EDRi-gram, 4 March 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: Chat Control in final stretch, breaking extractive business models with Digital Fairness Act, & more!

By EDRi · March 4, 2026

Although the sun has returned to Brussels after a period of exile, the past few days have been tumultuous as we follow the tense geopolitical situation that is developing in the Middle East after US and Israel’s bombardment of Iran. Tech remains a central issue as reports emerged that the US military used Claude, Anthropic’s AI model, for the attack on Iran. We, like the rest of the world, are watching the developments with bated breath.

In the mean time, we are also keeping a close eye on the final stretch of negotiations for the CSA Regulation, also known as Chat Control. We are especially concerned about the EU member states’ position on Age Verification, which could be be hugely detrimental to everyone’s free expression and right to private communications in the digital age. You can keep up with what’s happening with Chat Control by reading our update blog.

Yet another thing that’s been on our mind recently has been the EU’s surveillance-powered deportation machine, that is, the Deportation Regulation. The European Parliament will vote on it next week on 9 March, and we’re calling on MEPs to reject the regulation. Among other concerning things, this law would encourage biometric tracking, and would expand raids, profiling, detention and cross-border data sharing. This would embed suspicion and surveillance at the heart of migration policy. Sign the petition in the recommended section to say no to mass deportations in Europe.

On a more positive note, we recently published our new position paper calling for a rights-based Digital Fairness Act (DFA). The paper paper addresses the growing threat of manipulative and unfair platform design in the EU’s digital environment, and urges lawmakers to deliver a law that would lead to systemic change by embedding fairness by design and by default into the digital infrastructure that shapes our lives.

RECOMMENDED

  • [📰read ] The Rise of the Techno-Tyrants: Silicon Valley’s right-wing past, present and future by Transnational Institute. The Silicon Valley has thrown much of its support behind Trump for reasons of opportunism, appeasement or fear. But the roots for its fascist turn were laid long before by a culture steeped in racial hierarchies, jingoism, and militaristic utopian visions. Read more.
  • [📺 watch] The Enshittificator by Forbrukerrådet. Digital products and services are steadily becoming worse. Software becomes increasingly difficult and frustrating to use, websites and apps are littered with ads and spam content, and useful features are removed, degraded, or made subscription-only. This is part of a process called enshittification that the Norwegian Consumer Council dives into in their latest report and explains in a fun and informative video. Watch it here.
  • [🏃🏿do] Say No to Mass Deportations in Europe by Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice, We Keep Us Safe, and WeMove Europe. Europe is quietly building a surveillance-powered deportation machine. It’s called the Deportation Regulation. This law would expand raids, profiling, detention and cross-border data sharing – embedding suspicion and surveillance at the heart of migration policy. Sign the petition to urge EU lawmakers to reject this law and to stop Europe from adopting Trump-style raids and deportations.

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