The ICCL is placing privacy centre stage at this year’s Electric Picnic (Stradbally House, County Laois, 29, 30 and 31 August 2008).
The ICCL’s stall at this year’s Picnic includes the stage set of a new quiz show called ‘Private Lives’. While one quiz participant is locked in a soundproofed Perspex box, another will be quizzed on his or her most intimate details, in order to demonstrate that Government and private sector now know things about you that you wouldn’t tell your best friend! The stall will be bright and eye-catching. Prizes of ICCL branded tee shirts and stickers will be given to participants.
We will also be asking festival-goers to sign an open letter addressed to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, TD, calling for:
• A proper lawful basis for the use of secret surveillance;
• Safeguards to ensure that personal information about us can only be gathered, stored and consulted in ways that respect our right to privacy;
• A legal obligation to disclose the loss of sensitive personal data to the Data Protection Commissioner.
Journalists and photographers / cameramen attending the Electric Picnic are invited to visit our marquee and photograph / film and/or participate in the festivities. We will be in the late night arena (from 10am to 7pm) across from the entrance to the Body and Soul Village.
Background:
Why privacy?
The right to privacy is a human right guaranteed to everyone, and one which is often infringed upon.
Every day, we pass our private information onto third parties – through our computers, mobile phones, through our dealings with State agencies and through our laser and credit card transactions.
We are also living in a more and more surveillance-oriented society. CCTV cameras are an increasingly intrusive presence in our lives and there is no lawful basis for most forms of secret surveillance.
Without robust laws and strong safeguards the scope for breaches of people’s privacy is enormous. Currently there are very few effective remedies for those whose privacy is breached.