EDRi-gram, 2 April 2025
What has the EDRis network been up to over the past two weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: DSA complaint X, New civic coalition for journalists and civil society, imagining EU-topia, & more!
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Dear supporters,
Spring has announced its arrival in Brussels. Along with warmer days, we’re also expecting a flurry of activities and decisions from the European Commission on EU’s platform rules in the coming week.
If you needed further confirmation that laws like the Digital Services Act (DSA) can be a powerful tool to reign in tech giants, we have a success story to share. Two weeks ago, we filed a formal complaint against X under the DSA, together with our member ApTI. This came a few weeks after we had directly reached out to inform X that they were likely breaching their obligations towards Trusted Flaggers. While the direct outreach seemed to not have led to any results, a few hours after filing the complaint in Ireland and sharing about it on social media and on our website, we found that – lo and behold – the previously faulty online forms misleading Trusted Flaggers had started being updated.
Some more positive news – together with our member European Center for Not-for-Profit Law and the not-for-profit collaborative newsroom organisation Lighthouse Reports, we have launched the Civic Journalism Coalition to strengthen our digital rights through engaged journalism. Even more exciting – we are able to provide collaboration grants to journalists and civil society for investigations focused on digital rights violations. Deadline for applying to the grant is April 17.
Last year, on April 1, we brought you the April Fools special edition of the EDRigram with satirical articles and funny, albeit dystopian, scenarios. This year, the state of the world feels more bleak than ever, and dystopian scenarios seem closer and more unnerving. This year, we are acknowledging our sobering reality, offering our solidarity to affected communities, but also indulging in utopian imagination. Come indulge with us.
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When data never dies: How better GDPR enforcement could minimise hate and harm
Lax enforcement of the GDPR has had far-reaching consequences for many people and collectives in the EU, especially those most vulnerable. Through a story based on real life...
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Building bridges for digital rights: The Civic Journalism Coalition
EDRi, EDRi member ECNL, Lighthouse Reports have launched the Civic Journalism Coalition – a space to strengthen investigative reporting, protect journalists from surveillance, and advocate for digital rights...
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Stop Europol’s Trojan Horse: 168 organisations and experts call to reject “insidious” police powers expansion
EDRi published today a joint statement by 168 organisations and experts calling for the rejection of the Europol Regulation and to amend the proposed Facilitation Directive. The so-called...
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The Security Playbook
EDRi affiliate SUPERRR is challenging “Security Theater” as a societal maneuver.
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Surveilling Europe’s edges: when research legitimises border violence
In May 2024, EDRi member Access Now’s Caterina Rodelli travelled across Greece to meet with local civil society organisations supporting migrant people and monitoring human rights violations, and...
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EDRi files DSA legal complaint against X
EDRi and our member ApTI filed a DSA complaint against social media giant 'X' for breaching its obligations towards Trusted Flaggers.
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Utopian dreams, sobering reality: The end we start from in EU’s approach to technology
We imagine a day in the near-future, when EU lawmakers commit to building a world where people, our planet, and democracy flourishes – and heed to civil society’s...
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EVENTS
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CIR Open Source Film Awards 2025
Organised by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), the Open Source Film Awards celebrate the power and impact of open source investigations in journalism. The awards take place...
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The future of public values in the algorithmic society
Organised by AlgoSoc, this two-day international conference brings together scholars, policymakers, regulators, and civil society advocates to discuss the evolving role of public values in the design, deployment,...
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Disinformation in Belgium and Luxembourg: EDMO BELUX 2.0 Workshop & Networking Event
This in-person workshop brings together researchers, journalists, fact-checkers, policymakers and civil society organisations from Belgium and Luxembourg to discuss ongoing and future challenges in the fight against disinformation....
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CDT Spring Fling 2025
Organised by the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), the Spring Fling is an annual celebration held alongside the IAPP Global Privacy Summit in Washington, D.C. This evening...
