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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Social media in key role in the Balkans floods – incited censorship
In late May 2014, the Balkans were hit by disastrous floods. Internet users began commenting and sharing information on social networks and blogs about the floods, but also criticised the government’s response to the disaster and relief efforts in certain areas. Social networks served as a channel quick sharing of information. They were in a […]
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Torrenz.eu suspended, but restored in absence of court order
Torrentz.eu, one of the most popular search engines for file-sharing websites, was taken offline on for linking to contents that infringe copyright. The site was taken down by the Poland-based registrar of its domain on 26 May 2014, after it had received a request from by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) in the […]
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Google takes the first steps to comply with European Court ruling
The noise, misunderstandings and confusion about the alleged “right to be forgotten” has increased in amplitude since the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued its ruling on the so-called “Google case”. Like a politician’s use of statistics, the phrase “right to be forgotten” has been used by critics of privacy law like […]
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Denmark: Data retention is here to stay despite the CJEU ruling
Following the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruling on 8 April 2014, which declared the data retention directive 2006/24/EC invalid, the Danish parliament asked the government about the implications for the Danish data retention law. On 2 June 2014, the government presented its response in a 30-page legal analysis and at a […]
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Anniversary of Snowden revelations: The year we fight back
On 5 June 2013, the Guardian published Edward Snowden’s first documents. These showed that the NSA was using a secret court order to collect millions of customers’ phone calls of the US company Verizon. Snowden’s subsequent disclosures confirmed what many privacy activists were suspecting for a long time: that the US government and its allies […]
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We promised to recruit digital rights-friendly MEPs – we delivered
WePromise.eu was an innovative campaign that sought to bring digital rights to the agenda of the European elections. It gathered wide support from throughout the political spectrum as well as from civil society and citizens, exceeding all expectations. With 434 candidates having signed up to the Charter of digital rights – including two top EU […]
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ENDitorial: Google Spain vs AEPD – the cup is half full
Judgements from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) are typically meant to settle debates about European law, not to stir them up. Last week’s judgement on Google versus Spain falls short of this goal. It is definitely groundbreaking and parts of its analysis have a beautiful logic. That Google is a data […]
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Artist collective threatened with legal action for Google Nest spoof
At the tech conference re:publica which took place on 6-8 May, numerous participants fell for a hoax by the Peng! Collective. During a one-hour presentation on the main stage with the title “your data, our future”, the artist group unveiled a site called “Google Nest” which mimicked the tech giant’s corporate design. The site introduced […]
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Finnish Parliament argued over the copyright initiative
On 13 May, the Education and Culture Committee of the Finnish Parliament discussed the citizens’ initiative on an update to the copyright legislation. The main goal of the initiative “Common Sense in Copyright” is to correct the exaggerated interpretations of the current copyright laws, especially regarding network monitoring and compensation. This includes reforming the judicial […]
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Spain: social media to be censored? “Not everything is appropriate”
Isabel Carrasco, president of the county council of León, was murdered on 12 May 2014. The tragic episode derived in a multitude of opinions throughout the internet. Some netizens extended their sympathy to her family, while others decided to convey a very different message, using Twitter, Facebook or YouTube to celebrate the news; to joke […]
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Legal analysis of the Data Retention ruling of the European Court
The legal service of the Council of the European Union has produced an analysis of the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the data retention Directive. While these documents are normally confidential, this text has been leaked and provides interesting insights into the ruling – making one wonder what justification […]
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EC adopts Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline
The Council of the European Union adopted, to very little fanfare, an extensive document on freedom of expression on 12 May. The document seeks to identify and clarify a range of principles with regard to freedom of communication. In doing so, the Foreign Affairs Council has adopted a text of unusual clarity and scope which […]
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