In 1763, William Pitt the Elder stood in Parliament and outlined why privacy is a vital right afforded to all, saying, “The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail—its roof may shake—the wind may blow through it—the storm may enter—the rain may enter—but the King of England cannot enter!”
Roughly 260 years later, that same Parliament will likely approve the Online Safety Bill (OSB) and shatter the rights Pitt so passionately asserted. The Bill, which received its final reading in the Lords this week, gives the government the power to compel companies to monitor anyone’s private conversations, despite universal condemnation.
