Our work
EDRi is the biggest European network defending rights and freedoms online. We work to to challenge private and state actors who abuse their power to control or manipulate the public. We do so by advocating for robust and enforced laws, informing and mobilising people, promoting a healthy and accountable technology market, and building a movement of organisations and individuals committed to digital rights and freedoms in a connected world.
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Austria creates new agency with unprecedented surveillance powers
In the midst of the biggest surveillance scandal of mankind and after years of criticism about rogue secret agencies spying on politicians and the government bodies supposed to control them, Austria is planning to establish a new secret agency. Austria’s draft state security law, “Staatsschutzgesetz”, grants new, far reaching surveillance powers while reducing oversight and […]
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Privacy Café 2.0: Improving the security of online communications
In order to repeat the success of our previous Privacy Café in the European Parliament, we are organising another training session on how to protect communications and privacy online. The event will provide basic hands-on guidance for increased online privacy for Members of the European Parliament, their assistants and Parliament staff. Since it is a hands-on session for […]
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Key points for a successful consultation on internet platforms
EDRi, together with Access, provided input to the European Commission ahead of the publication of its consultation on online platforms. Download the letter (pdf). It is very important for the future of EU digital policy that the upcoming platforms consultation be as credible, thorough and balanced as possible. The European Commission’s 2010-2012 consultation on the […]
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The School of Rock(ing) EU Copyright
For the first time in nearly a generation, the EU will update its copyright framework. This is a unique opportunity to reform and modernise Europe’s creaking, outdated, ill-adapted rules. Activists interested in taking up on this opportunity will get a crash course in effective copyright activism at a workshop in Warsaw on 5-6 November. To […]
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EDRi launches a campaign for online privacy for kids
Today, we launched a crowdfunding campaign to create a textbook to raise awareness among kids for the protection of their privacy online. “We want to teach children what they need to consider to protect themselves online,” said Kirsten Fiedler, Managing Director of European Digital Rights. “The goal is to create material, translated into as many languages […]
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Portugal: “Voluntary” agreement against copyright infringements
On 30 July 2015, copyright and related rights-holders associations, the General Inspection of Cultural Activities (IGAC), the Portuguese Consumer Directorate-General, the Portuguese Association of Telecom Operators, the organisation responsible for .pt domain registrations DNS.PT, the anti-“piracy” group MAPINET, advertising associations, and (unidentified) consumer associations agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at protecting copyright and […]
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Internet censorship redux – under the guise of regulating gambling
On 12 June 2015 a law came into effect requiring the providers of networks and electronic communication services in Romania to block access to gambling sites as well as sites advertising gambling activities that are unauthorised in the country. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will now be obliged to implement a website blocking system and use […]
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Netzpolitik.org case: Prosecutor dismissed, inquiry dropped
As reported previously in EDRi-gram at the end of July 2015, two reporters of a German digital rights blog Netzpolitik.org, Markus Beckedahl and André Meister, were under investigation for treason after the publication of leaked documents revealing plans to expand German internet surveillance. On 10 August, German federal prosecutors announced that the much disputed investigation will […]
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Facebook patent: Lending based on social connections
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has granted Facebook a patent which could allow “authenticating an individual for access to information or service based on that individual’s social network.” The main use for this technology is to allegedly prevent members of a network from sending spam to other members with whom they aren’t […]
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Our internships at EDRi: We made digital rights matter
During the last couple of months, as EDRi’s interns, through advocacy, campaigning and reporting, we were given a unique opportunity to challenge threats to fundamental rights posed in the context of net neutrality, privacy, personal data and copyright. It was a fruitful and rewarding experience that allowed us to put our theoretical skills into practice […]
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Launch of the EU Internet Forum – behind closed doors and without civil society
The European Commission has confirmed to EDRi that it is preparing to partner with US online companies in order to plan the arbitrary monitoring and censorship of European citizens and, contrary to previous assurances, will exclude civil society from these discussions. More disturbingly, this is happening at the same time as the US is preparing […]
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Leaked documents: German news site Netzpolitik.org investigated for treason
If it were up to the Federal Attorney General and the President of the German Domestic Security Agency, two reporters of Netzpolitik.org, a German digital rights blog, would soon be in prison for at least two years. Yesterday, the news blog was officially informed about investigations against the editors Markus Beckedahl and Andre Meister. The […]
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