Visualizing Government Surveillance
This, the theme of the 3rd edition of the EUhackathon is ‘Hack4YourRights’ and focuses on government access to citizens’ private communications online. While governments have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute crime, that authority should not be granted at the expense of Internet security or fundamental freedoms. Public accountability should be an important check on government access to personal information, but there are still many places around the world where citizens are not fully aware of what is happening. In fact, most sources, including various corporate transparency reports, show that governments are asking private companies for more information about their users, more often than ever before. In addition, some governments are looking to expand their abilities to access citizens’ information without offering their citizens the adequate justifications or protections needed to guard against abuse. These new proposals not only pose a threat to Internet security and individual privacy but could also have a chilling effect on speech; people need to feel safe from overreaching governments in order to continue exercising their rights to free expression online.
Resources
For a list of additional company and government reports, click here.
After you’ve uploaded your project, make sure to submit it for the challenge by clicking the button below.
Deadline: Wednesday, September 25, 13:30
Marco Pancini, Google
Charlene Manuel, Visualizing
- Understanding (10 Points): How effectively does the visualization communicate? How well does it help you make sense of this issue?
- Originality (5 Points): Are the approach and design innovative?
- Style (5 Points): Is the visualization aesthetically compelling?
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