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Cambridge Disinformation Summit 2025
Hosted by the Cambridge Judge Business School, the Cambridge Disinformation Summit will gather global experts to explore the current landscape of disinformation, the evolving tactics of information manipulation,...
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Defending Your Organization Against Rage Farming
Organised by PWorld, this live webinar offers a deep dive into the mechanics of rage farming — a digital strategy where malicious actors provoke public outrage to distort...
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Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2025
The urgency of safeguarding digital rights, including the right of access to the internet and information, has never been more pressing. As this harrowing reality unfolds, it is...
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Save the date: The European Investigative Journalism Conference
Dataharvest – The European Investigative Journalism Conference is a meeting point where networks are established and nurtured, data and documents shared, cross-border projects conceived and teams established. The...
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Media & Learning 2025: Educational media that works
Media & Learning 2025 is a two-day international conference focused on the strategic use of educational media in higher education. Co-organised by the Media and Learning Association and...
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EPR Summer Course on European Platform Regulation 2025
Organised by the Institute for Information Law (IViR) at the University of Amsterdam, this five-day summer course offers an in-depth look at the legal and policy framework governing...
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Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute 2025
For over two decades, the Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute has convened scholars, regulators, technologists, and activists to explore the global impact of media and technology. Organised by...
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The 16th Hackers On Planet Earth conference – HOPE_16
The HOPE conferences are known for their creativity and diversity, not to mention a whole lot of hacker fun. We've been at this for over three decades now...
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Freedom Not Fear 2025
Freedom Not Fear (FNF) is an annual self-organised conference on privacy and digital rights. People from all across Europe meet and work towards more freedom in the digitalised...
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17th Dubrovnik Media Days
The Dubrovnik Media Days is an annual international conference hosted by the University of Dubrovnik, gathering media scholars and communication experts from across Europe and beyond. Now in...
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2nd European Congress on Disinformation and Fact-Checking – DisinfoCongress 2025
Organised by UC3M MediaLab, the DisinfoCongress 2025 brings together researchers, journalists, policymakers and civil society to discuss emerging threats and solutions in the global information ecosystem. This hybrid...
JOBS
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Call for Nomination – EDRi Board elections 2025
EDRi is looking for interested candidates to become a member of the EDRi Board. As an EDRi Board Member, you will help shape the future of the organisation...
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EDRi is looking for a Communications and Media Officer (PERMANENT)
EDRi is looking for a Communications and Media Officer to join EDRi’s team in Brussels, Belgium. This is a unique opportunity to lead on communication plans for an...
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The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) is hiring for Head of Public Affairs – Europe & Multilaterals
The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to disrupting the architecture of online hate and misinformation. Through evidence-based research, policy advocacy and strategic...
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The Center for Democracy and Technology is hiring for a EU Advocacy Intern & Operations and Finance Officer
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is a non-profit organisation working to promote democratic values and protect fundamental rights in the digital age. CDT advocates for human...
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ControlAI is hiring for Policy Advisor – AI Safety & Security (UK)
ControlAI is a non-profit organisation working to prevent the development of unsafe superintelligence and to secure a future in which AI benefits humanity. Since its founding in 2023,...
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Digital Freedom Fund is hiring for Board Treasurer (volunteer)
The Digital Freedom Fund (DFF) works to advance digital rights through strategic litigation in Europe. It supports partners—especially those working with marginalised communities—in challenging abuses of digital rights....
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NLnet is hiring for Regional Representative (Southern or Eastern Europe)
NLnet Foundation, through the NGI Zero initiative, supports free and open-source technologies that advance the open internet. In partnership with Brno University of Technology, the project is recruiting...
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Oxford Internet Institute is hiring for Departmental Research Lecturer in AI, Government & Policy
The Oxford Internet Institute (OII) is a multidisciplinary research and teaching department of the University of Oxford. It focuses on the social science of the internet, exploring how...