iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 30/09/2026

Body cams change people's "ability to feel at ease in public life". ORG's @sarahlasoye.bsky.social told the BBC that there are "lots of different parts of our private life that now are subject to intrusion." We can't drift into a situation of roaming mass surveillance from high street to car park.

bbc.co.uk

Hull parking wardens hope body cams will end abuse and harassment

Enforcement officers in Hull say abuse and inappropriate behaviour has become their "normal".

1108

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 29/09/2026

Live facial recognition. A waste of time. Waste of money. And, crucially, lays waste to our rights. For the supposed golden goose of digital policing to spit out one (false positive) match is an indictment of this invasive tech. Tech and surveillance aren't the solution to complex social problems.

theguardian.com

Trial of live facial recognition in London stations ends with a false positive and no arrests

Freedom of information request finds six-month trial cost £320,000, used almost 100 police hours and led to just one – incorrect – alert

11714

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 28/09/2026

COMING UP: @doctorow.pluralistic.net will be at the @greenparty.org.uk Conference Fringe this year. Join us for this special event exploring 'Digital Sovereignty and the Post-American Internet: What the Greens can do to escape Big Tech'. 🗓️ Sat 3 October 🕠️ 5.45-6.45pm 📍 Brighton Find out more ⬇️

openrightsgroup.org

Digital Sovereignty and the Post-American Internet

What the Greens can do to escape Big Tech Trump has given every country the means, motive and opportunity to build a new, good Internet, free from the geopolitical imperatives America foisted on the…

0188

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 25/09/2026

BTW this is the ‘offending’ post. It relates to our report, ‘Prevent and the Pre-Crime State: how unaccountable data sharing is harming a generation’. The government should address our recommendations rather than double down on yet more surveillance. Read ➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releas...

Screenshot of social media post from ORG:

‘How data is managed and stored under the Prevent programme lacks transparency. Organisations fall back on national security or law enforcement data protection exemptions. This makes it very difficult for people to access their records and to request that data is removed.’

Graphic with a quote: ‘The vast scope and opacity of sharing across databases and bodies means those referred to Prevent has little opportunity to exercise their data rights and have erroneous data about them removed.’

079

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 25/09/2026

We’re clear that “Prevent has expanded far beyond its stated aim of identifying people considered “vulnerable to radicalisation”, and has increasingly been used to justify extensive surveillance.” Criticising the programme for its many faults shouldn’t lead to getting put on a database.

197

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 25/09/2026

We denounce the “troubling lack of transparency about what happens to the information gathered through this social media monitoring [by the Standards and Compliance Unit]: how long it is retained, who it is shared with, and ultimately what the government is using it for.” #Prevent

154

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 25/09/2026

We’ve been put on a watchlist 🚨 “It is deeply concerning to see the Prevent duty being used to enable the monitoring of people and organisations simply because they are critical of the programme.” It raises serious questions about the right to dissent and protest. 💬 ORG’s @sarahlasoye.bsky.social

metro.co.uk

The government is keeping a list of people who question their policies

22218

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 24/09/2026

TONIGHT 🔔 Come along to the Manchester townhall event, starting at 6pm. Food and refreshments provided 😋 Sign up now ⬇️

022

Reposted by Open Rights Group

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 22/09/2026

THIS THURSDAY ⏰ The #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition is coming to Manchester for the next townhall event. Find out about how GMP is using AI and live facial recognition, such as recently at Manchester Carnival. 🗓️ 24 Sep 🕧 6-9pm 📍 Central Hall Sign up ⬇️ www.openrightsgroup.org/events/safet...

openrightsgroup.org

Safety Not Surveillance Manchester Townhall

Join the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition in Manchester as we explore how AI and ‘crime-predicting’ technologies are currently being used by Greater Manchester Police, the harms and risks of their con...

01014

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 22/09/2026

openrightsgroup.org

Safety Not Surveillance Manchester Townhall

01014

Reposted by Open Rights Group

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 15/09/2026

New opportunity to work with ORG 🚀 We're looking for an independent consultant or small consultancy to produce a report for organisations to reduce their dependence on large technology infrastructure providers and towards a collaborative open source model. Closing date: 30 September. Apply now ⬇️

openrightsgroup.org

Consultant Opportunity

Public-Sector Technology Exit and Collaborative Open Source Open Rights Group (ORG) is seeking an independent consultant or small consultancy to help produce an accessible report for UK government dep...

