EDRi-gram, 11 December 2025
What has the EDRi network been up to over the past few weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: 2025 might be almost over, but we aren’t done fighting for digital rights
Do you want to receive all the latest news from the digital rights world?
SUBSCRIBE NOW TO THE EDRi-GRAM!
Dear supporters,
2025 is drawing to a close and, with that, we find ourselves looking back on a year shaped by profound political shifts and unprecedented challenges for the protection of rights and freedoms.
The year opened with tech corporations celebrating President Trump as he returned to office, and it is ending with the Digital Omnibus package, which has swept away years of hard-won progress on digital rights (this is why lawmakers must reject it!).
But the changes extend far beyond digital policy. Across Europe, a sweeping wave of deregulation – coupled with growing alliances between right-wing and far-right groups in the European Parliament – has increasingly shaped the direction of key legislative files. Many of the safeguards designed to protect people, democracy, and the planet are now under strain, making our collective work more urgent than ever.
From shrinking civic space to political intimidation and efforts to delegitimise NGOs, these pressures threaten not only our work but the very foundations of democratic participation and accountability.
This won’t to halt our efforts: civil society will continue to expose abuses of power, defend fundamental rights, and demand transparency and accountability where institutions fall short.
And for this, your support is crucial! We want to thank you for standing with us, for challenging entrenched power structures, and for defending the rights that underpin a free and open society. If you are able to, please support our work and your favourite digital rights newsletter with a donation. The road ahead will require strength, but solidarity remains stronger than the forces seeking to erode our freedoms.
See you in 2026 and, in the meantime, enjoy the latest edition of the EDRi-gram.
-
Migrant smuggling laws: European Commission found in breach of transparency rules
The European Ombudsman has found that the Commission disregarded important transparency rules while preparing the Europol Regulation, which is a part of the legislation to "counter migrant smuggling"....
-
Moving past ‘Chat Control’ to solutions that truly protect kids and privacy
This article highlights evidence-based alternatives that strengthen child safety while safeguarding encryption and fundamental rights. It calls for better enforcement, more targeted tools, and meaningful support for child...
-
How Danes je nov dan helped stop dangerous spyware in Slovenia
EDRi affiliate Danes je nov dan launched a multi-faceted campaign in response to a government proposal that would allow the Slovene Intelligence and Security Agency (SOVA) to use...
-
Press Release: EU stands up to Big Tech with €120 million fine to X
The European Commission took aim at X for breaking the DSA, proof that Europe’s landmark law can bite. Despite political pressure and corporate pushback, the EU is showing...
-
When data relate to us
The EDPS vs. Single Resolution Board judgment goes to the heart of the EU’s fundamental right to data protection, shaping how artificial intelligence, data spaces and so-called privacy-enhancing...
Donations from readers like you help us to publish the EDRi-gram and bring you the most important digital rights news.
DONATE TODAY
RECOMMENDED

Join Freedom Not Fear at 39C3
Do you want to be a part of a self-organised event on privacy, digital rights and the EU politics that intertwine with them? Become a part of the Freedom Not Fear! For the first time, FNF will be at the 39th Chaos Communication Congress with community sessions. If you happen to be there, drop by the stand or submit a workshop or talk. Do it here.

Framework for meaningful engagement 2.0
EDRi member, European Centre for Not-for-Profit Law
Developed by ECNL and SocietyInside, this framework helps meaningfully engage civil society and affected communities throughout the AI lifecycle, from ideation to deployment. Grounded in socio-technical thinking and informed by real-world pilots, it provides practical steps for developing rights-respecting AI systems, preventing and mitigating human rights impacts. The framework can be used for human rights impact assessments, risk assessments, and related governance processes. Read it here.

Weaponising the past: historical disinformation as a tool to legitimate aggressive politics
This session explores how history and archaeology have been repeatedly weaponised to legitimise power and reshape collective memory, from the propaganda of Nazi Germany to the narratives promoted by the contemporary Russian state. Historical researcher Chiara Torrisi reveals how these long-standing techniques of distortion have been reinvented for the modern information landscape, showing how the past can be transformed into a powerful political weapon. Watch the session here.

