Last night, @pluralistic was in conversation with @mariafarrell to mark ORG's 20th birthday.

This wide-ranging conversation covers everything from the 'Internet dimension' of policy-making to copyright in the age of AI and how to fight for digital rights.

Plus much more!

Missed it live? No worries, you can watch it in full on Youtube 📺

youtube.com/live/M9H2An_D6io

Potentially groundbreaking court ruling against #Meta:

"A German court has ruled that Meta must pay €5,000 to a 🇩🇪 #Facebook user who sued the platform for embedding #tracking in third-party websites."

"This may very well be one of the most substantial rulings coming out of Europe this year, ... €5,000 in damages for one visitor adds up quickly if you have tens of thousands of visitors, or even millions."

https://therecord.media/german-court-meta-tracking-tech

#privacy #digitalrights #gdpr #TrackingFreeAds

ORG turns 20 this year and we've lined up a special event! 🎂

Join us for Cory Doctorow @pluralistic in conversation with Maria Farrell.

They'll be getting into Cory's work and taking the fight to Big Tech ✊

🗓️ 16 July
🕕 6pm BST
💻 Zoom

Don't miss it! Register now ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/events/org-at-20-cory-doctorow-in-conversation-with-maria-farrell/

#digitalrights#ORG20 #bigtech #surveillancecapitalism #corydoctorow

Meta profits by using your personal data for advertising.

By crunching your data into profiles, you become a target for advertisers and a cash cow for Meta.

Their latest attempt to claim to have honoured people's opt out request while ignoring the actual issue is shady stuff.

#StopStalkerAds

#adtech #meta #zuckerberg #facebook #instagram #threads #privacy #dataprotection #gdpr #advertising #data #ukpolitics #ukpol #digitalrights

You have a legal right to object to your personal data being used for the purpose of targeted advertising.

Meta even admitted they must respect this right when they settled Tanya O’Carroll's case against them.

So why gaslight the rest of us?

#StopStalkerAds

https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/21/meta-settles-u-k-right-to-object-to-ad-tracking-lawsuit-by-agreeing-not-to-track-plaintiff/

#adtech #meta #zuckerberg #facebook #instagram #threads #privacy #dataprotection #gdpr #advertising #data #ukpolitics #ukpol #digitalrights

Meta must change how it does business away from profiteering on the back of our personal data.

Instead, our report suggests other advertising models that can respect our rights, like contextual advertising or subscriptions for advertisers.

#StopStalkerAds

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/metas-consent-or-pay-must-not-allow-stalker-ads-report-argues/

#adtech #meta #zuckerberg #facebook #instagram #threads #privacy #dataprotection #gdpr #advertising #data #ukpolitics #ukpol #digitalrights

It's up to us if we want targeted advertising or not. It's about consent.

Meta's attempt to gaslight us in the hope we'll get tired or confused is another tactic to uphold an advertising model that isn't operating lawfully.

Tell Meta #StopStalkerAds (UK residents) ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/meta-opt-out

#adtech #meta #zuckerberg #facebook #instagram #threads #privacy #dataprotection #gdpr #advertising #data #ukpolitics #ukpol #digitalrights

You have a legal right to object to your personal data being used for the purpose of targeted advertising.

Meta even admitted they must respect this right when they settled Tanya O’Carroll's case against them.

So why gaslight the rest of us?

#StopStalkerAds

https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/21/meta-settles-u-k-right-to-object-to-ad-tracking-lawsuit-by-agreeing-not-to-track-plaintiff/

#adtech #meta #zuckerberg #facebook #instagram #threads #privacy #dataprotection #gdpr #advertising #data #ukpolitics #ukpol #digitalrights

Meta must change how it does business away from profiteering on the back of our personal data.

Instead, our report suggests other advertising models that can respect our rights, like contextual advertising or subscriptions for advertisers.

#StopStalkerAds

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/metas-consent-or-pay-must-not-allow-stalker-ads-report-argues/

#adtech #meta #zuckerberg #facebook #instagram #threads #privacy #dataprotection #gdpr #advertising #data #ukpolitics #ukpol #digitalrights

Don't you know that you're toxic... Meta goes from ghosting to gaslighting.

After our direct action last week, Meta is now replying to 10k requests to opt out of Stalker Ads.

And it's a fudge... they talk about not using personal data for some direct marketing. But don't mention targeted ads!

#StopStalkerAds

#adtech #meta #zuckerberg #facebook #instagram #threads #privacy #dataprotection #gdpr #advertising #data #ukpolitics #ukpol #digitalrights

Meta profits by using your personal data for advertising.

By crunching your data into profiles, you become a target for advertisers and a cash cow for Meta.

Their latest attempt to claim to have honoured people's opt out request while ignoring the actual issue is shady stuff.

#StopStalkerAds

#adtech #meta #zuckerberg #facebook #instagram #threads #privacy #dataprotection #gdpr #advertising #data #ukpolitics #ukpol #digitalrights

ORG joined Pause AI outside Google's offices yesterday, calling for safer and just implementation of AI.

With so many of our rights on the line in automated decision-making, we need to be able to challenge how these systems work.

AI must be implemented with transparency and safeguards.

For a year, we've asked the UK Home Office to allow migrants to use a physicaI ID to prove their right to be in the UK.

This latest eVisa fiasco shows why this is urgently needed.

Write to your MP to demand this change ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/write-your-mp-allow-physical-proof-immigration-status

#migrants #migrantdigitaljustice #evisa #immigration #digitalrights #ukpolitics #ukpol #hostileenvironment

The UK eVisa scheme gets even worse.

Migrants have been made to get an eVisa and then get told it's not accepted as valid ID or proof of immigration status!

This hostile scheme is pushing people into uncertainty and risks creating another Windrush scandal.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/30/uk-government-agency-not-accepting-evisas-as-id-from-job-applicants

#migrants #migrantdigitaljustice #evisa #immigration #digitalrights #ukpolitics #ukpol #hostileenvironment

A world free of Big Tech. Can you imagine? 💭

Join us for a special event for the 20th anniversary of Open Rights Group 🎂

As well as being a renowned author, activist and journalist, Cory Doctorow @pluralistic was a founding member of ORG! He'll be talking to fellow writer and activist Maria Farrell about #SurveillanceCapitalism, the #enshittification of digital platforms and fighting #BigTech monopolies.

🗓️ 16 July, 6pm BST
💻 Zoom

Sign up ➡️ https://www.openrightsgroup.org/events/org-at-20-cory-doctorow-in-conversation-with-maria-farrell/

#ORG20 #digitalrights

Stop using Big Tech to organize your protests! They're part of the authoritarian surveillance and oppression as well.

✊ Replace Meetup/Facebook Groups with Mobilizon:
https://mobilizon.org

📄 Replace Google Docs with CryptPad:
https://cryptpad.fr

📍 Replace Google Map with Organic Maps:
https://organicmaps.app

🎞️ Replace YouTube with PeerTube:
https://joinpeertube.org

📧 Replace Gmail and Google Calendar with Proton or Tuta:
https://proton.me
https://tuta.com

🕸️ Create a simple html website with no tracking and no cookies, and post links to it everywhere, including paper posters and stickers.

We can organize without Big Tech. We have done it for centuries before! blobcatyes

#Protest#Democracy#DigitalRights#HumanRights#Privacy#MassSurveillance