Who We Are
Founded in 2005, Open Rights Group (ORG) is a UK-based digital campaigning organisation working to protect our rights to privacy and free speech online.
Digital technology has transformed the way we live and opened up limitless new ways to communicate, connect, share and learn across the world. But for all the benefits, technological developments have created new threats to our human rights.
We fight for your human rights in the digital age, campaigning for a fair digital environment where technology supports equality, justice and freedom. We raise awareness, campaign, lobby, go to court – whatever it takes – to challenge restrictions to our human rights. Our success is down to a movement of individuals and organisations committed to fighting for our cause.
Our society is not equal, digital threats can impact anyone, but often reinforce and exacerbate structural racism, discrimination and inequality within the UK. For example, migrants, people from racialised backgrounds, disabled people and people on lower incomes are more likely to be affected by intrusive surveillance, weakened data protection and discriminatory automated decision-making. We make sure that the people who are most affected by digital harms are at the heart of our campaigns. To do this, we work with many partners, including organisations who campaign for migrants’ rights, racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights.
ORG VICTORIES
From the Immigration Exception to the Covid-19 app to mass surveillance we’ve achieved a long list of victories in defence of our civil liberties in the digital age.
FIND OUT MOREWe challenge
- Threats to privacy by both the government through the surveillance of our personal communications and private companies, who use our personal data to increase their profits.
- Threats to free speech through the criminalisation of online speech, online censorship and restrictive copyright laws.
Impact
40k+
Number of ORG members & supporters
10
The number of cities in the UK with active ORG local groups
£33k+
Raised for our immigration exemption legal challenge
ORG Groups
Our local groups are welcoming communities of ORG supporters in towns and cities across the UK that meet regularly to host events and campaign on digital rights issues affecting their communities.
ORG supporters who run groups in their area make up our Supporter Council.
Find out how to get involved here or by selecting a group in your area: Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Norwich, Oxford and Stoke-on-Trent.
ORG Staff
ORG Structure
- ORG policy is informed by an Advisory Council, consisting of a large group of technology experts, academics and activists.
- ORG is overseen by a Board of Directors, two of whom are elected every two years by our members. None of our Advisory Council members or directors are paid.
- Our legal panel includes barristers and solicitors who help us with our work. We may also pass on relevant requests for legal assistance to this panel.
- Our Corporate Supporters support our work and help us to campaign more effectively. In particular Mythic Beasts help us host our servers and AAISP support our Blocked project.
- ORG is a member organisation of European Digital Rights (EDRi).
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