A New Alliance for Digital Privacy
A group of web3 projects, including Nym, Protocol Labs, the Filecoin Foundation, Oasis, and Aztec, have come together to form the Universal Privacy Alliance (UPA). The UPA aims to protect digital privacy rights and will focus on influencing policy and regulatory decisions. To support its advocacy efforts, the alliance has an initial fund of $150,000.
Incorporation and Alignment
The UPA is incorporated in Switzerland and follows the call to action by Edward Snowden at the ZK-House event in Bogota. It aligns with the UN’s declaration of digital privacy as a fundamental human right.
Privacy by Design
The UPA advocates for technology that prioritizes user privacy and security by default. This principle of “privacy by design” ensures that digital interactions are secure and free from surveillance or commercial exploitation.
Unified Voice for Policy Reforms
The UPA provides a unified voice for those building privacy-centric technologies to advocate for policy reforms that protect security, anonymity, and informed consent on the internet. The alliance aims to educate policymakers, empower smaller organizations, and promote user-centric privacy practices in technology.
Advocacy Focus and Plans
The UPA will initially focus on challenging the principles of end-to-end encryption in the EU’s eIDAS regulation and Digital Services Act. It plans to appoint a coordinator for lobbying efforts, host major events at blockchain conferences like EthDenver, and establish a legal fund to support privacy-centric practices. The alliance is also considering admitting smaller organizations through accessible membership fees determined by democratic vote.
Financial Support
Each founding member has contributed $15,000 to the UPA, resulting in a combined fund of $150,000. This initial funding will be used for immediate advocacy efforts, with additional financial support expected in the future.
Hot Take: Protecting Digital Privacy Rights
A group of web3 projects, including Nym and Protocol Labs, have formed the Universal Privacy Alliance (UPA) to advocate for digital privacy rights. With an initial fund of $150,000, the UPA aims to influence policy and regulatory decisions. Incorporating in Switzerland and aligning with the UN’s declaration of digital privacy as a fundamental human right, the alliance promotes “privacy by design” to ensure secure and surveillance-free digital interactions. The UPA provides a unified voice for privacy-centric technologies and aims to educate policymakers, empower smaller organizations, and promote user-centric privacy practices. With financial support from founding members and plans for lobbying efforts and major events, the UPA is dedicated to protecting privacy in an increasingly digitized world.