Another chapter ends in the surreal adventures of Julian Assange April 12, 2019 It is false and defamatory to suggest that Julian Assange lives, or has ever lived, in a basement, cupboard, or under the stairs. The same applies to suggesting that the Wikileaks co-founder filed a lawsuit against Ecuador over laundry, used a skateboard in the Ecuadorian embassy, or failed to look after his cat. And so, [...]
The final frontier: Opportunities for global Britain lie in the stars February 11, 2019 This summer marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first humans landing on the moon on 20 July 1969. It was a defining moment of human achievement that still intrigues and fascinates to this day. First Man, Hollywood’s look at the life of the astronaut Neil Armstrong, played by Ryan Gosling, has just been nominated for [...]
Netflix comes under fire for removing comedy episode critical of Saudi prince January 2, 2019 Netflix has pulled an episode of a comedy show that criticised Saudi Arabia after complaints from the country’s regime, sparking fears over freedom of expression in the kingdom. The online streaming service removed an episode of the standup show Patriot Act in which host Hasan Minhaj criticised Saudi Arabia over the murder of journalist Jamal [...]
US accused of listening in on phone calls of French President Francois Hollande June 24, 2015 The US National Security Agency has been spying on French politicians for at least six years, according to Wikileaks documents published by the French newspaper Liberation. Read more: Germany’s Angela Merkel sends strong warning to US over spy claims Those whose phones have allegedly been tapped include current President Francois Hollande, as well as [...]
US transparency over state surveillance puts British efforts to shame June 1, 2015 Two very different stories are being played out on each side of the Atlantic on the subject of government surveillance. In the United States, intrusive powers permitted under the Patriot Act were allowed to expire on Sunday evening, after the libertarian senator Rand Paul used procedural objections in the US Senate to delay the passage [...]
Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee warns of government “snooper’s charter” after Queen’s Speech May 30, 2015 Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, has warned of encroaching government powers after plans for new legislation to monitor communications was revealed in the Queen's Speech. "There's never been so much at stake" Berners-Lee told an audience at the Southbank's Web We Want Festival, where he urged support for a Magna [...]
MPs are calling for a single new spy law to replace “piecemeal” legislation governing UK’s intelligence agencies March 12, 2015 The Intelligence and Security Committee of MPs is calling for a new law to replace current “piecemeal” legislation governing how the UK's intelligence agencies spy on its citizens. The committee's 140-page review, which was published this morning, argues that while agencies “do not seek to circumvent the law” the current status quo is “unnecessarily complicated [...]
Canon bids for Swedish CCTV firm Axis to expand into surveillance February 10, 2015 CAMERA giant Canon plans to buy Swedish video surveillance and network camera company Axis. Canon has made an offer of to buy all of Axis’ Nasdaq Stockholm-listed shares at 340 Swedish Crowns (£26.75) for a total of 23.6bn Swedish crowns. Axis’ board of directions has recommended their share holders accept the offer of and the [...]
GCHQ “contravened” European Convention of Human Rights over mass surveillance February 6, 2015 Mass surveillance of private communication between members of the British public by GCHQ conducted in the past went against European law, a tribunal has ruled. The Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) said today the British intelligence and security organisation had “contravened” part of the European Convention of Human Rights in relation to the US surveillance [...]
Government surveillance policy is having a chilling impact on UK tech firms February 2, 2015 Does the digital economy matter to this government? If this question were asked anywhere in Whitehall, the answer would be a resounding yes. After all, the government has prided itself on being the most digital friendly yet; setting up Tech City, pouring in millions of pounds of investment, and leading on a digital-by-default agenda. [...]