Championing a digital agenda that centers people, planet and democracy

2024 was a year of big changes – from the European elections which saw the most far-right European Parliament ever elected, and a new batch of European Commissioners appointed to oversee EU lawmaking, to elections in over 60 countries across the globe and the second innings of Donald Trump.

The tense year was marked with rising geopolitical tensions, encroaching dependence of our societies on Big Tech corporations, the continuing genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, and a worsening climate crisis. Technology and how we wield it as a society remains at the heart of these tensions. In this context, EDRi’s role as a digital rights collective centering public interest remained critical.

Despite the challenges, EDRi accomplished many milestones and there’s much to be proud of – read more about it in our Annual Report.

Chief amongst many highlights in 2024 was EDRi’s work around the European elections. Recognising it as a key moment that will have a long-lasting impact on people’s digital rights, we published a manifesto for positive digital futures together with our allies. This was the north-star that guided our bold demands from policymakers – existing and incoming – to centre public interest in Europe’s tech policy. Our vision was co-signed by over 30 civil society organisations and supported by 40,000 people across Europe.

We had the opportunity to bring this vision to EU policymakers during the Tech and Society Summit in October 2024. A one-of-its-kind event, the Summit brought together over 350 Members of the European Parliament, other EU decision-makers, civil society representatives, and journalists to articulate a digital agenda that is people-focused and advances everyone’s digital rights. We were proud to co-organise this Summit together with 40 diverse civil society organisations leading on human, digital and consumer rights, social and environment justice and corporate accountability. This was also the the first ever tech policy summit not financed by Big Tech corporations in Brussels.

In 2024, we also celebrated LinkedIn changing its ad targeting practices thanks to a Digital Services Act (DSA) complaint by EDRi, EDRi members Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF) and Bits of Freedom, and partner Global Witness. The platform will no longer allow advertisers to target ads based on sensitive personal data such as sexuality, political opinions, or race.

Throughout the year, the EDRi network was crucial in ensuring that the controversial EU CSA Regulation – also known as Chat Control – remained blocked in the EU Council, thus subduing the mass surveillance agenda and keeping end-to-end encryption protected for now.

Highlighting the violent nature of the reform of EU’s asylum database, Eurodac, was another milestone. We brought to light the colonial nature of the surveillance of people on the move, which is only one of the many ways technology is used to further marginalise migrants in the EU.

Additionally, 2024 also marked the end of EDRi network’s 2020-2024 strategy cycle, so we embarked on a year-long journey to develop shared goals that will guide our work for the next five years. This collaborative process included rigorous research, consultations and co-drafting together with EDRi members.

Looking forward: What’s next in 2025?

As of 2024, the realities of the digital and human rights field have become even more sobering, and the wins we achieved over the past years are being threatened by a pro-corporate deregulation agenda being pushed by EU institutions.

In 2025, armed with a new strategy and with an internal leadership transition ongoing, EDRi will continue to hold the line to protect and promote digital rights and justice, work towards achieving positive digital futures, and be in solidarity with communities affected by harms and violence, technological or otherwise.