Freedom of expression and privacy are critical to fostering trust, accountability, and inclusiveness, all of which are critical ingredients for security. GNI recognizes the important role that government surveillance activities can play, which is why we insist that such measures must comply with the rule of law, democratic governance, and human rights principles.
The GNI framework provides companies with specific guidance on how to address government demands for access to data in a manner consistent with internationally recognized laws and standards. Our shared learning facilitates a greater understanding of the specific challenges that surveillance activities can present. Our policy approach advocates for expanded transparency, oversight, and accountability of laws, regulations, and actions related to communications surveillance.
Our policy work has also focused on identifying and calling out newer approaches to surveillance that take intermediaries out of the loop, thereby limiting opportunities for transparency and accountability over government access to user data. In 2021, after significant research and internal discussion, we launched a statement and landing page dedicated to one aspect of this trend, which we refer to as “direct access.”
Read our latest work on privacy and surveillance below.