EDRi-gram, 17 November 2021
Check out our joint call to the Portuguese government to oppose a proposed law that tries to sneak in biometric mass surveillance. In this edition, we also explain how Facebook's latest announcement about deleting their facial recognition database demonstrates that voluntary self-regulation from tech giants is superficial and cannot replace actual legislation against these practices. And discuss the shortcomings of Facebook whistleblower's testimony.
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EDRi urges Portugal government to oppose proposed video surveillance law
EDRi member and Reclaim Your Face lead organisation D3 (Defesa Dos Direitos Digitais) are raising awareness of how the Portuguese government’s new proposed video surveillance and facial recognition...
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Facebook deleting facial recognition: Five reasons to take it with a pinch of salt
Voluntary self-regulation from tech giants is superficial and no replacement for actual legislation
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What you need to know about the Facebook Papers
Facebook is now undergoing what may be the tech giant’s biggest crisis in its 17-year history. In October, The Washington Post reported that a second Facebook whistleblower came...
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Tinkering with keys weakens encryption
Politicians sometimes claim to have the solution to "the problem of encryption". They think encryption is important, but they also want the police to be able to read...
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Big-tech lobby sets the rules about big-tech in Europe
The dominance of Google and Facebook is disastrous for the public debate online. We've been saying this for a long time. But this dominance can also be felt...
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New RESOURCE PAGE helps supporters BAN biometric mass surveillance
The Reclaim Your Face collective has put together a brand new Resource Page, helping all activists spread the word and take action easily, online, offline – at all times,...
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Noyb files another complaint against Amazon Europe – black box algorithm discriminates customers
The e-commerce giant offers customers the possibility to pay for products later via "Monthly Invoicing". A customer was automatically rejected from using this payment method without Amazon giving...
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Why chat control is so dangerous
Fighting the dissemination of child sexual abuse material, the EU Commission is considering dangerous measures: the automated search of content on mobile phones and computers. See answers to...
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Do no harm? How the case of Afghanistan sheds light on the dark practice of biometric intervention
In August 2021, as US military forces exited Afghanistan, the Taliban seized facial recognition systems, highlighting just how a failure to protect people’s privacy can tangibly threaten their...
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AI Regulation: The EU should not give in to the surveillance industry
Although it claims to protect our liberties, the recent European Commission’s legislative proposal on artificial intelligence (AI) promotes the accelerated development of all aspects of AI, in particular...
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Transposition of the Copyright Directive in Spain
The transposition of the Copyright Directive in Spain has been done with no Parliament debate. While the political parties could ask for it, they will likely not do...
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European Parliament’s plans of a Digital Services Act threaten internet freedoms
The EU's Digital Services Act is a chance to preserve what works and to fix what is broken. EFF and other civil society groups have advocated for new...
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Amnesty International calls to ban discriminatory algorithms in its report Xenophobic Machines
On 25 October 2021, EDRi observer Amnesty International published a report on the use of algorithmic decision-making (ADM) system by the Dutch tax authorities to detect fraud. The report shows...
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Artificial intelligence – a tool of austerity
This week Human Rights Watch published a much-needed comment on the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Regulation. As governments increasingly resort to AI systems to administer social security and public...
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Platform Regulation: Key takeways from Haugen’s hearing
On 8 November 2021, Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, participated in a hearing of the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO). While her testimony brought...
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Big brother at the Prague airport. The state refuses to explain how the biometric camera system works
When Václav Mach, collaborator of the Czech digital-legal organization, an EDRi member, Iuridicum Remedium (IuRe) and law student at the University of Olomouc, asked the state for...
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No biometric surveillance for Italian students during exams
In September 2021 the Italian Data Protection Authority (DPA) fined Luigi Bocconi University €200 000 for using Respondus, a proctoring software, without sufficiently informing students of the processing...
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New Belgian data retention law: a European blueprint?
On 21 April 2021, the Belgian Constitutional Court canceled the country’s data retention law, which has allowed every Belgian’s telecom, location and internet metadata to be retained for...
Recommended
Do
Join Freedom not Fear 2021
EDRi
On 21 November, join this community-driven, interactive and inspiring space to learn how a few massive platforms shape our current experience in the online space, and why it is so important to address this concentration of power. Register now to guarantee your place.
Read
Digital rights falter amid political and social unrest
SHARE Foundation & BIRN
EDRi member SHARE Foundation, and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) have been monitoring the state of digital rights and freedoms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia since 2019. Read their report to learn more about the violations of human rights and freedoms in the digital environment in the context of social and political unrest.
Watch
Freedom of expression in a digital age: is EU’s attempt to regulate Big Tech the way forward?
Kulturutveckling VGR
The Digital Services Act aims to regulate the way platforms handle online illegal or ‘harmful’ content. The Digital Markets Act seeks to prevent anticompetitive behaviour from the so-called digital gatekeepers. Are these proposals the right way to secure freedom of expression and other human rights online? Join EDRi’s Senior Policy Advisor Jan Penfrat for a discussion on challenges in the digital media landscape.
Listen
Marta Peirano and the rethink of technodeterminism
EDRi member, Državljan D
EDRi’s member Državljan D sat down with the journalist Marta Peirano before the festival “(re)programming Strategies for Self-Renewal” to talk about tech journalism, surveillance capitalism, and different models of tech economy co-regulation. Listen to the podcast to learn more about technodeterminism.
