The Foundation for Information Policy Research is a UK-based
think tank
A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...
that studies the interaction between
information technology
Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...
and government, business and
civil society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere. It has been described by academics as "the leading think-tank on information policy issues in Britain". Although still registered at Companies House, it hasn't published anything since 2017.
Established in May 1998, the organisation is a non-profit company limited by guarantee. Its policy is governed by an independent board of trustees in consultation with an advisory council.
In 2008, FIPR argued that a planned partnership between telecom group BT and
targeted advertising
Targeted advertising or data-driven marketing is a form of advertising, including online advertising, that is directed towards an audience with certain traits, based on the product or person the advertiser is promoting.
These traits can either ...
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (citation of United Kingdom legislation, c. 23) (RIP or RIPA) is an Act of parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, regulating the powers of public bodies to carry out surveillanc ...
.
Trustees and Advisory Council
FIPR's trustees have variously been: Professor Ross Anderson (chair), Nicholas Bohm (general counsel), Dr. Richard Clayton (treasurer), Fleur Fisher and Jim Norton.
Members of the Advisory Council have included
Joanna Bryson
Joanna Joy Bryson (born 1965) is professor at Hertie School in Berlin. She works on Artificial Intelligence, ethics and collaborative cognition. She has been a British citizen since 2007.
Education
Bryson attended Glenbard North High School ...
,
Shami Chakrabarti
Sharmishta Chakrabarti, Baroness Chakrabarti (born 16 June 1969) is a British politician, barrister, and human rights activist. A member of the Labour Party, she served as the director of Liberty, a major advocacy group which promotes civil l ...
Mark Littlewood
Mark James Littlewood (born 28 April 1972) is a former director of the charity Institute of Economic Affairs. Prior to that he was the chief press spokesman for the Liberal Democrats and the Pro-Euro Conservative Party Having previously been in ...
,
Steven Murdoch
Steven James Murdoch is Professor of Security Engineering in the Computer Science Department, University College London. His research covers privacy-enhancing technology, Internet censorship, and anonymous communication, in particular Tor. He i ...
,
Danny Quah
Danny Quah () is Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. Quah's work includes contributions to the fields of economic growth, development economics, monetary economics, m ...
,
Martyn Thomas
Martyn Thomas (born 1948) is a British independent consultant and software engineer.
Biography
Martyn Thomas founded the software engineering company Praxis in 1983, based in Bath, southern England. He has a special interest in safety-critical ...
,
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Julian Whitehouse (born 17 May 1958) is a Welsh actor, writer, presenter and comedian. He was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy series ''The Fast Show'' and has starred with Harry Enfield in the shows ''Harry & Paul'' and ''Ha ...
Phil Zimmermann
Philip R. Zimmermann (born 1954) is an American computer scientist and cryptographer. He is the creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), the most widely used email encryption software in the world. He is also known for his work in VoIP encryption ...