Surveillance and data retention
Surveillance is when an individual or organisation is watching, tracking, filtering, analysing or blocking what you can see and do online or offline. It can be targeted on a specific individual (such as someone suspected of a crime) or it can be done indiscriminately (such as on all users from a particular country), also known as mass surveillance. Surveillance - and the retention of surveillance data - can impose restrictions on our fundamental rights in the digital environment by interfering with our freedom online, or by using digital technology to follow our offline movements, in order to gain an intimate picture of our lives, our beliefs and our interactions.
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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". The inquiry concluded that the Commission didn't provide enough evidence to justify the claims of "urgency" to bypass their own 'Better Regulation' rules, and skipping public consultations, thorough impact assessments and evidence gathering.
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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 invasive spyware and mass surveillance tools under the guise of “national security”. By combining a satirical online tool with targeted advocacy towards lawmakers, their efforts helped generate critical pressure needed to stop the legislation from being adopted.
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CSA Regulation Document Pool
This document pool contains updates and resources on the EU's proposed 'Regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse' (CSA Regulation)
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Europe is dismantling its digital rights from within
The European Commission’s new Digital Omnibus is presented as simple “streamlining”, but in practice it dismantles key safeguards in the GDPR, ePrivacy rules and the AI Act. It would make access to device data easier, weaken limits on automated decision-making and lower protections against discriminatory AI.
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EU adopts Digital Trade Agreement with Singapore despite warnings: a setback for digital rights and democratic oversight
The European Parliament has approved the EU–Singapore Digital Trade Agreement, rejecting a motion to seek a Court of Justice opinion on its legality. This decision weakens the Union’s capacity to safeguard privacy, data protection, and accountability over software systems, at a time when deregulation pressures are increasing across Europe.
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The AI Act isn’t enough: closing the dangerous loopholes that enable rights violations
While the EU's AI Act aims to regulate high-risk AI systems, it is undermined by major loopholes that allow their unchecked use in the context of national security and law enforcement. These exemptions risk enabling, among others, mass surveillance of protests and discriminatory migration practices. To prevent this, EDRi affiliate Danes je nov dan has published recommendations for Slovenia to adopt stricter national safeguards and transparent oversight mechanisms.
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Czech police forced to turn off facial recognition cameras at the Prague airport thanks to the AI Act
The shutdown of the facial recognition cameras at the Václav Havel Airport in Prague came after years of criticism from EDRi member IuRe. The legitimacy of the criticism was confirmed by the Czech Office for Personal Data Protection. However, the Czech police continue to systematically violate the law in further processing of biometric data.
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A Privacy Nightmarе: Understanding Spyware, a new book by SHARE Foundation
SHARE Foundation’s new book ‘A Privacy Nightmare: Understanding Spyware’ examines spyware through technical, legal, and practical lenses, offering a systemic understanding of its threats and reinforcing the call for a global ban.
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The Commission must uphold the AI Act and fundamental freedoms in Hungary
ECNL, Liberties and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union called on the EU to protect Pecs Pride participants from AI surveillance.
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Chat Control: What is actually going on?
In summer 2025, so-called “Chat Control” became a huge topic of public attention. This is because in a major vote planned for 13 or 14 October, EU governments will decide whether to endorse or reject a mass surveillance, encryption-breaking and anonymity-ending law: the EU CSA Regulation. However, there remain many democratic checks-and-balances in the EU lawmaking system that mean we still have a strong chance to stop measures that would amount to Chat Control.
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ProtectNotSurveil coalition raises alarm about EU’s Frontex expansion plans
The European Commission is set to reform Frontex’s mandate again in 2026. Frontex is the European Border and Coast Guard agency. Responding to the consultation call, the ProtectNotSurveil coalition highlights how reckless the expansion of Frontex’s surveillance capacities would be and how the Commission’s foreseen plans go in the opposite direction of what migrants and affected communities are calling for.
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Consultation response to the European Commission’s call for evidence on a new Europol regulation
The European Commission launched a call for evidence to gather views on the reform of Europol’s mandate. Europol is the EU law enforcement cooperation agency. EDRi along with Resist Europol coalition members submitted a response to the consultation, sharing their concerns about this renewed expansion of powers, despite Europol’s numerous issues around opacity and lack of accountability.
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