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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 6h

In short, this judgment is a huge win. It tells companies like Clearview that they are not allowed to do what they want with our personal data and then use it to undermine our privacy.

Keep your eyes peeled for a deep dive into the decision.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 6h

Law enforcement exemptions and loopholes are regularly seen in data protection laws, but that doesn't mean companies working with law enforcement are automatically off the hook when it comes to our rights.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 6h

The tribunal also made clear that Clearview’s activities involve 'behavioural monitoring' and so they couldn't escape GDPR.

That's an important finding - especially as we see more use of AI and biometrics to track people on - and offline.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 6h

Clearview tried to argue that their activities were outside of the scope of GDPR, so it didn't apply to them.

The ICO & PI challenged this and the court agreed with us on our interpretation, citing certain of PI's arguments as being persuasive.

privacyinternational.org/legal-action...

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 6h

BREAKING: Clearview have been told that - *shockingly* - the UK GDPR applies to their indefensible business of selling your face to foreign law enforcement agencies, after PI intervened in a recent legal case.

awo.agency/articles/upp...

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 5d

Unrestricted FRT is too big of a threat for our human rights and democracy. Both the police and the private sector must not be allowed to experiment with it at our expense. We need strong legislative prohibitions and safeguards, and we need them now.

privacyinternational.org/campaigns/en...

The End of Privacy in Public | Privacy International

We’re facing the end of privacy in public, because of the unchecked rise of facial recognition technology (FRT) in public spaces, shops and bars. If you're in the UK, join ‘The End of Privacy in…

privacyinternational.org

Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 5d

However, some countries have begun to recognise these threats. We conducted an analysis on how other countries and jurisdictions can prohibit and restrict uses of FRT including including the EU AI Act and certain US States.

Read more here: privacyinternational.org/long-read/56...

Toward Regulation: Addressing the Legal Void in Facial Recognition Technology

Across the world facial recognition technologies (FRT) are increasingly being deployed in public and private spaces without adequate laws or regulation to protect individuals from the grave risks…

privacyinternational.org

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 5d

This constant and unregulated surveillance through FRT violates our dignity, freedom of speech and privacy, and challenges the core democratic values in a society to which we all contribute.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 5d

We have been campaigning against the unregulated use of FRT in the UK where the police and private companies continue to ramp up its use in public spaces, without specific legislation in place, that would put restrictions and safeguards on its use.

privacyinternational.org/advocacy/547...

UK MPs ignore concerned constituents questions about Facial Recognition Technology

In the wake of Privacy International’s (PI) campaign against the unfettered use of Facial Recognition Technology in the UK, MPs gave inadequate responses to concerns raised by members of the public…

privacyinternational.org

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 5d

Across the world facial recognition technologies (FRT) are increasingly being deployed in public and private spaces without adequate laws or regulation to protect individuals from the grave risks they pose to human rights.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 6d

As civilian tech moves into the battlefield, states bring military tech into our towns.

With our partners around the world, we're asking: who's driving this, and what harm are they causing? 👉 privacyinternational.org/campaigns/mi...

Challenging the Militarisation of Tech | Privacy International

War and conflict must not dominate our societies and technologies.

privacyinternational.org

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 7d

Big Tech is now in the business of enabling government surveillance.

It was just a matter of time they’d be tools of war and abuse...

privacyinternational.org/long-read/56...

Big Tech’s bind with military and intelligence agencies

In their gold rush to build cloud and AI tools, Big Tech is also enabling unprecedented government surveillance. Thanks to reporting from The Guardian, +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Intercept,…

privacyinternational.org

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 7d

By secretly ordering Apple to weaken iCloud security, the UK government risks everyone’s security, while claiming to ‘protect’ people.

We need stronger, not weaker, protections in today’s world.

privacyinternational.org/long-read/55...

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 7d

If this new order isn’t stopped, the UK Government will likely issue similar orders to other companies, too.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 7d

Unless Apple plans to build walled off systems just for UK users, this new order could have a quite similar impact to the old one: risking information like user passwords, location, and health data.

support.apple.com/en-gb/122234

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 7d

We learned last month that the original order may extend to other information which is E2EE on iCloud, not just that protected by ADP.

www.ft.com/content/fe2c...

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 7d

The impact of the UK Government’s new order may be limited if it only targets Apple’s Advanced Data Protection (ADP), which it withdrew from the UK in February 2025.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 7d

Apple can’t undermine the E2EE of iCloud services only for the UK when those services are used worldwide.

If Apple breaks E2EE for the UK, it breaks it for everyone.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 7d

Update: The UK Government has reportedly issued another secret order (Technical Capability Notice) forcing Apple to weaken iCloud security.

But, this time it is focused on the UK. 😬

www.ft.com/content/d101...

UK makes new attempt to access Apple cloud data

Order issued in September comes after Trump administration said London had backed down in fight over encryption

www.ft.com

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 8d

The ICO suggests that they will continue to monitor how ‘consent or pay’ plays out in practice.

We suggest a serious rethink of the cost of harmful and exploitative models like ‘consent or pay’, instead.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 8d

The EDPB must come out and definitively oppose this exploitative practice rather than haggling with companies over ‘acceptable’ prices for users’ data, as the ICO appears to have done.

Their role is to defend people’s rights, not support bad business practices.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 8d

It’s not just Meta or the UK. ‘Pay or Ok’ is being rolled out by many sites across the EU.

Other data protection regulators are currently debating its acceptability more widely following 2024’s EDPB Opinion. The results of this will be hugely important.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 8d

This latest move in the UK risks derailing that process of positive reform for online advertising in the UK.

Our problem is not with advertising, it’s with the unbelievably invasive AdTech systems that are currently driving it.

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 8d

The decision is at odds w/ other recent ICO moves to promote more privacy-friendly forms of advertising, to support a legal case backing the right to object & to push for companies using ‘consent or pay’ to also offer a free option with non-personal ads

ico.org.uk/for-organisa...

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Privacy International @privacyinternational.org · 8d

Meta was also recently fined €200m under the EU’s competition law-related Digital Markets Act because its use of consent or pay undermined users’ ability to exercise real choice over the use of their data.

privacyinternational.org/long-read/55...

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