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London

Biometrics: one measure to rule them all

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Tuesday 30th April 2019630pm till lateJuJu's Bar and Stage, 15 Hanbury St, London, E1 6QRFREE

This month's edition of CryptoParty London will include a special mix of talks and workshops, with talks on biometrics and its use across an increasing number of sectors, as well as electronic music and crypto-themed cocktails.

A technology based on capturing and measuring particular traits of our bodies, for its very nature biometrics can raise serious concerns in terms of privacy and human rights.

We will also have an update talk on the case of Julian Assange, and its ramifications in terms of human rights and freedom of the press.

Come for the talks and stay for an amazing series of privacy self-defence workshops. Learn how to use privacy enhancing applications to, for instance, improve the security of your online communications and safely browse the internet.

Join us from around 6pm with talks kicking off at 630pm sharp. We'll be hosted by awesome Juju's, in East London. Free entrance, all welcome, no registration needed.

Talks

TimeSpeakerTalkDescription
630pmCarly KindBiometric technologies, NGOs, and humanitarian interventions - talk + Q&AWith the numbers of refugees and asylum seekers continually growing, and international foreign aid shrinking, humanitarian and refugee assistance organisations are under more pressure than ever to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of their interventions. Biometric technologies are being touted as a solution to this problem, accompanied by claims that they can decrease fraud and establish the veracity of asylum claims. But a critical analysis of biometrics show that such claims are overblown, and are often outweighed by the significant negative implications of biometrics for individual privacy and autonomy. Carly will explore some of these issues with reference to a 2018 review she produced with The Engine Room for Oxfam on the use of biometrics in the humanitarian sector.
700pmGriff FerrisThe State of Biometrics Do you know how the government is using your biometrics to track and identify you? Find out how several police forces across the UK have been targeting and tracking people using their facial biometrics, and a what happened when a government department took hundreds of thousands of people's voice biometrics over the phone without their knowledge - and how hundreds of thousands reasserted their right to privacy.
715pmNiels LadefogedUpdates on the case of Julian AssangeAn update talk about Julian Assange, following his eviction from the Ecuadorean embassy and his arrest by the UK police. The talk will reconstruct the recent developments of the case and will explore some of the worrying implications that this may have in terms of freedom of the press and human rights.
  • Carly Kind is an independent consultant on technology policy and human rights, and advises NGOs and international organisations on issues related to privacy, data governance, and internet regulation.
  • Griff Ferris is Legal and Policy Officer at Big Brother Watch. He investigates and challenges infringements of human rights and oppression by the state, police and private companies.
  • Niels Ladefoged is a journalist and an award winning documentary film-maker. He directs and produces thought provoking independent documentary film and video journalism.

Workshops

Workshops will run in parallel, starting around 730pm.

TrainerWorkshopDescription
SpyBlogBiometrics on SmartPhones If, when and how to turn off Biometrics on your SmartPhone - Fingerprints, Facial Recognition and Accelerometers
DamienEncrypted communicationsWant to communicate securely? Learn here how to use simple encrypted comms tools like Signal for messaging, voice and video calls, and small file sharing; plus why and how to use more challenging PGP email encryption.
JustineBiometrics under the hoodHow biometrics work from a technical point of view. A brief summary and high-level view of the maths, and an actual demo (live-coding included!) using a facial recognition model. How your face (or other biometric) is reduced toa mathematical representation and how it's then used to compare to others so as to detect you. Power and limitations.

About

Why CryptoParty?

Privacy is the space in which ideas are developed, to retreat into whenever you want. This space is not only physical but digital as well. Governments and companies don't want to respect that so we become active ourselves.

What is a CryptoParty?

CryptoParties are free and open for everyone, but especially those without prior knowledge, who haven't yet attended one.

CryptoParty is a decentralized movement with events happening all over the world. The goal is to pass on knowledge about protecting yourself in the digital space. This can include encrypted communication, preventing being tracked while browsing the web and general security advice for computers and smartphones.

To try the programs and apps at the CryptoParty bring your laptop or smartphone.

Booklet and Posters

You can download our introductory booklet and poster artwork from https://gitlab.com/cryptopartyldn

CryptoPartyLDN the definitive(?!) guide (.pdf)

Past events

Date Title Video Slides
26 March 2019 Who targets you?
21 February 2019 ÆNIGMA
29 January 2019 Digital Detox
18 December 2018 Merry Cryptmas
20 November 2018 Privacy 2028 (at FreeWord) Video
19 October 2018 The Truth Is Out There (at the Logan Symposium) Video
25 September 2018 One Year of CryptoPartyLDN
16 July 2018 Recognition!
19 June 2018 Password not allowed Video
1 May 2018 People of the world, encrypt!
29 March 2018 You won't believe what happens next
20 February 2018 Crypto means CryptoParty Video
25 January 2018 Seize the means of encryption
18 December 2017
10 November 2017 More CryptoParty than ever (at the Glass Room)
16 October 2017
11 September 2017

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