EDRi-gram, 15 April 2026

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: Cracking the egg shells: what's inside the latest in EU digital rights?

By EDRi · April 15, 2026

Dear supporters,

Spring’s here and if delicious Easter chocolate eggs have taught us anything, it’s that surprises come in all forms: some smooth and sweet, others with a harder shell to crack. Brussels, as ever, leans firmly toward the latter.

Whether you’re peeling back foil or layers of legislation, the real question isn’t what’s inside, it’s what’s coming next.

The long shadow of the Orbán era appears to be lifting and, with it, our cautious hopes that this political shift after nearly two decades of far-right government in Hungary might spark broader change.

In this edition, we crack open a series of timely debates shaping Europe’s digital and democratic landscape. We reflect on the vital alliance between journalists and public interest groups in reporting on policy impacts and imagining alternatives. We also dive into EU policymaking: unpacking the stakes of the Digital Omnibus, and sharing our contribution to the European Commission’s consultation on Better Regulation, where we outline how democratic lawmaking must be preserved. As policymakers revisit the EU’s data acquis (before it’s even been fully tested), we explore what’s at risk when regulatory cycles outpace real-world impact.

We also examine a landmark court ruling condemning France’s police profiling practices, and look into one of the (many) EU law-making paradoxes: how can the EU genuinely protect children online while rolling back key safeguards?

Plenty to get your teeth into, no spoon required.

RECOMMENDED

  • [📰read ] It’s not just spyware scandals: EU is funding the industry that spies on Europeans by Shubham Kaushik from EDRi and Frank Vanaerschot from Counter Balance. In this op-ed published by EuObserver, authors unpack how millions of euros worth of EU public funds – yes, your taxpayer money – are fuelling the very market that leads to spying on journalists, activists, politicians and people in the EU, and undermines our democracies.
  • [📰read ] March 2026 deep dive: Resisting digital policing by Weaving Liberation. March 15 marked the annual International Day Against Police Brutality. To honour the day, Weaving Liberation collected a series of resources to explain why digital policing does not keep us safe, but rather fuels oppressive systems and puts marginalised communities in even greater risk.
  • [📰read ] Big Tech sets unfair terms and conditions for AI data workers globally by SOMO. This research maps at least 30 intermediary companies used by Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Nvidia for their data work. It highlights how these intermediaries fail to provide thousands of data workers with fair and safe working conditions, including paying them below minimum wage and denying them social protection. Big Tech is a customer, but also an active shaper of the market, and as such, it has due diligence obligations and must be held accountable.
  • [🎧listen] The green transition needs so much mining by Tech Won’t Save Us. In this podcast episode, Paris Marx is joined by Thea Riofrancos, author of “Extractions: the frontiers of capitalism”, to discuss the global struggle to move away from fossil fuels and the future of the green transition, including the tech industry’s role in the growth of extractive industries.

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