Privacy International
Analysis
Privacy International is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in May 2012, 14 years ago. Its declared purposes cover human rights/religious or racial harmony/equality or diversity, which this site groups under human rights and equality. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04354366). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.
In the financial year ending January 2026, Privacy International reported income of £1.8m and spending of £2.7m, spending 148% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from January 2022 to January 2026, income fell from £2.3m to £1.8m (-21%), an average of -5.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to January 2024, when income rose by 29%. Over the whole period it spent 98% of the income it received.
Among 700 England and Wales charities whose main cause is human rights and equality and that reported income, Privacy International sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Global Legal Action Network (Glan) (£1.7m), Woodcraft Folk (£1.8m) and Black Equity Organisation (Beo) (£1.7m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 95%, investments 3.0% and donations and legacies 1.7%. Charitable activities took 99% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £527k. Reserves of £867k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 24 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 1.7%
- Charitable activities 95%
- Investments 3.0%
- Other 0.6%
In the charity's own words
We promote the human right of privacy throughout the world, specifically:- raise awareness of threats to privacy;- monitor and report on surveillance methods and tactics;- work at national and international levels toward the provision of privacy protections;- monitor measures to protect privacy, and to seek ways through information technology to protect personal information
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Global Legal Action Network (Glan) | London | £1.7m |
| Woodcraft Folk | Manchester | £1.8m |
| Black Equity Organisation (Beo) | London | £1.7m |
| Gendered Intelligence | London | £1.9m |