Notices by Open Rights Group (openrightsgroup@social.openrightsgroup.org)

⚠️ The UK #DataBill will unleash AI harms ⚠️

Being stripped back is the right to human review over automated decisions – even if they have life-changing impacts.

Life mustn’t be haunted by the ghost in the machine.

Sign and share our petition to keep human review!

✍️ ⬇️

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ai-says-no-tell-keir-starmer-that-people-not-machines-should-oversee-life-changing-decisions

#dataprotection #DUABill #privacy #AI #ukpolitics #petition #GDPR

Currently you have the right for a person to review automated decisions if you think there's been an error under UK GDPR.

But computers make mistakes... Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of the Post Office Horizon scandal?

We mustn't weaken rights over AI in the UK Data Bill.

#DataBill #dataprotection #privacy #DUABill #GDPR #ukpolitics

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56718036

The UK government plans to embed AI in public services.

To achieve it, they want to take the brakes off automated decision-making by sacrificing our rights.

And, from Meta to Palantir, Big Tech is eyeing up the personal data bounty from the UK State.

#DataBill #AI #dataprotection #privacy #DUABill #ukpolitics #GDPR

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/19/meta-hackathon-devises-ways-to-use-ai-system-in-uk-public-services

Lords are now starting to debate the second reading of the Data (use and access bill). You can watch this live at https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/4bc930ca-f81e-4928-a11d-f9d942014004 #DUABill #digitalrights

Palantir wants to calculate the 'reoffending risk' of UK prisoners.

The big question is who will use this data, applied for what decision and what does a prisoner do if they disagree?

The new UK #DataBill tries to make automated decisions without human review possible. It's very likely that this tech won't be fit for purpose and will result in discriminatory decisions.

The government is rushing ahead and lowering #dataprotection – a recipe for disaster.

#palantir

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/16/tech-firm-palantir-spoke-with-moj-about-calculating-prisoners-reoffending-risks

In the current walled garden model of social media, users are locked-in to a particular platform.

People can't move accounts without losing networks they've developed.

Under tech oligarchs, users have no influence over how content is prioritised or the platform's algorithms.

#fediverse

Federated social media offers competition and choice.

As with email or mobile phones, your account should be able to work across any provider regardless of the network.

This is interoperability and it’s key to improving standards.

#fediverse

Is it time to leave that toxic X? Or are we flogging a dead bird?

Musk's abuse of personal power and Twitter's increasing unpleasantness has pushed many to fly the nest.

But what next? We need federated social media where users can move freely between platforms.

Here's why 🧵

#Musk #Twitter #X #socialmedia #Bluesky #fediverse

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/the-twitter-xodus-time-to-stay-or-time-to-go/

Today we've published our alternative report into the Information Commissioner's Office (UK) 📑

An overly cautious approach to enforcing data protection law puts government and corporate preferences before the needs of the public.

A slap on the wrist does nothing to protect privacy.

#dataprotection #privacy #GDPR #ukpolitics

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/icos-failure-to-enforce-is-putting-the-public-at-risk/

The ICO's controversial policy of not fining public sector organisations in the UK, except for the most serious cases, fails to deter them from breaching data protection law.

The ICO must use its full powers, including enforcement notices and fines, to make data protection law effective.

#dataprotection #privacy #GDPR #ICO #ukpolitics

The ICO has also closed down ORG's complaint about Meta’s plans to process users’ data for AI development.

They've refused to meaningfully justify their decision and remain silent on why they think the requirement to seek opt in consent doesn't apply to Meta.

#dataprotection #privacy #GDPR #ukpolitics

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/the-ico-is-leaving-an-ai-enforcement-gap-in-the-uk/

Making it easier for the police to access data will make abuses of power more likely.

"Any reductions in accountability [under the UK Data Use and Access Bill] could harm communities that are overpoliced and worsen existing tensions."

🗣️ ORG's Sara Chitseko.

#DUABill #privacy #dataprotection #GDPR #AI #ukpolitics

https://news.sky.com/story/the-data-use-and-access-bill-how-new-laws-may-affect-the-way-your-data-is-handled-13240046

Open Rights Group fights to protect digital rights 🦾

Becoming a member helps us to campaign, lobby, go to court – whatever it takes to challenge restrictions to our human rights.

Join the movement today ⬇️

#DigitalRightsAreHumanRights

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/join/

From Meta to X to LinkedIN, companies are eyeing up our data to train AI. Despite this, the Information Comissioner's Office is leaving a data protection enforcement gap in the UK.

This weakness sends the message that the use of UK people’s data is fair game, leaving one-sided commercial exploitation unchecked.

ORG is calling for the data watchdog to be reformed in upcoming legislation.

Our latest blog ⬇️

#dataprotection #AI #ukpolitics #GDPR #privacy #digitalrights

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/the-ico-is-leaving-an-ai-enforcement-gap-in-the-uk/

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

We've signed a joint letter to oppose the resurrection of welfare surveillance powers in the UK.

Using welfare fraud as a wedge issue to spy on all benefit claimants is a huge blow for privacy and has the makings of a Horizon-style scandal.

Suspicionless algorithmic surveillance will impact pensioners, disabled people and carers. They will bear the brunt when these systems go wrong.

Read more ⬇️

#ukpolitics #surveillance #digitalrights #privacy #welfare

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/01/monitoring-uk-bank-accounts-for-benefits-would-be-huge-blow-to-privacy

It appears the previous Government's plans to snoop on our bank accounts are back under Starmer's Labour in the Fraud, Error and Debt Bill. - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-be-introduced-to-crack-down-on-fraud #surveillance #DWP #Benefits

“The Information Commissioner's Office (UK) has a legal duty to investigate complaints. By omitting to act upon ORG's complaint, the ICO is taking the side of Meta’s commercial interests rather than the rights of the British public.

Meta’s plans remain on hold in Europe. We call on the ICO to respond to our complaint and explain how these proposals comply with the UK #GDPR.”

🗣️ @marianods on Meta's data scraping to train #AI.

#dataprotection #Meta

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/ico-fails-uk-meta-users-and-allows-social-media-giant-to-resume-data-scraping-for-ai

“LinkedIn is the latest social media company found to be processing our data without asking for consent.”

The opt-out model is “wholly inadequate to protect our rights: the public cannot be expected to monitor and chase every single online company that decides to use our data to train AI.“

Opt-in consent is a must.

🗣️ ORG’s @marianods

#dataprotection #GDPR #AI

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/18/linkedin-scraped-user-data-for-training-before-updating-its-terms-of-service/

What's wrong with e-Visas?

Replacing physical documents, migrants' proof of status (UK) will be checked in real-time online.

Using error-prone algorithmic guesswork, records will be live matched and rematched across multiple databases.

It's a recipe for disaster.

#stopEvisas #migrants #digitalrights #eVisa #ukpolitics

Real-time checking carries the risk of potentially tens or hundreds of thousands of errors. Errors that can have life-changing consequences.

Reports collected by @the3million show cases of data errors and failures under the previous EU Settlement Scheme.

#stopEvisas #migrants #digitalrights #eVisa #ukpolitics

https://the3million.org.uk/our-proposal-fixing-digital-status