- UK digital rights activists join new Stop Killing the Internet movement
- The group was launched a day after the UK announced an upcoming ban on social media for under-16s.
- A petition urging the British government to abandon its plan is also online.
Just 24 hours after the British Prime Minister announced a sweeping ban on social media for under-16s, British digital rights advocates have joined forces to launch a global movement against online restrictions.
The “Stop Killing the Internet” campaign has a clear mission: to 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 formed after global advocates came together 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 at the European Parliament, alongside a new petition urging the British government to abandon its plans.
Leading groups including Open Rights Group, Big Brother Watch and Index on Censorship are among the UK-based digital rights organizations that have already supported the movement.
Moritz Katzner, director of Stop Killing Games – the movement’s sister campaign – is urging the public to resist the recently announced measures.
“The Internet is a place of education, games, friendship, culture, work and public debate. Like any town hall, it can get ugly. But we would never react by closing the town hall. We would never demand identity papers 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 that attempt to keep children safe using what privacy experts call invasive and privacy-eroding measures.
The campaign’s launch follows a succession of government ultimatums, including Monday’s proposal to ban social media and a looming deadline for Apple and Google to force analytics on devices.
“We all want children to be safe online, but these policies create new security and privacy risks for young people and the entire adult population,” said Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch.
The campaign aims to bring together internet users, families, content creators and technical experts who want lawmakers to find less invasive solutions to these societal 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 manager 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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