Don't Spy On Us is the cry of a global day of action against mass surveillance on Tuesday 11 February. In Britain, in a very welcome initiative, the Open Rights Group, ARTICLE19, Big Brother Watch, English PEN, Liberty, and Privacy International are coming together to launch the campaign.

GCHQ is the Government Communications Headquarters responsible for the bulk surveillance of electronic transactions in collaboration with America's National Security Agency.

ARTICLE19, Big Brother Watch, English PEN, Liberty, and Privacy International are coming together to launch the campaign.

They are calling for:

1. an independent inquiry into UK surveillance to report before the General Election
2. a new law that will fundamentally reform the way GCHQ carries out mass surveillance

It is great that some concerted action is being taken at last. The London meeting organised by Henry Porter in November showed the interest and energy that can be released by opposition to mass surveillance. In the US, the Obama administration has taken the issues very seriously. Here, by contrast, the British political class is trading on the catalepsy it has induced in the population by feigning indifference. Let's hope that 'Don't Spy On Us' puts an end to this.