(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)
From 1 September 2006 the Dutch NGO Bits of Freedom (BOF) will cease its activities. Since its establishment in 2000, Bits of Freedom has successfully defended digital civil rights, such as privacy on the Internet and online freedom of speech in the Netherlands. The board of Bits of Freedom doesn't see any possibilities to continue the activities now that the two employees (Maurice Wessling and Sjoera Nas) have both decided to leave. Another cause for the demise of the organisation is the continuing uncertainty about the finances. The foundation does not have any financial reserve and in spite of generous company sponsors and private donations, it was increasingly difficult to create a workable budget. The office in Amsterdam will be closed on 1 September and the organisation will not have employees any more. Legally, the foundation will not be dismantled, in order to allow the board to continue the annual presentation of the Big Brother Awards.
Since its establishment, Bits of Freedom has advocated the upkeep of fundamental civil rights in the digital era. During the past 6 years both governments and companies have initiated many measures and activities that have endangered civil rights. Governments have extended their powers in many ways. In stead of dedicated investigations into the activities of people suspected of serious crimes, law enforcement authorities silently but massively revert to data-mining techniques to examine the daily behaviour of innocent citizens. This sets unwarranted and unprecedented limits to personal privacy. Necessity and effectiveness of many new legal measures have - unjustly - been left out of the debate.
During the last six years, Bits of Freedom developed expertise on many topics, from the legal interception of telephony and internet communications to privacy & RFID. BOF also dedicated serious research to other topics such as spam, copyrights and internet notice and takedown. The organisation has fulfilled an important role as policy watchdog and has alerted a large audience on many new threats to civil rights. This was also made possible by collaborations with many other academic and consumer organisations, individual experts and sympathisers.
Fundamental rights, especially privacy, are of the utmost importance. Bits of Freedom definitely does not cease its activities with a satisfied feeling of having accomplished the most important goals. To the contrary, a bottom-up civil rights movement in the Netherlands seems more necessary than ever. Bits of Freedom was one of the founders of European Digital Rights in 2002. The employees and board of Bits of Freedom wish EDRI success in its important future work.
Bits of Freedom
http://www.bof.nl/
(Contribution by Maurice Wessling - EDRi-member Bits of Freedom Netherlands)