Events
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Discussion with Nani Jansen Reventlow, Award-winning human rights lawyer on Strategic Litigation
Jansen Reventlow, who specializes in strategic litigation at the intersection of human rights, social justice, and technology, will talk about her work with Dr. Stormy-Annika Mildner, Executive Director...
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Secrecy in the European Union: how to exercise your right to information
This online event, held as part of the Economic and Social Research Council's Festival of Social Sciences at the University of Bristol, will look at how governments have...
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Freedom not Fear 2021
Freedom not Fear is a coalition of more than 150 organisations that share a common goal, looking forward to join forces with NGOs from all over the world...
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Monitoring the state and learning from history
This event is held with the support of the Economic and Social Research Council as part of the Festival of Social Science, with the School for Policy Studies...
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CIF Seminars
A monthly series of interdisciplinary seminars around legal and technical topics related to cybersecurity and online privacy, organised by the CiTiP, COSIC, and DistriNET research groups of KU...
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Save the date: International Conference e-Society.mk 2021
The Metamorphosis Foundation announces the 17th edition of the International Conference “e-Society.mk” with the topic “Democracy in the Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities.”
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Enforcing Europe – Series 2: Quo vadis, data retention? The indeterminable quest for proportionality
The Series is organised by the joint research project MATIS of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University of Luxembourg (co-funded by FWO and FNR), in cooperation with...
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#PrivacyCamp22: Livestream starting at 9:00 CET, 25 January 2022
The 10th edition of Privacy Camp invites for a forward-looking retrospective on the last decade of digital rights. This edition aims at building on the lessons of the...
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CPDP Conferences: Computers, Privacy & Data Protection
As a world-leading multidisciplinary conference CPDP offers the cutting edge in legal, regulatory, academic and technological development in privacy and data protection. Within an atmosphere of independence and...
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FOSDEM 2022
FOSDEM is a two-day event organised by volunteers to promote the widespread use of free and open source software. Usually taking place in the beautiful city of Brussels (Belgium),...
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MozFest 2022: The schedule is now live!
MozFest is a unique festival- part art, tech and society convening, part maker festival, and the premiere gathering for activists in diverse global movements fighting for a more...
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re:publica Berlin 2022
re:publica Berlin is back! The festival for the digital society takes place from 8-10 June 2022 at Arena Berlin and Festsaal Kreuzberg with the motto "Any Way the...
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Registrations open: Alternative recommender systems in the DSA
Join this webinar co-organised by Article 19, Access Now, European Partnership for Democracy and Panoptykon Foundation on how to protect free expression, create competition and empower users all...
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The programme for the 11th edition of RightsCon is now out!
Every year RightsCon brings together activists, business leaders, policy makers, technologists, and journalists from around the world to take action on human rights in the digital age.
Jobs
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Open Rights Group is hiring for TWO new positions
Open Rights Group is hiring for 2 new positions: Policy Manager (Sector Support), Investigator
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Head of Policy vacancy at Wikimedia DE
Wikimedia Germany Society for the Promotion of Free Knowledge e. V. is a non-profit association with around 150 employees and 90,000 members. The oldest and largest of...
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AlgorithmWatch is looking for an experienced editor
Writing is your passion? Do you feel like working in a young and influential NGO? And you want to contribute your skills and experience to one of the...
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Access Now is looking for Design Lead & more
EDRi member Access Now, a growing international human rights organization dedicated to defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk around the world, is looking for...
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European Artificial Intelligence Fund is looking for a new Fund Director
European AI Fund is looking for a forward-thinking leader in the technology and civil society space in Europe. As the Fund Director steering this initiative, you will strengthen,...
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The Algorithmic Justice League is hiring for multiple positions
The Algorithmic Justice League believes there can be no social justice without algorithmic justice. Their mission is to raise awareness about the impacts of AI, equip advocates with...
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Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) is looking for a Data Scientist
The Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) is looking for a Data Scientist to support both US and international projects focused on developing statistical techniques to assess and...
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Global Network is looking for a Development Manager
The Global Network Initiative (GNI) is an international multistakeholder group of Internet and telecommunications companies, civil society organizations (including human rights and press freedom groups), investors and academics....
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Open North is looking for a Senior Analyst
This position offers the possibility to contribute to and learn from several projects revolving around data governance, open data, open smart cities, open government and AI ethics. All...
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The Web Foundation Request for Proposal: Dark Patterns and Trusted Design Policy Workshops
The Web Foundation is inviting design firms to submit proposals regarding our planned policy design policy workshops focused on dark patterns and trusted designs.
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Tactical Tech is looking for a Project coordinator: Data and Politics
Continued developments in digital technologies have given rise to a new political modus operandi. Politically active groups around the globe are using tools and techniques from data-driven marketing,...
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Open vacancies at noyb for GDPR Lawyers, Legal Trainees & Community Managers
EDRi member noyb is a non-profit organization working on enforcement actions under GDPR, that is expanding their pan-European tech team to work on innovative legal tech projects.
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Head of Global Public Policy & Government Affairs vacancy at Mozilla
Mozilla is looking for a Head of Global Public Policy & Government Affairs.
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The Ada Lovelace Institute is looking for Visiting Senior Researcher
The Ada Lovelace Institute (Ada) is hiring a Visiting Senior Researcher.
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BEUC is hiring for a Digital Policy Officer
BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, is looking for a digital policy officer to reinforce its Digital Team, in particular on files related to data protection, privacy, the data economy and...
