Our work
EDRi is the biggest European network defending rights and freedoms online. We work to to challenge private and state actors who abuse their power to control or manipulate the public. We do so by advocating for robust and enforced laws, informing and mobilising people, promoting a healthy and accountable technology market, and building a movement of organisations and individuals committed to digital rights and freedoms in a connected world.
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Centering public interest in EU technology policies and practices: A civil society call to the new European leadership
Read the joint statement of civil society organisations following the Tech & Society Summit (1st October, Brussels).
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EDRi-gram, 20 November 2024
For the last two weeks, we’ve been tuning in to the European Commissioner-designates’ hearings in the European Parliament to hear how would-be EU decision-makers in the Commission envision the role of technology in our future. Some hearings were riveting, while others deeply worrying. It was encouraging to hear that the enforcement of existing digital laws like the GDPR and DSA was high on some Commissioner-designates’ priorities. However, there were also many disturbing mentions of tech hype buzzwords, and no strong commitments to tackle surveillance or protect our right to safe and confidential communications online through encryption. This month, our neighbours across the Atlantic have been reeling from the results of their Presidential election. However, we’re worried about more than just that when it comes to the US. A decade after Snowden’s revelations, and despite continuing privacy concerns, surveillance and mass data collection continue under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. And the EU appears to be willing to compromise our rights for geopolitical and economic gains.
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German petition calls for a fundamental right to ‘a life without digital coercion’
EDRi member Digitalcourage is calling for an amendment to the German constitution to establish a right to access basic services without being forced to use a digital solution. This was triggered by the observation that some essential service providers – Deutsche Post DHL Group (mail) and Deutsche Bahn (railways) – are increasingly forcing people to use their companies’ apps.
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Non-fitted devices in the UK Home Office’s surveillance arsenal: Investigating the technology behind GPS fingerprint scanners
Privacy International’s technical research on the so-called non-fitted devices (NFDs) used by the UK Home Office to track migrants shows that these devices are intrusive and stigmatising by design. The use of NFDs is an expansion beyond the use of GPS ankle tags of the UK’s surveillance of migrants who are on immigration bail and subject to electronic monitoring conditions.
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Building technology by, for, and of the people: A vision for our digital future
Together, we can protect human rights, strengthen democracy, and reshape societal systems. Read about our commitment to prioritising building technology by, for, and of the people, as part of our Vision for 2024 and beyond.
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A new registry empowers the Slovenian public to monitor the use of AI systems by public institutions
EDRi affiliate Danes je nov dan recently launched their Public Sector AI Registry. The platform provides insight into the use of AI systems by Slovenia’s public institutions and highlights the lack of transparency from officials.
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German federal health minister, Shein and Deutsche Bahn ‘awarded’ for worst privacy and data protection offences
In October 2024, EDRi member Digitalcourage held the annual gala for the German BigBrother Awards. The unfortunate “winners” included a minister in the federal government, the police and interior minister in one German state, two international online retailers, a fundamental infrastructure provider and a trend.
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Promises unkept: The EU-US Data Privacy Framework under fire
A decade after Snowden’s revelations — and despite the public outrage they sparked — surveillance and mass data collection continue under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF), despite persistent privacy concerns. This shift reflects a reorientation of EU priorities toward economic and geopolitical interests, risking compromises on privacy and data protection.
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EDRi-gram, 24 October 2024
With winter almost on our doorstep, we're warming up for a busy few months in the EU digital rights space. In early November, we'll be paying close attention to the European Parliament hearings of the Commissioner-designates selected by Ursula Von Der Leyen. Earlier this month, the European Commission unveiled its highly anticipated Digital Fairness Fitness Check report. The report is likely to have a major influence on the Commission’s planned Digital Fairness Act proposal, which will affect our digital rights. Let’s unpack this together. Protection of young people online should be achieved through empowerment not exclusion. This is the highlight of our and our members' submission to the European Commission’s call for evidence for the Digital Services ActArticle 28 guidelines for the protection of minors online. This month, we also co-hosted – along with 41 other civil society organisations – the Tech and Society Summit. A first-of-its-kind space when we're inundated with industry-sponsored events, the summit created a bridge between civil society and new policymakers, to achieve accountable, people-focused policies that advance everyone’s digital rights.
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Unpacking digital fairness: What Europe must do now to end the tech industry’s most nefarious tactics
The EU plans to propose a Digital Fairness Act to better protect consumers from deceptive design practices, social media addiction, and pervasive online tracking. We unpack what this means and what the European Commission should do to end Big Tech’s most nefarious tactics.
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Tech and Society Summit: Decision-makers and civil society articulate a digital agenda that centers people, planet and democracy
On 1 October 2024, 41 civil society organisations – including EDRi – co-hosted the Tech and Society Summit. Throughout the day, EU decision-makers, journalists and civil society held discussions, joined panels and participated in activities that fostered dialogue about the intersections of technology, society and the environment.
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Firefox tracks you with “privacy preserving” feature
EDRi member noyb filed a complaint against Mozilla for quietly enabling a supposed “privacy feature” (called Privacy Preserving Attribution) in its Firefox browser. Contrary to its reassuring name, this technology allows Firefox to track user behaviour on websites
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