Digital Rights Digest | Dec 15-21

On Our Radar 🎯

The UK's Triple Threat to Digital Privacy

The United Kingdom is making a coordinated push to dismantle digital privacy on multiple fronts simultaneously, and it's one of the most alarming developments we've seen this year.

1. First: Mandatory on-device scanning. New proposals would require everyone's devices to scan content before encryption, the technical equivalent of forcing you to let police search your home before you're allowed to lock your door.
2. Second: VPN age verification and website tracking. The same proposals would require VPNs to verify users' ages and log which websites those users visit—turning privacy tools into surveillance tools.
3. Third: Threatening encrypted messaging developers. The UK's Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office warned that creating apps like Signal or WhatsApp could constitute "hostile activity" against the state. Read that again: building tools that protect privacy is being framed as an attack on the government.

The UK is openly proposing to break encryption, mandate surveillance, and criminalize the development of open source tools. The most frustrating part about all of this is that these were proposed by lawmakers when they were supposed to 'debate' the outrage from the 500k+ signatures from the UK age verification laws passed in July. Instead of listening to people's complaints, they've proposed some of the world's most dystopian surveillance we've ever seen.

This is a global problem: These proposals become templates. When one Western democracy normalizes on-device scanning or frames E2EE as "hostile," other governments cite it as precedent. The UK isn't just threatening its own citizens' privacy, it's providing cover for authoritarian regimes to do the same.

What you can do: If you're in the UK, contact your MP and explain why these proposals are technically impossible without destroying safety on the internet entirely. If you're not in the UK, support organizations like the EFF and Privacy International fighting these proposals, because what starts in the UK doesn't stay there. Share these stories with people who don't work in tech.

Bits & Bytes 🤖

~ TikTok Sale Proves It was Never About Keeping You Safe

ByteDance confirmed TikTok will transfer majority control (80.1%) to US investors, with a deal expected to close soon. But the structure is complicated: ByteDance retains 19.9% ownership, a board seat, and keeps the algorithm (with oversight from other big tech companies).

Our take: This was never about protecting Americans' privacy, it was about which government has access. Surveillance and data collection are problems regardless of whether it's China, the US, or any other country doing it. The fact that politicians are fine with Facebook, Google, and X collecting massive amounts of data but panic over TikTok reveals this isn't a privacy concern—it's a geopolitical one.

If we actually cared about protecting citizens, we'd have comprehensive privacy regulations that apply to all platforms regardless of country of origin. The internet is global, data flows across borders; whatever concerns exist about TikTok's data practices should apply equally to every social media platform.

~ $100M Super PAC Aims to "Drown Out" AI Critics

A new US super PAC called "Leading the Future" launched with over $100 million in initial funding to support "pro-AI" candidates in the 2026 midterms and oppose lawmakers who support AI regulation. Backers include OpenAI president Greg Brockman and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which has spent $2.7 million lobbying Congress this year.

The super PAC will intervene in both federal and state races, starting with New York, California, Illinois, and Ohio. It plans to oppose state-level AI legislation and target counties that restrict AI infrastructure development. They're also launching an allied nonprofit for "rapid-response campaigns" to counter what they call "anti-innovation narratives."

Our take: When an industry raises $100 million specifically to eliminate lawmakers who question them, that's not innovation—it's an attempt to consolidate power before anyone can put guardrails in place. Whether you think AI poses existential risks or not, the idea that one industry should be able to spend nine figures to ensure no meaningful oversight happens should concern everyone. The irony of calling critics "doomers" while spending $100 million to silence debate about potential risks isn't lost on anyone paying attention.

This Week on Techlore 📺

We did some thorough video coverage of the UK's attack on digital rights. A great one to share with loved ones if they prefer a video format:

UK Proposes 24/7 Phone Surveillance & VPN Age Verification

The UK just proposed three extreme surveillance measures: mandatory 24/7 scanning software on every phone and tablet, age verification for all VPN users with website tracking, and labeling encryption developers as “hostile actors.” This comes after 500,000 people petitioned against age verification, and lawmakers responded by making things

TechloreHenry Fisher

A quick recap of Techlore in 2025 and the changes to expect in 2026:

What’s Next for Techlore in 2026: Major Changes Explained

2025 was Techlore’s biggest year ever—and 2026 is bringing many exciting things too! But to keep fighting for digital rights, we had to make some difficult changes. Here’s what we’re consolidating, why our forum is closing June 1st 2026, how what we’re doing is evolving, and the exciting things

TechloreHenry Fisher

The latest Surveillance Report highlights attacks against free speech on the internet in the US:

The Law That Protects Your Online Speech Is Under Attack

Techlore Surveillance Report: Weekly News for Your Digital Freedom

TechloreHenry Fisher

Action Item ✅

This week: If you're in the UK, contact your MP before the holidays. Share a bit about yourself and explain in simple terms why these proposals concern you. You don't need to be a technical expert, your voice as a constituent matters. Your MP needs to hear from real people, not just lobbyists.

For everyone: Take one story from this digest and share it with someone at the holiday dinner table. Not as doom and gloom, but as "hey, did you know this is happening?" Normalizing these conversations is how we build awareness and resistance.

And finally: Log off. Take a real break during the holidays. Spend time with people you care about, rest, recharge. We're in this for the long haul, and burnout doesn't serve anyone. The fight for digital rights will still be here when you get back.

Thank you for caring, for staying informed, and for taking action when it counts. Enjoy the holidays!

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