067

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 17/09/2026

TONIGHT – Come along to our townhall event in London! The #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition is bringing the community together to delve into how the Met is using harmful AI and 'crime prediction' tech. Refreshments and food provided 😋 🕕 6-9pm 📍The Liberation Centre, Brixton Register your place ⬇️

openrightsgroup.org

Safety Not Surveillance London Townhall

Join the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition in London as we explore how AI and ‘crime-predicting’ technologies are currently being used by the Met, the harms and risks of their continues roll out, and w...

086

Reposted by Open Rights Group

Liberty @libertyhq.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Today is the first hearing of our legal challenge against the UK Government’s attempts to break encryption We’re at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal alongside @privacyinternational.org and Apple to find out how our cases will be managed

Liberty's experts meet outside of court before today's Investigatory Powers Tribunal hearing

23922

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 17/09/2026

The EU Kids Act changes the "open nature of the internet and makes it a permission-based system where you are required to pass through an identity checkpoint to access information. Imposing the same complex compliance requirements on [small] services risks pushing them out." ORG's James Baker.

computerweekly.com

Tech companies under fire as Europe proposes social media ban for under-15s | Computer Weekly

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says technology platforms will have to prove they are safe before children can access them.

01818

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 16/09/2026

Hi, you can find details about the Bristol event and how to register via the link below. It takes place on 1 October at The Pickle Factory and will be looking at the predictive policing systems being deployed by Avon and Somerset Police.

openrightsgroup.org

Safety Not Surveillance Bristol Townhall

Join the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition in Bristol as we explore how AI and ‘crime-predicting’ technologies are currently being used by Avon and Somerset Police, the harms and risks of their continu...

021

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 16/09/2026

TOMORROW ⏰ Join us in London for the first community townhall event from the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition. Hear about how the Met police are using AI and 'crime-predicting' tech. And get involved. 🗓️ 17 September 🕕 6-9pm 📍The Liberation Centre Sign up ➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/events/safet...

185

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 16/09/2026

We don’t need ID checkpoints to make the Internet safer. We’re proposing rights-respecting alternatives, including interoperability. Explore global harms to the open Internet, and the remedies being proposed on this new map. #StopKillingtheInternet

stopkillingtheinternet.com

Stop Killing the Internet

Big tech and governments are walling off the open internet. We oppose restrictions and advance alternatives that protect people and their rights.

02522

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 15/09/2026

Your experience of AI matters. Black AI Futures is gathering the global Black community's experience of AI, from healthcare and hiring to online life, into evidence that's carried into national and international policy. Anonymous and ~12-15 mins. Add your voice: blackaifutures.org/survey?sourc...

Black AI Futures

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY • 2026/2027
The State of AI & Black Communities

Wherever you are in the world, your experience of Al counts. The first survey mapping how the global Black community lives with Al, carried into national and international policy conversations.

Take the survey: https://blackaifutures.org/survey

005

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 15/09/2026

openrightsgroup.org

Consultant Opportunity

067

Reposted by Open Rights Group

Clive Lewis MP @labourlewis.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I spoke at a roundtable put on by @openrightsgroup.org to discuss the UK’s digital sovereignty. We spoke about the urgent need for the government to reduce dependence on Big Tech firms and looked at alternatives such as open-source technology that could help us get there. (1/3)

46519

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 14/09/2026

Coming up this week 🔔 It's the first of a series of townhall events delivered by the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition. Join us in London to explore how AI and ‘crime-predicting’ technologies are currently being used by the Met. 🗓️ Thurs 17 September 🕕 6-9pm 📍The Liberation Centre Register now ⬇️

openrightsgroup.org

Safety Not Surveillance London Townhall

044

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 11/09/2026

“If adults are required to go through an ID check point to disable [nudity scanning] software then millions of people could be faced with either compromising their privacy or having a phone they paid for restricted by blocking software.” 💬 ORG's James Baker on the latest online safety announcement.

computerweekly.com

Government to force tech companies to verify age of users to protect children | Computer Weekly

Phone and tablet users will be required to verify their ages with credit card or official ID under government plans to prevent under-18s viewing nude images. The government is to introduce legislatio...

21612

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 10/09/2026

We can protect kids online without hard-coding surveillance into everyone’s device. An opt-in mechanism for parents and people who choose to use this tech is a more proportionate response. The focus should be on educational methods, and specialised policing of sextortion and child abuse offences.

085

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 10/09/2026

It won't end with nudes. Once content-scanning software is on your device, it could be expanded to other categories and into private communications. An end-to-end encrypted app such as WhatsApp or Signal could be prevented from delivering a message based on an automated assessment of its content.

