More than 100 people engaged in a lively debate on cyber security and human rights at a conference held at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds.

The event, run by Amnesty International and West Suffolk College, covered subjects such as online offenders, challenges in the digital age, cyber security for human rights defenders and cyber ethics.

Students from the college, King Edward VI School, Thurston School and the University of Suffolk at West Suffolk College, as well as people from Bury, listened to speakers including Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Amnesty’s director of global issues and research, Vivian Ng from Essex University, a senior research officer for the Human Rights, Big Data and Technology Project, Sophie Ellis, a researcher at Cambridge University and Robin Herne, course leader for Religious Studies and Ethics at the University of Suffolk at West Suffolk College.

Robin Herne, who organised the day said: “The conference proved popular and everyone was very engaged with the speakers. There was a lot of debate and discussion on this important issue.”

Kathryn Vernon, who studies Religious Studies and Ethics at the University of Suffolk in Bury, said: “The speakers opened the minds of young and old to the problems of cyber issues that come up against human rights.

“Everybody must have left with a much clearer understanding how governments and companies can use peoples information – how we use the Internet, phones and loyalty cards. Which now bears the question how safe is the privacy of an individual?”

The next free conference will be on Friday, February 16 on freedom of speech. A selection of speakers from different religious traditions will reflect on issues concerned with freedom of speech, blasphemy, and proselytising. The day will include workshops and debates.

To book a place contact robin.herne@wsc.ac.uk or 01284 701301.