- UK digital rights campaigners join newly formed Stop Killing the Internet movement
- The group launched a day after the UK announced an upcoming social media ban for under-16s.
- A petition urging the UK government to abandon its plan is also available.
Just 24 hours after the British Prime Minister announced a sweeping social media ban for under-16s, UK digital rights campaigners have joined forces to launch a global movement opposing online restrictions.
The “Stop Killing the Internet” campaign has a clear mission: defend the open Internet against state policies that could trigger mass surveillance and excessive control under the guise of online safety.
An official statement seen by TechRadar explains that the campaign was formed after global advocates met to discuss how proposals such as social media bans, device scanning, and increased state surveillance are accelerating around the world.
Organizers officially unveiled the campaign on Tuesday at a press conference inside the European Parliament, along with a new petition urging the UK government to abandon its plans.
High-profile groups including Open Rights Group, Big Brother Watch and Index on Censorship are among the UK-based digital rights organizations that have already backed the movement.
Moritz Katzner, director of Stop Killing Games, the movement’s sister campaign, urges the public to resist the recently announced measures.
“The Internet is a place of education, games, friendship, culture, work and public debate. Like any city hall, it can turn ugly. But we would never respond by closing city hall. We would never require ID cards at the door,” he said.
Why join the campaign?
The Stop Killing the Internet coalition was launched in response to a wave of international legislative proposals attempting to address child safety using what privacy experts call invasive, privacy-eroding measures.
The launch of the campaign follows a succession of government ultimatums, including Monday’s proposal to ban social media and a looming deadline for Apple and Google to implement scanning on devices.
“We all want kids to be safe online, but these policies create new security and privacy risks for both young people and entire populations of adults,” said Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch.
The campaign seeks to unite Internet users, families, content creators and technical experts who want legislators to find less invasive solutions to these social harms.
“Open Rights Group encourages people around the world who want a human rights-based approach to addressing harm to join this movement,” said James Baker, program director at Open Rights Group.
More information about the Stop Killing the Internet movement and its active petition can be found on the campaign’s official website.
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