Open Rights Group: Censorship and Surveillance Campaign Training

Today the UK Government introduced its Snooper’s Charter proposals (aka as the draft Communications Data Bill. Ed.).

To coincide with the announcement of this proposed draconian legislation, the Open Rights Group has announced a series of censorship and surveillance campaign sessions.

The ORG is billing these sessions as “training that will equip activists to help stop the Snoopers’ Charter and Mass Internet Blocking. Briefings will be followed by practicing how to talk to your MP and other campaign activities.”

The Open Rights Group needs your help to defeat the latest attacks on internet freedom and to convince MPs that they should oppose new proposals for more surveillance and censorship.

Dates for the sessions are below and following the link will take you to the event’s registration page.

• London, Wednesday, 20 June 2012
• Edinburgh, Saturday, 23 June 2012
• Manchester, Wednesday, 27 June 2012
• Sheffield, Thursday, 28 June 2012
• Birmingham, Wednesday, 4 July 2012
• Bristol, Saturday, 7 July 2012

The ORG is running these training sessions that will help you learn about two of the biggest current digital rights issues and practice how to discuss them with your MP. Two big topics will be covered:

1. The “Snoopers’ Charter” – aka the Communications Data Bill – was announced in the Queen’s speech and is about to be published by the government. The bill will create new powers to intercept and collect information about who you talk to online. Your communications via Google, Facebook or Skype will now be open to what may be a large number of government officials. ORG wants to see the powers to collect and access communications data tightened up, not extended ever further.
2. Internet censorship. The government is considering whether Internet Service Providers should have to block websites that contain ‘adult content’ by default, with an ‘opt out’ for uncensored access. That would mean an infrastructure of censorship that could, through mistakes, abuse or mission creep, lead to more and more content being blocked for people in the UK. ORG’s research on mobile Internet censorship recently showed how often the wrong websites can be filtered, for example. ORG wants to prevent this further move towards private policing of the internet and free speech, and recommend better ways to help parents manage their children’s Internet access.

You can help stop these proposals and don’t need any previous knowledge of the issues or experience talking with your MP as plenty of help will be given.

The training event will last for around four hours. First you’ll be given a good background briefing on the issues and an overview of the campaigns. Then there’ll be some practical training on how to speak to your MP and other campaigning ideas too.

For those interested in the Bristol event, it’s being held at the Watershed.