The month of June is upon us and on the 25th I'll be heading to Oxfordshire for a picnic beside the grave of Eric Arthur Blair. This will be the eighth year running where a number of us have made the pilgrimage to share in a conversation on George Orwell's birthday. A mini informal symposium. A chat around mass surveillance, consumer data and our civil liberties. Accompanied of course with … [Read more...] about Books on Privacy and Surveillance
snowden
Journalism and the Discipline of Verification
Sat in a hotel in Turin. Tomorrow I’ve a short walk to the UNICRI HQ where I’ll be leading a workshop for journalists and reporters. Preparing them for the various cyber threats they are now facing. Be those threats from governments or individuals. My workshop covers a lot of ground over the two days, including some serious, intimidating questions, ones that are not always easy to find good … [Read more...] about Journalism and the Discipline of Verification
The Picnic is a Political Act
On June the 25th 2014, it will be the seventh continual year there has been a symposium (picnic) at George Orwell’s grave. It's also of course his birthday. Back in 2007 we sat on the grass sharing food and drink, experiences and stories. As we have done every year since. Asking questions, discussing threatened freedoms and eroded civil liberties... all things Orwellian. We once used the … [Read more...] about The Picnic is a Political Act
Public until proven otherwise
I once heard of a TV journalist who kept the names and addresses of his Syrian sources in a little black book, and all the video he shot of activists, complete with faces, on an open hard drive. He was detained by the secret police in Damascus, which was scary for him, but worse for his contacts. In his easily accessible files he had neatly identified, catalogued and given phone numbers for a … [Read more...] about Public until proven otherwise
Are we finally living in 1984?
How do you feel about the world we are creating right now? What were your thoughts when the #PRISM news hit the headlines and Edward Snowden appeared in your browser saying these words?.. "If living unfreely but comfortably is something you’re willing to accept, and I think many of us are, it’s the human nature, you can get up every day, you can go to work, you can collect your large paycheck … [Read more...] about Are we finally living in 1984?