Stoppt die Vorratsdatenspeicherung! - Stop Surveillance Mania!" on 11 September 2010 - International Action Day "Freedom not Fear2010"

Stop Surveillance Mania!" on 11 September 2010 - International Action Day "Freedom not Fear2010"

A broad movement of campaigners and organizations is calling on everybody to join action against excessive surveillance by governments and businesses. On 11 September 2010, concerned people in many countries will take to the streets, the motto being "Freedom not fear 2010 – Stop Surveillance Mania!".

Civil rights campaigners are calling on everybody to join the demonstration against excessive surveillance by governments and businesses. On Saturday, 11 September 2010, we will take to the streets, under the motto “Freedom not Fear 2010 – Stop Surveillance Mania!” (“Freihit statt Angst – Stoppt den Überwachungswahn!”). The rally will start at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin at 1 p.m. (1300 CEST = 1100 GMT). It is part of the international “Freedom not Fear” action day, which will see worldwide protests against surveillance on citizens.

Call for Action for the International Action Day “Freedom not Fear 2010”

Supporters:

Participating cities

Berlin (Germany)
Skopje (Macedonia)
more cities / join action...

kontakt [at] vorratsdatenspeicherung.de

International Action Day “Freedom not Fear 2010 – Stop the Surveillance Mania!” on 11th September 2010

A broad movement of civil liberty rights defenders is calling upon everyone to participate in actions directed against the ongoing spread of excessive surveillance measures on the part of businesses and governments. On Saturday, 11 September 2010, concerned citizens in several countries around the world will gather to protest under the motto “Freedom not Fear 2010 – Stop the Surveillance Mania!”.

The surveillance mania is continuing to spread. Surveillance in the workplace, in particular, has been increasing. Employees are being watched and monitored in their work environment, sometimes even in their private lives. At the same time, governmental institutions do not miss an opportunity to register, monitor and control us. No matter what we do, to whom we talk to, or who we call, in what groups we are engaged in and what interests we follow – the “big brother” state and the “little brothers and sisters” in the business sector are always one step ahead and know better. The subsequent lack of privacy and confidentiality endangers our society. People, who permanently feel that they are being watched and monitored, are restrained from standing up for their rights and a just society in an unbiased and courageous manner.

The supposed security gain, often put forward to justify measures of surveillance and control, is more than questionable: Accumulating information about citizens does not enhance our protection against crime, it only costs us billions every year. Thereby measures accounting for a more selective and sustainable strengthening of security are being ignored. This also applies to finding remedies for more pressing social problems, such as unemployment and unequal opportunity in our countries. Beyond that, the manifold agenda of security sector reform leads to an ongoing convergence of competencies and cooperation among the police, secret services and the military, threatening to water down the division and balance of power. As a result the constitutional ambits of surveillance are being abolished, leading our society to being increasingly walled off from the rest of the world.

Surveillance, as part of everyday life, affects all of us, not just minorities: It compromises our religious freedom, our freedom of expression and information, our right to a free press, the freedom of association and the integrity of companies. A high number of civil organizations and occupational groups are being exposed to measures of surveillance and control in an exceptional manner. Amongst others, these include the personnel of advisory services, medical practitioners, trade unionists, journalists and lawyers.

The respect for our professional and personal privacy is an essential part of our human dignity. A free and open society cannot exist without implicit private spaces and free communication. Therefore we call upon everyone to join our protest against excessive surveillance and control on 11 September 2010 in cities around the world.

We demand:

1. Cutbacks on surveillance measures

abolition of the blanket logging of our communication and locations (data retention)
abolition of the blanket collection of our biometric data as well as RFID passports
protection from surveillance at the workplace by introducing effective labour data protection laws
no permanent student ID numbers
no handing over of personal information without cause; no European wide standardized state run collection of information (Stockholm Program)
no systematic surveillance of monetary transactions or any other mass data analysis within the EU (Stockholm Program)
no information exchange with the US or any other state lacking effective data protection laws
abolition of permanent CCTV camera surveillance and ban of all behavioral detection techniques
no blanket registration of passengers traveling with airlines or by boat (PNR data)
no secret searches of private computer systems, neither online nor offline
no introduction of the e-health insurance card in the presently planned form
no systematic surveillance of financial transactions data or similar mass data analysis in the EU (SWIFT)
no blanket registration of all air and sea travellers (PNR data)
no automated registration of vehicle number plates and locations
no secret searches of private computer systems, neither online nor offline

2. Evaluation of existing surveillance powers

We call for an independent review of all existing surveillance powers as to their effectiveness, proportionality, costs, harmful side-effects and alternative solutions. We particularly call on the European parliament to immediately re-evaluate existing and planned projects on interior security that restrict fundamental rights of the people in Europe.

3. Moratorium on new surveillance powers

Following the “arms race” in security measures over the past few years, we demand an immediate stop to new interior security laws that further restrict civil liberties.

4. Ensure freedom of expression, dialogue and information on the Internet

safeguard net neutrality with binding laws
keep the Internet free, unfiltered and uncensored, without blocking lists or pre-publication controls, neither by state institutions nor by Internet service providers
no Internet disconnection policies (“three strikes”, “graduated response”)
outlaw installation of filtering infrastructures on ISP networks
content deletion must require an order by an independent and impartial judge, the right to legal recourse must be ensured
establish a digital Human Rights Charter for the 21st century, with global protections of digital civil rights
introduction of an unlimited right to quote multimedia content, which nowadays is indispensable for public debate in democracies
protection of internet platforms for preserving the free expression of opinion (participatory websites, forums, comments on blogs etc.), which nowadays is threatened by inadequate laws encouraging self-censorship (chilling effect)