Grants

Guidelines

Unfettered expression and communication and the protection of data privacy are two critical open society issues. Threats and opportunities come from several directions: from state surveillance and censorship; from private-sector surveillance, harvesting and manipulation of personal data; from private litigation with chilling effects on the freedom of expression; and the development of new technologies and technical standards which threaten or enhance data-related rights and freedoms.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and their aftermath, an absolutist position on privacy may no longer be tenable. But 9/11 has been used as an excuse by governments around the world to impose new intrusions on privacy and restrictions on communication. What needs to be defended is an appropriate balance between the provision of security and respect for basic liberties.

The Information Program supports watchdog groups that respond to threats to basic freedoms emerging from repressive use of new communications technologies. Funding is particularly focused on two neglected aspects of this set of issues:

• First, the globalization of surveillance technologies and legal templates which infringe on basic freedoms: new surveillance technologies and the legal frameworks accompanying them (such as laws on cyber-crime and data profiling) are usually first developed in rich countries with relatively strong protections for civil liberties, and with widespread awareness of the repressive potential of these measures; they are then taken up in other countries where protection of civil liberties is weak or non-existent, and where there is little public awareness of their implications.
• Second, the Information Program is concerned about the unintended consequences of technologies and technical standards unrelated to surveillance. As digital networks penetrate into all areas of social life, technologies which, at first glance, seem neutral may acquire the potential to curb basic freedoms.

For instructions on submitting an application for funding, please view the Information Program’s Guidelines and frequently asked questions.

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