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Privacy as a fundamental right
To promote the understanding that privacy in the digital world is a fundamental human right just like in the real world, Web3 companies have come together, led by Nym Technologies, which specializes in building privacy infrastructure, and the rights advocacy group The Universal Privacy Alliance (UPA) was established.
A group of Web3 companies has formed the Universal Privacy Alliance to advocate for digital rights. https://t.co/6zauixqH6o
— GamesBeat (@GamesBeat) December 12, 2023
Participating in UPA are Web3 companies that “build technology that enhances privacy,” including Oasis Network, Protocol Labs, Filecoin, and Aztec. It will focus on bringing these companies together “to share resources and influence policy and regulatory decisions in a productive way.”
Harry Halpin, CEO of Nym, has this to say about privacy as a fundamental right of individuals:
Although privacy is just as important online as it is offline, many of today’s dominant internet platforms prioritize surveillance and data collection over people’s fundamental rights. As the digital environment expands, the need for accessible and secure privacy technology becomes essential.
Privacy as a basic design
What UPA advocates is building privacy as a basic specification at the technology level.
UPA has three principles aimed at realigning technological infrastructure among member companies with “similar but not identical goals”:
- Privacy is fundamental
Privacy is recognized in international conventions such as the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, but the right to privacy and access to privacy protection technologies in the digital world are among the most important human rights issues. - Privacy tools are the norm
In order to achieve the level of privacy that is taken for granted in the real world, privacy protection technologies should be easily accessible and usable in interactions and transactions in the digital world. - Privacy as a specification
Privacy by Design is essential to guarantee fundamental rights in the digital world.
Designing and building systems with strong user privacy should not be hindered.
UPA activities
The UPA launch event was held at the Ethereum developer conference “DevCon” held in Bogotá, the capital of the Republic of Colombia, in October 2022. The event kicked off with a keynote speech by Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee known for criticizing the US government’s surveillance system.
Since then, it has hosted events on digital privacy issues at the Ethereum conference “ETHDenver” held in February of this year in Denver, USA, and “Devconnect” (held in Istanbul, Turkey) in November.
Today, Oasis’ Technical Product Manager Harry Roberts sat with other industry leaders to talk about what has been on everyone’s mind during the Universal Privacy Alliance Panel at #Devconnect23
Is there such a thing as too much privacy in a decentralized ecosystem 
pic.twitter.com/8HjnyDtM7m
— Oasis Network (@OasisProtocol) November 17, 2023
Regarding UPA’s official incorporation in Switzerland, Nym’s home base, founding member Will Scott said:
Our formal launch as the Unified Privacy Alliance signifies our collective commitment to championing the right to privacy in an increasingly digital world. By uniting and speaking out, we aim to educate policymakers, empower small organizations, and advocate for user-centered privacy practices in technology.
UPA will initially focus on the European Union’s eIDAS (Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services) Regulation and Digital Services Act, which challenge the principle of end-to-end encryption. Initially, the project will be funded by $150,000 (approximately 21.8 million yen) donated by the founding members.
connection:Why privacy infrastructure “Nym” is necessary and exploring the possibility of zero-knowledge proofs | WebX
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