185

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 10/09/2026

Nudity doesn't necessarily mean sexual. It can be for medical purposes, journalism or artistic expression. Think life drawing, historic documentation like the 'Napalm girl', breast-feeding support, or sex education. Any scanning tech carries risks of false positives and weaponised false negatives.

154

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 10/09/2026

Don't believe the hype, we've just had a warning about supposedly ‘safe by design’ tech. The HMD Fuse child-safety phone was taken off sale after serious security vulnerabilities were discovered. This includes flaws which could expose a child’s live location and allow protections to be disabled.

ft.com

Ministers embraced the ‘world’s safest phone’. Then it unravelled

A security researcher discovered flaws in the first phone to integrate real-time nudity-blocking software

154

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 10/09/2026

Nudity blocking works by scanning ALL your content. The privacy implications are huge. And the same goes for the alternative: having to submit your sensitive data in the form of ID uploads or biometric scans to verify you're over 18. Meanwhile, the age verification industry remains unregulated.

164

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 10/09/2026

Cover your bits, the government wants to put scanning tech on your phone. The aim? To prevent kids receiving and sending nudes. But it'll be there as default for everyone, unless you go through age verification to disable it. It's a disproportionate move that'll compromise privacy and security.

openrightsgroup.org

Nudity scanning tech will leave us more exposed

The Government’s proposals to prevent under 18s from creating or sharing nude images aim to address serious issues such as sextortion, grooming, and abuse.

11313

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 07/09/2026

The government is putting the interests of Big Tech ahead of the British public in spending billions on AI systems. They claim it'll create efficiencies. But there are no effective, coherent and mandatory rules to ensure these systems respect human rights. We're calling for urgent regulation ⬇️

openrightsgroup.org

ORG and MPs call for public sector use of AI to be regulated

About the report The report finds that the UK’s adoption of AI is a key part of state strategy that appears to be principally motivated by improving economic performance and bolstering innovation.

074

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 07/09/2026

"The public is being kept in the dark about how systems affect them. We urgently need AI regulation that puts transparency, accountability and the public interest first, protecting human rights and ensuring AI works for all of us." ORG's @jim.killock.org.uk Read about our new report ⬇️

independent.co.uk

Warning UK ministers are putting interests of Big Tech ahead of public on AI

UK public sector has awarded more than 2,000 contracts for AI-related projects in past eight years, analysis found

11615

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 03/09/2026

“With the recent change in government, there is a new opportunity to align digital technology policy with human rights. The core of such a change should be human rights, lest the illusion of progress persist." 🗣️ Dr Richard Mackenzie-Gray Scott, author of the 'AI in the Public Sector' report.

032

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 03/09/2026

There are no effective and coherent mandatory rules to ensure the AI systems that are being knitted into UK public services respect human rights. The interests of Big Tech are being put first. While data protection, equality, and human rights are on the back-burner. We urgently need regulation.

153

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 03/09/2026

Public spending on AI has ballooned. There are currently around 1,500 contracts worth £3.35B. Claims that it'll drive efficiencies remain unproven. Meanwhile the UK is tying itself to US companies like Palantir, Amazon, Google, OpenAI and Oracle with risks to our security and resilience.

tussell.com

UK Public Sector AI Procurement Tracker | Updated Monthly

Track £4bn+ of UK public sector AI contracts. See top AI buyers, top suppliers and spending trends by theme - updated monthly with data from Tussell's market intelligence platform.

111

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 03/09/2026

The report finds a damning list of risks from how AI is being developed, procured and deployed across the public sector. 🔴 Lack of scrutiny 🔴 Open to abuse from Big Tech lobbying 🔴 Lock-in to Big Tech contracts that stifle competition 🔴 Lack of transparency over policy 🔴 Lack of judicial oversight

121

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 03/09/2026

AI is seeping into the public sector. But at what cost? Our new report finds that its adoption is opaque, unaccountable and for the benefit of Big Tech, not the public. This is a rallying cry for the Minister for AI to regulate public sector AI systems in accordance with human rights. Read more ⬇️

openrightsgroup.org

ORG and MPs call for public sector use of AI to be regulated

About the report The report finds that the UK’s adoption of AI is a key part of state strategy that appears to be principally motivated by improving economic performance and bolstering innovation.

1167

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 27/08/2026

Encryption keeps us safe and secure online. A backdoor is only possible by breaking encryption. And then anybody can abuse that cybersecurity weakness. The government's last attempt to force Apple to build a backdoor into our accounts failed. We'll fight the latest order. Find out more ⬇️

openrightsgroup.org

Save Encryption

Message scanning breaks end-to-end encryption, which puts everyone’s privacy and security at risk.

