Open Rights Group wants to build ORG Scotland

With the referendum on whether Scotland will remain part of Great Britain or go it alone coming in just two weeks time, whatever the result, many are hoping it leads to more rights for the Scottish people and certainly more control over their own future. With that in mind, the privacy and freedom of speech advocacy and campaign organisation, the Open Rights Group, has called on privacy proponents to join its cause, so it can help build an ORG Scotland branch.

“Last year we proposed to our supporters the idea for a Scottish office that would respond to policy issues coming out of Holyrood, and the response was overwhelmingly positive,” it said in a statement, suggesting that now is the time to get the ball rolling.

“Whilst ORG does not take a position on the outcome of the referendum, we believe it is absolutely necessary for digital rights to be part of the discussion. Increasingly, our day-to-day decisions involve digital rights issues,” it continued. “Do you buy the Smart Meter the energy company are pushing at you? Do you accept the Terms & Conditions for this free app you wanted? Do you find people unable to access your website? Are you unable to find health information online? Do you share that video, that joke, that tweet?”

It also highlighted other important digital privacy issues, like “non-state actors,” like stalkers, or those with simply too much access to information spying on you. Of course it also mentioned “state” actors like GCHQ and other government organisations that have made it obvious that they're leaning over our shoulder whenever we're online.

However just because ORG wants to expand into Scotland doesn't mean it isn't already working in the country. Earlier this year, executive director of ORG, Jim Killock has been visiting parts of Scotland to talk to digital rights activists about the future of Scotland and the group held an ORG-Scotland day in Edinburgh in May this year.

More efforts in the region though require more funds, which means it needs more members. However they don't have to come from Scotland, so whether your'e Scottish or not but want to see digital rights protected in the country, sign up up with a £5 or £10 direct debit. ORG only needs 60 more people to secure enough funding to make an official Scot. office possible.

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KitGuru says: ORG is one organisation I'm pretty happy to donate to on a  regular basis. 

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