For the “right to analog”: IuRe strengthens the Digital Freedoms program

For almost twenty years, the Czech watchdog Iuridicum Remedium (IuRe) has been fighting for human freedoms in real and digital life. In its Digital Freedoms program, IuRe is currently working on several interlinked digital freedom campaigns that can be found via their new campaigning website.

Most services are currently being digitised. Digital communication is increasingly being preferred by governments. However, digitisation with no alternatives holds a number of serious risks. Digital exclusion is one example where those who do not use new digital technologies, find themselves abandoned on the sidelines. This could either be because they do not know how to use digital technologies, cannot afford them, or simply because they do not want to use them.

“Within the governmental advisory groups that we are members of, we strive to promote the right to analog solutions as a general principle, especially in the context of the digitisation of public administration. This will additionally reduce the vulnerability of systems that are dependent on purely digital solutions. We are also preparing a strategic lawsuit that will stop the refusal of cash payments,” says Jan Vobořil, the Executive Director at IuRe. IuRe’s campaign titled “The Right to Analog” aims to address this concern and need.

The issue of digitised central health registries is similarly worrisome, especially due to the pandemic. Another campaign by IuRe called “Let’s Heal Health Data” focuses on challenging this issue. IuRe’s concerns about the possible misuse of this data have been confirmed by a recent attempt of the Czech government to use sensitive patient registry data to fight COVID-19.

The plans for new uses of the data from patient registries were described as a brutal Big Brother move by the director of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics. This should speak for itself. IuRe has been striving to keep data in registries either anonymous or aggregated.

“Anything is better than storing data based on national identification numbers. Just imagine what such data in the hands of an employer or commercial insurance companies could lead to,” added Vobořil.

IuRe is also working on campaigns such as “Reasonably Digital” that enforce GDPR violations since authorities in the Czech Republic, unlike private individuals, cannot be fined. This is especially relevant in relation to COVID-19 measures that invade privacy as well as to educational software that make children addicted or dependant on technology giants.

IuRe understands the many challenges related to fighting legal battles on these topics. They therefore strive for broader grassroots community support via the launch of their new website that will support the above mentioned campaigns.

To learn more about the campaigns and get involved, visit the website.