Blogs
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Remote biometric identification: a technical & legal guide
Lawmakers are more aware than ever of the risks posed by automated surveillance systems which track our faces, bodies and movements across time and place. In the EU's AI Act, facial and other biometric systems which can identify people at scale are referred to as 'Remote Biometric Identification', or RBI. But what exactly is RBI, and how can you tell the difference between an acceptable and unacceptable use of a biometric system?
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Only more rights will protect women on the internet
EDRi welcomes the proposal’s intention to effectively combat online gender-based violence through a specific Directive. However, EDRi is concerned with the specific focus on the criminalisation of online activities rather than addressing structural issues and root causes of gender-based violence. Furthermore, the Directive lacks a meaningful comprehension of how social media business models amplify violent gender-based violent content.
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Looking back at 2022: Protecting and advancing digital rights in times of crisis
In moments where we should be urgently tackling the climate crisis and working towards peace and justice worldwide, state funds and efforts seem to reinforce militarisation, fuel the climate crises and injustice. In response to increased surveillance and control practices coming from governments and private companies, EDRi members and partners have put forward a vision in which people live with dignity and vitality. What have we collectively achieved in 2022?
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What are the provisions of new policing draft laws
The SHARE Foundation has consistently advocated against the legalisation of mass, indiscriminate biometric surveillance for the past four years, particularly during the consultation process launched upon the withdrawal of the first Draft Law on Internal Affairs. A new draft with old fundamental issues is now before us. The public hearing is open until the end of December.
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EU watchdog finds European Commission failed to protect human rights from its surveillance aid to African countries
The European Ombudsman has found that the European Commission failed to take necessary measures to ensure the protection of human rights in the transfers of technology with potential surveillance capacity supported by its multi-billion Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.
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TERREG implementation in Romania: the Intelligence Service wants to become the police officer, prosecutor, judge and supervisor of the bailiff
An online publication discovered that another law proposal was used as a "vehicle" by the Senate Committee on National Security to propose new changes of the law for the TERREG implementation in Romania.
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Everyone is on Mastodon now, but why?
Millions of people and organisations are flocking to Mastodon in the wake of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. EDRi is among those who recently started using the decentralised and free social network. What does Mastodon do better, and why does it get digital rights groups all excited?
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Update: UK’s Online Safety Bill heralds a trio of surveillance
The UK’s Online Safety Bill was back in the Westminster Parliament in December It had been stalled for five months whilst the new British government made a few changes. A Parliamentary debate on Monday (5 December 2022) revealed the shift in policy direction for the first time. It’s a relatively small change with big implications. Read more about the changes.
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Legal challenge: The Serbian government attempts to digitise social security system
Organisations from across the world submit a joint legal opinion to support a Serbian NGO’s legal challenge to the Social Card law due to concerns over the right to privacy, the right to social security, and data protection.
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Back to the Future: Activism, the copyright Directive and lessons for the present
The Copyright Directive marked a key moment in internet history. Civil society, and EDRi in particular, have reflected on the role we played in the political debate and what would that mean for future digital policy fights. In this blogpost, we look back to assess the success of the strategies we adopted and what are the takeaways we should keep in mind when challenging current human rights threats like chat control and facial recognition.
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EDRi-gram, 14 December 2022
192 organisations and individuals call on the EU to better address the harms of Artificial Intelligence in the AI Act when used in the context of migration. We also celebrate our members' win as, thanks to their complaints, the EU watchdog has found that the European Commission has failed to protect human rights from its surveillance aid to African countries.
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Civil society calls for the EU AI act to better protect people on the move
In this open letter, 195 organisations and individuals call on the EU to protect people on the move. As the European Parliament amends the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), preventing AI harms in the field of AI and migration is vital. AI systems are increasingly developed, tested and deployed to judge and control migrants and people on the move in harmful ways.
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