Human rights group Privacy International has launched a way to allow anyone in the world to find out whether UK intelligence agency GCHQ illegally spied on them.
The organization, along with Bytes for All, Liberty and Amnesty International, recently brought a case to the UK’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT). The body ruled GCHQ had unlawfully obtained millions of private communications from the NSA.
Privacy International’s new campaign is a direct result of that ruling. The platform will allow anyone in the world, not just British citizens, to ask GCHQ if their records were unlawfully shared by the NSA.
To take part, you simply have to submit your details here. Privacy International will then collate the inquiries it receives and submit them to the IPT, requesting that the records, including emails and data on phone calls and internet communications be deleted.
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By submitting the request through Privacy International, you will be asserting your rights under the European Convention for Human Rights Article 8 (‘right to respect for personal and family life’) and Article 10 (‘right to freedom of expression and information’).
Eric King, Deputy Director of Privacy International, says:
“The public have a right to know if they were illegally spied on, and GCHQ must come clean on whose records they hold that they should never have had in the first place. There are few chances that people have to directly challenge the seemingly unrestrained surveillance state, but individuals now have a historic opportunity finally hold GCHQ accountable for their unlawful actions.”
If you’ve got more queries on what will happen if you submit your details, the group has put together an FAQ. Of course, it’s a little ironic to have to share your details to then find out if you’ve been spied on…
➤ Illegal Spying [Privacy International]
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