EDRi-gram, 28 June 2023
Recent developments in crucial digital European Union regulations have raised many eyebrows as we see attempts to undermine human rights. 27 civil society organisations, including EDRi, stood against the use of people's sensitive information to target them with political messages online. 65 civil society and journalist associations also urged the Council of the European Union to ensure stronger safeguards to protect journalists in the European Media Freedom Act. In this edition, you can also read about how digital rights are a civic space issue and why privacy is not a crime.
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Open letter: EU Lawmakers must uphold human rights to privacy and free expression in the Political Ads Regulation
EDRi and 26 civil society organisations, voice our deep concern regarding the worrying developments related to the Regulation on the Targeting and Transparency of Political Advertising.
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Development of EU border police watchlist is “progressing well”
The development of a new watchlist for “identifying connections” between people seeking authorisation to travel to the EU and terrorist or criminal suspects is “progressing well”, according to...
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Spotify gets fine of € 5 Million for GDPR violations
Following an EDRi member noyb complaint and litigation over inactivity, the Swedish Data Protection Authoirty (IMY) has issued a fine of 58 Mln Swedish Crown (about € 5...
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Guarding health data privacy in Europe: The limits and challenges of current regulations
The GDPR demonstrates the capacity of the European Union to prioritise data protection and privacy. The collection and use of health data by private corporations makes privacy protections...
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Encryption protects our rights, privacy is not a crime
End-to-end encryption is currently under attack by prosecutors and legislators in France, the EU, the UK and the US. We are asked to choose, as a society: do...
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EU Parliament calls for ban of public facial recognition, but leaves human rights gaps in final position on AI Act
The final EU Parliament position upholds all of the fundamental rights demands which were added at committee level. Despite efforts to overturn it, the final position also maintains the...
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European Parliament draws red line against biometric surveillance society
On Wednesday 14 June 2023, the European Parliament voted to ban most public mass surveillance uses of biometric systems. This is the biggest achievement to date for the...
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Open letter: The Council of European Union must protect journalists against spyware and surveillance in the European Media Freedom Act
Civil society and journalist associations are calling on the Council of the European Union to reconsider its current position on the European Media Freedom Act, as stated in...
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Warnings from the UK: 24/7 racialised GPS surveillance
Campaigners assembled outside Capita PLC’s Annual General Meeting in the City of London on Thursday 11 May are contesting the outsourcing company’s £114m contract to deliver 24/7 GPS...
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Digital rights for civil society and civil society for digital rights: how surveillance technologies shrink civic spaces
Digital technology has transformed civic spaces - online and offline. In our digital societies, characterised by injustice and power imbalances, technology contributes to shrinking civic spaces. And to...
RECOMMENDED
DO
Do No Harm: Don’t give Big Tech access to our medical records
WeMove Europe
This petition is calling on lawmakers across the EU to uphold patients’ privacy and amend the draft European Health Data Space to give patients control over their personal health information. Sign the petition.
WATCH
‘Day of Celebration’ for human rights as EU votes to shield citizens from harmful uses of technology
France24
EDRi’s Senior Policy Advisor, Ella Jakubowska, spoke to France24 about the EU Parliament’s position to ban public facial recognition and many forms of biometric mass surveillance in the AI Act. Watch the video.
LISTEN
Speechbag Podcast E10: EU’s big step to rein in Big Tech — and what comes next
Liberties.EU
The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) is a landmark legislation to restore users’ rights and rein in the dangerous business practices of Big Tech. In this podcast, MEP Alexandra Geese and Eliska Pirkova of Access Now discuss what this regulation means for people on the internet. Listen to the podcast.
READ
From “Heavy Purchasers” of pregnancy tests to the depression prone: We found 650,000 ways advertisers label you
The Markup
A spreadsheet on Microsoft’s ad platform website revealed a massive collection of “audience segments” used to target consumers based on highly specific, sometimes intimate information and inferences. Read the article.
EVENTS
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Call for Participants: “Exposing the Invisible” Summer Workshops
During July 2023, Exposing the Invisible (ETI) is hosting a free workshop series on a variety of topics and methods of investigation. Join it to learn and practice...
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The Good Lobby Summer Academy
Every year, The Good Lobby Summer Academy gathers a select group of leading thinkers, practitioners, and academics working on new forms and politics of influence, mobilisation and lobbying...
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PIFtopia open call
PIFcamp is a 7-day international summer camp in the Slovenian nature, where art, technology and knowledge meet.
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Chaos Communication Camp 2023
Chaos Communication Camp is the Chaos Computer Club’s (CCC) quadrennial hacker meeting and open-air hack party, now in Mildenberg for the third time.
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Freedom not Fear 1-4 September 2023
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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Feira @ the Global Gathering
You can now apply for the Global Gathering Feira, a 3-day social and networking festival space for digital rights defenders!
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EU DisinfoLab 2024 Annual Conference – open call, sumbit your ideas!
After the successful #Disinfo2023 in Krakow, the 2024 Eu DisinfoLab conference is set to take place in Riga, Latvia, on 9-10 October 2024.
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Virtual School on Internet Governance
Registrations are open for the Virtual School on Internet Governance. The format of this online course is a massive open online course (MOOC), with the goal of networking...
JOBS
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EDRi is looking for a Campaigns Officer (2 year position)
EDRi is looking for a Campaigns Officer to join EDRi’s team in Brussels. This is a unique opportunity to help shape ongoing and future campaigns of the EDRi...
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Amnesty International is hiring for various a Global Fundraising Programme Volunteer
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. They are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by...
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Wikimedia Foundation is hiring for a Communications Manager
The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia and their other free knowledge projects. Wikimedia Foundation wants to make it easier for everyone to share what they...
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Access Now is hiring for a Director – People and Culture
Access Now is a growing international human rights organisation dedicated to defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk around the world, including issues of privacy,...
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Systemic Justice is hiring for various positions
Systemic Justice works to radically transform how the law works for communities fighting for racial, social, and economic justice. Centring affected communities in joint litigation, Systemic Justice will...
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Digital Action is hiring for a Global Campaigns Manager
Digital Action is a globally connected campaigning organisation established in 2019 to protect democracy and human rights from digital threats. We are collaborative campaigners, catalysing movements that will...
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FARI is hiring for a Communications Lead
FARI is a non-profit university institute on AI, data and robotics focused on the Common Good. It was initiated by two Brussels universities (VUB & ULB) – uniting...
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Business and Human Rights Resource Centre is hiring for Project Assistant
The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre works to amplify the voices of the vulnerable, and human rights advocates in civil society, media, companies, and governments.
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Mmnemonic is hiring for various positions
Mnemonic works globally to help human rights defenders effectively use digital documentation of human rights violations and international crimes to support advocacy, justice and accountability.