EU vs Google: The battle for the internet
Google is under growing pressure from EU regulators, who are considering breaking up the tech giant over its market dominance. A Follow The Money investigation revealed how the company’s controversial business strategies helped it cement its grip on the internet. In this episode, journalist Alexander Fanta and competition policy expert Simon Van Dorpe unpack Google’s dominance, the tactics it has used to maintain its power, and the resulting legal battles spanning over a decade, exploring what is at stake. Listen the episode here.
EVENTS
-
Collective Redress and Digital Fairness Conference
The Collective Redress and Digital Fairness Conference, organized by the University of Amsterdam with support from the Stichting Onderzoek Collectieve Actie, provides a forum to examine how collective...
-
International Digital Rights Days
Digital rights are human rights. In a society increasingly shaped by the digital world, it is essential to emphasize the importance of everyone’s right to access, use, and...
-
e-Society.mk 2025: Integrity at the core of digital transformation
Powered by EDRi member Metamorphosis, e-Society.mk brings together top experts & decision makers to discuss the future of the e-society.
-
39th Chaos Communication Congress (39C3)
The 39th Chaos Communication Congress (39C3) takes place in Hamburg on 27–30 Dec 2025, and is the 2025 edition of the annual four-day conference on technology, society and...
-
Political Tech Summit
The Political Tech Summit is organised by Partisan, a Berlin-based hub for political professionals working at the intersection of tech, campaigning, and democracy. Through events, research, and community-building,...
-
Data Privacy Day
Data Privacy Day is an annual event organized by the Restena Foundation and the Digital Learning Hub – under the umbrella of Cybersecurity Luxembourg – in the framework...
-
EU Open Source Policy Summit 2026
The 2026 edition of the EU Open Source Policy Summit will bring together leaders from the public and private sectors to focus on one clear proposition: open source...
-
The DSA and Platform Regulation Conference 2026
The conference will reflect on the DSA and European platform regulation, including in its broader legal and political context, under the overall theme of platform governance and democracy.
-
The Palestine Digital Activism Forum (PDAF)
The PDAF aims to provide a platform to discuss the challenges that Palestinians face the Palestinian civil society to protect Palestinian digital rights and digital activists working on...
-
RightsCon 2026
Each year, RightsCon convenes business leaders, policymakers, general counsels, government representatives, technologists, academics, journalists, and human rights advocates from around the world to tackle pressing issues at the...
JOBS
-
Logos is hiring for a Campaign Director
Logos is a movement supporting the development of the decentralised web. Logos technologies lay the foundations for a freer internet upon which communities can evolve into network states....
-
7amleh is hiring for a Programs Manager
7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media is a non-profit organization that advocates for Palestinian digital rights. 7amleh’s mission is to create a safe,...
-
noyb is hiring for a Data Protection Lawyer
Noyb pursues strategic and effective enforcement by thoroughly analyzing and prioritizing privacy violations, identifying the legal weak spots of these cases and litigating them with the best possible...
-
Wikimedia Foundation is hiring for a Movement Communications Specialist
The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia and their other free knowledge projects. Wikimedia Foundation wants to make it easier for everyone to share what they...
-
Mozilla is hiring for a Senior Integrated Marketing Manager
Mozilla Foundation is committed to an internet that promotes civil discourse, human dignity, and individual expression. To an internet that catalyzes collaboration among diverse communities working together for...
-
Internet Society Foundation is hiring for a Director, Administration and Travel Management & a Director, Fund Management and Compliance
The Internet Society (ISOC) supports and promotes the development of the Internet as a global technical infrastructure, a resource to enrich people’s lives, and a force for good...
-
The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) is hiring for a Digital Policy Assistant
The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) is a forum of U.S. and EU consumer organisations which develops and agrees on joint consumer policy recommendations to the US government and...
-
The European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA) is hiring for an Executive Director
ESWA is a sex worker-led network proudly representing more than 100 organisations in 30 countries across Europe and Central Asia. Their aim is to ensure that all sex...
