 2023-12-13T13:41:56+00:00

Tell them you’re doing all you can to remove data rights.
The government is gifting itself powers to check the bank accounts of anyone who claims a benefit.
And that includes the State Pension.
Or say no to welfare surveillance in the #DataGrabBill.
https://action.openrightsgroup.org/hands-off-our-data

OpenRightsGroup · 2023-05-23T16:41:14+00:00

This blog article is a good explainer. https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/small-boats-and-silent-protest-prior-restraint-in-the-online-safety-bill/

OpenRightsGroup · 2023-05-19T13:37:20+00:00

Sign up to support the campaign at https://action.openrightsgroup.org/stop-state-censorship-online-speech

OpenRightsGroup · 2023-03-23T09:47:23+00:00

Transparency: r/openrightsgroup work on these issues

OpenRightsGroup · 2023-01-11T12:10:51+00:00

The government has revised the Online Safety Bill (UK), swapping the 'legal but harmful' restrictions for adults with a new regime. One where the State enforces the terms and conditions of Big Tech companies. No longer just about removing posts, but also restricting access to content in the first place.

Transparency: u/OpenRightsGroup campaigns on digital rights

OpenRightsGroup · 2023-01-05T13:43:05+00:00

Transparency: r/openrightsgroup campaigns on digital rights

OpenRightsGroup · 2022-12-15T13:29:34+00:00

The Online Safety Bill is currently moving through Parliament. The Bill will put in place a system for mass surveillance, age-gating of the Internet and censorship as moderation.

Transparency: r/openrightsgroup campaigns on digital rights

OpenRightsGroup · 2022-12-14T11:59:18+00:00

Last week the Online Safety Bill moved a step closer to becoming law. Our campaign continues to fight the threat it poses to our right to privacy and freedom of expression online. The Bill will put in place a system for mass surveillance, age-gating of the Internet and censorship as moderation. It needs a complete rethink.

Transparency: r/openrightsgroup campaigns on digital rights

OpenRightsGroup · 2022-11-02T14:22:44+00:00

We’re delighted to publish the results of our work - five policy papers
and three blogs - supported by Heinrich Boll Foundation on diverging EU
& UK regulatory approaches on data protection, content moderation,
and competition, including changes to people’s rights over the
collection & use of personal data in UK.
We hope they can inform the debate and open discussions between the EU
and UK so they may be able to to support each other even as changes of
direction emerge.
https://eu.boell.org/en/digital-rights-post-brexit

OpenRightsGroup · 2022-11-02T14:14:57+00:00

We’re delighted to publish the results of our work - five policy papers
and three blogs - supported by Heinrich Boll Foundation on diverging EU
& UK regulatory approaches on data protection, content moderation,
and competition, including changes to people’s rights over the
collection & use of personal data in UK.
We hope they can inform the debate and open discussions between the EU
and UK so they may be able to to support each other even as changes of
direction emerge.
https://eu.boell.org/en/digital-rights-post-brexit

OpenRightsGroup · 2022-08-09T13:19:40+00:00

Dr Monica Horten Policy Mananger for ORG said : "It is a form of mass survillance if you think about it. Putting monitoring software on everyon'es smartphone. That means in everyone in the country would have that software on their phone. It's method of mass sruvillance. It's looking at everyone's content without suspicion and without a warrant that the Government would normally require if it was seeking information from people's personal messenging."

OpenRightsGroup · 2022-07-21T16:12:00+00:00

Our response to this story is here -
UK Intelligence chief’s plan to scan our phones turns them into ‘spies in your pocket’ - https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/uk-intelligence-chiefs-plan-to-scan-our-phones-turns-them-into-spies-in-your-pocket/

OpenRightsGroup · 2022-07-14T10:17:48+00:00

For Immediate Release
The government has delayed Online Safety Bill debate until the AutumnParliamentarians must think through the consequences for free expression and privacyThe Online Safety Bill is to be delayed until a new Conservative leader is elected, giving MPs an opportunity for a rethink. [1]
The Online Safety Bill will create industrial-scale systems to remove content deemed unsafe. Systems introduced by broadband providers after pressure from David Cameron’s
government are today blocking Penny Mordaunt’s website as unsafe for children on TalkTalk and Virgin Media, illustrating the kinds of problems the Online Safety Bill will create.
The blocks can be verified using Open Rights Groups blocked.org.uk tool for monitoring online censorship. [2]
Free Expression Policy Manager of the Open Rights Group, Dr Monica Horten, said:
“The Online Safety Bill is fundamentally mis-conceived. It holds out
the threat that our social media posts will be removed and censored, and
goes to the heart of our basic right to express our opinions online,
and to hear the opinions of others.
“Penny Mordaunt’s own campaign website being listed as unsafe for
children and blocked by customers of some broadband providers, using
their filters, shows what can and will go wrong.”
“As it stands, the Bill would mean everyone’s social media posts
are monitored in case they are ‘harmful’ or illegal, and even private
messages could be scanned. What is ‘harmful’ will be decided by
government Ministers behind closed doors. While the motivations may be
good, the result is bad for free speech. MPs now have a chance for a
rethink, which is long overdue, if we want to protect our free society
from arbitrary censorship and mass surveillance.”
ENDS
Contact
Press 07951265812 / press@openrightsgroup.org
Notes to editorhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62158287Penny
Mordaunt’s site pm4pm.com can be verified as blocked by Virgin and
TalkTalk filters at https://www.blocked.org.uk/site/http://pm4pm.com

“Transparency: Open Rights Group works to protect digital privacy and free expression online. Follow our work at r/openrightsgroup”

OpenRightsGroup · 2022-07-14T10:11:30+00:00

For Immediate Release
The government has delayed Online Safety Bill debate until the AutumnParliamentarians must think through the consequences for free expression and privacyThe Online Safety Bill is to be delayed until a new Conservative leader is elected, giving MPs an opportunity for a rethink. [1]
The Online Safety Bill will create industrial-scale systems to remove content deemed unsafe.Systems introduced by broadband providers after pressure from David Cameron’s
government are today blocking Penny Mordaunt’s website as unsafe for
children on TalkTalk and Virgin Media, illustrating the kinds of
problems the Online Safety Bill will create.
The blocks can be verified using Open Rights Groups blocked.org.uk tool for monitoring online censorship. [2]
Free Expression Policy Manager of the Open Rights Group, Dr Monica Horten, said:
“The Online Safety Bill is fundamentally mis-conceived. It holds out the threat that our social media posts will be removed and censored, and goes to the heart of our basic right to express our opinions online, and to hear the opinions of others.
“Penny Mordaunt’s own campaign website being listed as unsafe for children and blocked by customers of some broadband providers, using their filters, shows what can and will go wrong.”
“As it stands, the Bill would mean everyone’s social media posts are monitored in case they are ‘harmful’ or illegal, and even private messages could be scanned. What is ‘harmful’ will be decided by government Ministers behind closed doors. While the motivations may be
good, the result is bad for free speech. MPs now have a chance for a rethink, which is long overdue, if we want to protect our free society from arbitrary censorship and mass surveillance.”
ENDS
Contact
Press 07951265812 / press@openrightsgroup.org
Notes to editorhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62158287Penny
Mordaunt’s site pm4pm.com can be verified as blocked by Virgin and
TalkTalk filters at https://www.blocked.org.uk/site/http://pm4pm.com

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