Bitcoin Policy UK

“Pushing the world in the right direction.” A powerful message from Javier El-Hage of the Human Rights Foundation at last night's event in London, where researchers and democracy activists came together to discuss authoritarianism, the fight for freedom and some encouraging signs of change. Hosted by the Human Rights Foundation and Action for Democracy at the historic National Liberal Club, the evening marked the relaunch of the Authoritarian Collaboration Index, now drawing on HRF's Tyranny Tracker. I had the privilege of speaking with Javier, HRF's Chief Legal and Policy Officer, about the rise of authoritarianism, the importance of protecting individual freedoms and the work his team is doing through the Tyranny Tracker. The project examines 179 countries and territories, assessing electoral competition, freedom of dissent and institutional accountability to determine whether governments are democratic, hybrid authoritarian or fully authoritarian. Its findings are sobering. According to HRF, around three quarters of the world's population lives under authoritarian rule. Javier spoke about the importance of protecting individual freedoms and understanding how governments restrict them. Despite the scale of the challenges, he remains optimistic that progress is being made. I also interviewed Domonkos Kovács of Action for Democracy, whose Authoritarian Collaboration Index uses AI-assisted research to track cooperation between authoritarian actors across borders. Domonkos pointed out that although authoritarianism has been advancing globally, recent political developments offer reasons for optimism. Hungary and just days ago, Serbia have both seen entrenched political leaders defeated at the ballot box. Some of the most moving contributions came from people who have experienced repression firsthand. A Hong Kong democracy activist, now living in exile in Britain, described the dramatic erosion of freedoms in her home city. Hong Kong's governing authority is now classified as fully authoritarian by the Tyranny Tracker. Despite everything, her message was hopeful: “Hong Kong is not a lost cause.” Then there was Jesús Armas, the Venezuelan opposition activist and former political prisoner who spent more than a year in detention after standing up for democracy. He spoke with remarkable optimism about Venezuela's future and praised the people who continue fighting for freedom. “One day Venezuela will be free.” It's always a privilege to interview people working on questions of freedom and human rights, particularly when those discussions bring you face to face with people who have paid such a personal price for defending them. Understanding how authoritarianism takes hold, how technology can strengthen state control and how we protect our freedoms before they're lost has never felt more important. Last night's discussions were a reminder that authoritarianism is not inevitable and neither is its permanence. Thank you to @HRF and Action For Democracy for bringing everyone together and for the opportunity to hear these perspectives firsthand.

Did Britain really scrap digital ID? The infrastructure is expanding and most people have no idea how far it's already gone. Read my article in Forbes featuring @Togetherdec @OpenRightsGroup @BigBrotherWatch forbes.com/sites/digital-ass…

Britain scrapped digital ID. So why is the infrastructure still being built? New figures from DCMS reveal more than 26 MILLION people have now used One Login. Parliamentary evidence also confirms: - Expansion towards 500 services - HMRC joining the system - Cross department identity matching in development - Digital credentials for private sector use DCMS says the system is separate from the cancelled scheme, that personal data is not linked across government databases and alternatives will remain available. Is this a Digital ID through the back door?

Britain scrapped digital ID. Or did it? While the government says its national scheme has been cancelled, One Login is expanding. Welfare records are already being used for identity verification, banking verification is planned and officials are developing ways to recognise individuals across government departments. My latest for @Forbes looks at what's still being built, the risks of scope creep and what happens when government systems get things wrong. Read the full article: forbes.com/sites/digital-ass…

Hackers stole UK government records dating back to 1978. It took until October 2026 for officials to establish more of what was taken. On 14 October 2026, the Legal Aid Agency confirmed that around 250,000 stolen records predate 2007. Hackers gained access in December 2024, but the agency did not detect the intrusion until 23 April 2025. By 16 May 2025, the agency knew significant amounts of personal data had been stolen but it was still identifying the extent of the theft in October 2026. The government has confirmed that the stolen data includes records containing: - Names - Addresses - Dates of birth - National Insurance numbers - Financial assessments - Details of legal proceedings - Bank details - Probation records The agency says it has no indication that the stolen information has been published or shared. Andy Burnham cancelled the proposed national Digital ID scheme in July 2026, but the government is continuing to expand GOV.UK One Login. The Legal Aid Agency breach demonstrates the risks of retaining personal information for decades and the consequences when government systems fail to protect it. We have seen repeated examples of government data security failures, reinforcing the need for independent scrutiny of who can access our personal information, how long it is retained and how securely it is stored. The closure of One Login's independent privacy and inclusion advisory group in 2025 is particularly concerning given the government's record on data security. Stolen personal information can lead to blackmail, targeted crime and physical harm and the government is asking us to trust it with more of our identity information. Who is holding the government accountable and what happens when the next breach occurs? Sources: gov.uk/government/news/legal… questions-statements.parliam…