1115

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 27/08/2026

Shadowy attempts to break our right to privacy are completely rejected: ⚫️ Only 12% believe the government should be able to issue secret orders to gain access to private data. ⚫️ 87% believe there should be a legal obligation to tell people if their private conversations have been accessed.

195

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 27/08/2026

The government is trying yet again to ram a backdoor into Apple's encrypted products. But you ask the UK public and over 90% say they should have a right to private conversations online. New polling by @cdt.org makes it clear that attacks on encryption aren't backed by public opinion. Read more ⬇️

computerweekly.com

Public wary of UK government ‘backdoor’ surveillance following Apple row, poll reveals | Computer Weekly

The public is wary of UK government surveillance powers that require technology companies to build ‘backdoors’ to access encrypted communications, according to a poll of 2,000 people in the UK by a…

11915

Reposted by Open Rights Group

Institute for Public Policy Research @ippr.org · 27/08/2026

📢 NEW REPORT: Big Tech dominance is holding back UK businesses and innovation. One answer to better growth lies in backing stronger competition policy - read the latest from us on opening up digital markets and strengthening UK digital sovereignty. www.ippr.org/articles/bot...

042

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 26/08/2026

Scrapping the GDPR means siding with those who want to hide abuse and discrimination behind an algorithm. Siding with the Trump administration, and against the interests of the British public. And with rogue companies and Big Tech over responsible and law-abiding businesses. It's a no, Nigel.

044

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 26/08/2026

So Reform UK bins GDPR. What then? Farage suggests aligning the UK to the New Zealand Privacy Act. And yet New Zealand have spent the last decade trying to align with the gold standard of the GDPR... What other people crave, in the UK we already have it. But Nigel Farage would take it away.

176

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 26/08/2026

Farage proposes to scrap GDPR... where to start? GDPR protects women, workers, patients, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ communities, and everybody else from discrimination and abuse. Scrapping it would be a capitulation to abusive Big Tech corporations and the Trump administration that backs them.

politico.eu

Nigel Farage wants to scrap GDPR for the UK

Reform UK said GDPR has “strangled small businesses and tech firms.”

24425

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 26/08/2026

The #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition works across digital, racial and migrant justice. We fight for a society where surveillance and digital policing isn't heralded as the answer to social and economic problems. @libertyhq.bsky.social @kidsofcolourhq.bsky.social @bristolcopwatch.bsky.social

051

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 26/08/2026

Our townhall events come as the use of AI tools in UK policing escalates dramatically. The coalition calls for an end to so-called “predictive” policing with legislation that protects our rights. There must be safeguards against the harms of AI and tech uses in policing and immigration settings.

172

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 26/08/2026

Coming up, the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition is holding townhall events across the country. Join us to explore how AI and ‘crime-predicting’ tech is being used by local police forces. And what can be done about it. London – 17 September Manchester – 24 September Bristol – 1 October Book now ⬇️

openrightsgroup.org

Safety Not Surveillance – National Townhalls on AI and ‘crime-predicting’ technologies

This autumn, the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition will host a series of community townhalls in London, Manchester and Bristol – bringing the public together to discuss the impacts of AI tools and ‘cri...

11310

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 25/08/2026

The eVisa scheme has been a disaster from the start. It's people's lives that are being left in disarray and uncertainty while these failings go ignored. We're now calling on the Select Committee to investigate and help those whose data has been created as a result of the scheme. Read more ⬇️

openrightsgroup.org

Civil society organisations call for ICO to be investigated over eVisas

20 immigration, data protection, and human rights organisations have asked the Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee to investigate the Information Commissioner’s Office’s…

073

Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 25/08/2026

The flawed eVisa scheme strikes again. Not for the first time, a person's data has been incorrectly linked to someone else's account. Last year, ORG and 18 other groups called on the ICO to investigate the data breaches and accessibility issues with the eVisa scheme. But they've done nothing.

theguardian.com

Woman stranded in Spain after UK’s eVisa system mistakes her for twin sister

Nidia Webb, who is legally settled in UK, falls foul of ‘known issue’ with Home Office’s digitised immigration process

155

Reposted by Open Rights Group

The Citizens @the-citizens.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

“Asking Ofcom to hold Big Tech to account by themselves is like asking referees to stop club owners fixing matches," @openrightsgroup.org ICYMI: Is Ofcom fit for purpose? citizensreunited.substack.com/p/far-too-sl...

0139