The Foundation for Information Policy Research is a UK-based
think tank
A think tank, or 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-governmenta ...
that studies the interaction between
information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of Data (computing), data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information te ...
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."
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 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 be demographic with a focu ...
Phorm
Phorm, formerly known as 121Media, was a digital technology company known for its contextual advertising software. Phorm was incorporated in Delaware, United States, but relocated to Singapore as Phorm Corporation (Singapore) Ltd in 2012. Founde ...
technology was illegal under the
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 ( c.23) (RIP or RIPA) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, regulating the powers of public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation, and covering the interception of comm ...
.
Trustees and Advisory Council
FIPR's trustees are: Professor Ross Anderson (chair), Nicholas Bohm (general counsel), Dr. Richard Clayton (treasurer), Fleur Fisher and Jim Norton.
Members of the Advisory Council include
Shami Chakrabarti
Sharmishta "Shami" 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 promote ...
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, ...
,
Martyn Thomas
Martyn Thomas CBE FREng FIET FRSA (born 1948) is a British independent consultant and software engineer.
Overview
Martyn Thomas founded the software engineering company Praxis in 1983, based in Bath, southern England. He has a special inte ...
,
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Julian Whitehouse (born 17 May 1958) is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy series '' The Fast Show'', and has also starred with Harry Enfield in the shows ''Harry & Paul'' and ''Harr ...
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 ...