Global Petition To Halt Mass Surveillance By Famous Writers [View all]

[Coyotl]

Dec 14, 2013

"MORE than 500 authors from over 100 countries have signed a global petition against mass surveillance and the collection of metadata by governments, security agencies and corporations.

The authors include five Nobel prize winners and well-known Australian identities Frank Moorhouse, John Coetzee, Helen Garner, Geraldine Brooks and David Malouf.

Mr Moorhouse, who has written extensively about Australia's spy agency ASIO, told The Australian he hoped the petition would spark international debate about the collection of personal data as the rise of whistleblowers and "conscience driven hackers" such as Julian Assange and Edward Snowden shed more light on the actions of governments and clandestine security agencies."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.