EDRi-gram, 6 April 2022
In this edition of the EDRi-gram, we look at what the facial recognition company Clearview AI is doing with our faces in the Ukrainian war and how we can put stop the private company from exploiting the war. We also urge the French Council Presidency to follow through on its promise to ensure that a final deal on the DSA prohibits the use of sensitive data, including the drawing of inferences about a person’s sensitive characteristics, to display advertisements.
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The Clearview/Ukraine partnership – How surveillance companies exploit war
Clearview announced it will offer its surveillance tech to Ukraine. It seems no human tragedy is off-limits to surveillance companies looking to sanitise their image.
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Criminal complaint against illegal export of surveillance software is making an impact: the FinFisher group of companies ceases business operations after its accounts are seized by Public Prosecutor’s Office
Following a criminal complaint filed by the Society for Civil Rights (Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte e.V.), Reporters without Borders (RSF), the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)...
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The Digital Markets Act promises to free people from digital walled gardens
Last night, 24 March, the European Union made a great step forward to better protecting our rights online as it approved the political trilogue compromise for the Digital...
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France must not betray European citizens on the DSA at the 11th hour
As civil society, we welcomed Minister Cedric O’s commitment on Friday to prohibit targeted advertising to minors as well as the use of sensitive data for ad targeting...
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“Privacy Shield 2.0”? – First Reaction by Max Schrems
On March 25 Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Biden have announced an "agreement in principle" on a new EU-US data sharing system.
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The Domino Effect of Internet Blocking in Romania
The Council of the European Union’s decision, which came out on 1 March, to block access to the media outlets Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, looking to...
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About ClearviewAI’s mockery of human rights, those fighting it, and the need for EU to intervene
Clearview AI describes itself as ‘The World’s Largest Facial Network’. However, a quick search online would reveal that the company has been involved in several scandals, covering the...
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Get your extra reading on “cookie consent” and AdTech done
On 22 February, the Belgian Data Protection Authority (DPA) made a decision regarding complaints about the Internet Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB Europe) "consent framework". This is a commonly...
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Spying on couriers and AdTech using data from operators. We know the winners of the Czech Big Brother Awards
For the seventeenth time has the Czech NGO and EDRi member Iuridicum Remedium (IuRe) awarded Big Brother Awards to those who have been snooping the most into our...
Recommended
Watch
Protecting defenders online: Recommendations to counter the threats women human rights defenders face
Access Now, United States and European Union Trade and Technology Council
If internet platforms and companies don’t start playing a more active role in defending women’s human rights online, the digital world will morph into an unsafe space for human rights defenders everywhere. Gender-based violence did not start with the invention of the internet, but in the online world tactics of abuse flourish if not properly prevented. Watch now to find out more about the threats women human rights defenders face online.
Read
Liberties report shows a worrisome decline in media freedom across Europe
Liberties
Growing political pressure, high concentration of ownership, smears and abusive lawsuits against journalists, lack of oversight on public service media: Liberties has collected evidence to see why media freedom is in decline in Europe. Read the report to learn more about the current state of the press across the European Union.
Do
Pledge against Clearview’s dodgy data partnerships
EDRi member Privacy International
The facial recognition company Clearview AI is in the spotlight again, after a pitch deck they’ve been sharing with investors was leaked to the Washington Post. The slide deck included a list of potential commercial business partners that included dating apps, ride hailing apps, even a baby sitting company. . You have the power to push these companies to act by asking them to take Privacy International’s pledge and shut down these partnerships before they’ve even begun. Do it now, ask companies to take the pledge!
Listen
Rise of the high-tech border industry
BBC
From the external borders of the EU to the US-Mexico border, “smart border” solutions, developed by private companies for states, are being used to surveil and control people on the move. EDRi’s Senior Policy Advisor Sarah Chander highlights that even though the EU appears to be aware of the harms algorithmic surveillance inflicts upon people, it only attempts to protect EU citizens, but not people on the move. Listen now.
Events
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Webinar – Using European Citizens Initiatives for advocacy
On 6 April, FRA will run a webinar on the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) and how civil society organisations can make use of it.
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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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BigBrotherAwards 2022
Join the German BigBrotherAwards 2022 to learn who the biggest data sinners of the last year are.
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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.
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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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360/Open Summit: Contested Realities | Connected Futures
The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) presents the fifth annual 360/Open Summit on June 6 and 7 at the Square, in-person in Brussels and online around...
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EDMO 2022 Annual Conference: Save the date
Mark your calendar: EDMO 2022 Annual Conference will take place in Brussels on 13 and 14 June. Join us for two days of live interaction to discover and...
Jobs
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Call for Nomination – EDRi Board elections 2022
EDRi General Assembly (GA) will this year elect two Board members to replace two outgoing Board members. Representatives of EDRi members, affiliates and observers as well as interested applicants...
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Bits of Freedom is hiring for a HR & office manager
Bits of Freedom is a small organization with big ambitions. Everyone must take advantage of the benefits of the internet, and no one should be the victim of...
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Programmes Senior Coordinator & Tech Lead vacancies at Numun Fund
Numun Fund's mission is to mobilise and redistribute diverse resources for a growing ecosystem of feminist tech activism, in order to strengthen the power of social justice movements...
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Research Associates vacancies at Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Starting on 01.05.2022 for a duration of 36 months, the Center for Life Ethics and the Institut für Wissenschaft und Ethik is seeking two Research Associates.
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Android/Python contractors for the Guardian Project
Guardian Project is seeking Android/Python contractors for mobile/free software/privacy work!
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Grant Specialist vacancy for Internet Society
The Internet Society (ISOC) supports and promotes the development of the Internet as a global technical infrastructure, a resource to enrich people’s lives, and a force for good...
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Committee to Protect Journalists is looking for Deputy Advocacy Director
CPJ has an immediate need for a Deputy Advocacy Director. The Deputy Advocacy Director provides dynamic and innovative leadership, promoting a culture of advocacy across the organization and...
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Algorithmic Justice League is looking for a Managing Director
The Managing Director will join AJL at a critical juncture, providing sound leadership and guidance as they roadmap their transition from a fiscally sponsored project to an independent...
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Senior Research and Teaching Associate/Postdoc Position
The Media & Internet Governance Division at the IKMZ studies media policy and media economics in the convergent communications sector. Alongside research on traditional mass media, the division...
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Systemic Justice: Call for graphic recorders
Systemic Justice is looking for graphic recorders/illustrators to document each roundtable in a way that expresses what stands out in each meeting, rather than provide a full visual...
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Job openings at Epicenter.Works
EDRi member epicenter.works has openings for volunteer web developer, and graphic designer positions.
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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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Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte is looking for Legal Trainees & more
EDRi member Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF) is looking for Legal Trainees and more. GFF is a Berlin-based NGO with the mission to establish a sustainable structure for successful strategic...
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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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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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Product Manager vacancy at CitizenLab
CitizenLab is looking for a Product Manager to join an international and fast-paced, yet collaborative and inclusive environment to thrive in.
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Policy Manager vacancy and Forum on Information & Democracy
As part of its activities, the Forum is looking for a Policy Manager.