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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Czech Big Brother Awards 2025: Volkswagen, Meta and the Czech authorities noted as Snoopers of the Year
EDRi member Iuridicum Remedium organised the 21st annual Big Brother Awards in Czech Republic, with Volkswagen, Meta, and the Czech Ministries of the Interior and Industry and Trade highlighted as some of the biggest threats to privacy. Electric cars emerged as a new concern, and data retention and attacks on encryption continued to win big.
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Greece’s AI Smart Policing system ruled unlawful after €4 million public spending\
A 4 million EUR “Smart Policing” programme enabling the use of AI technologies, including facial recognition software, which was deployed by the Hellenic Police has been ruled unlawful by Greece’s data protection authority. The decision confirmed long-standing concerns raised by EDRi member Homo Digitalis about facial recognition and data protection violations.
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EDRi responds to European Commission’s consultation call on the Digital Omnibus
The European Commission opened consultations for the Digital Omnibus, EDRi responded by urging the Commission not to prioritise corporate interests and deregulation over privacy, transparency, and fundamental rights, ultimately putting people at greater risk of data misuse and discrimination.
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Youth organisations demand social media change, not bans
The protection of young people from online harms remains high on the political agenda, but the debate continue to focus on age gates and social media bans. In response, 31 youth organisations and youth activists – the intended recipients of these ‘protective’ measures – have joined forces to speak up against their own exclusion. They warn that the real solution lies in addressing the root cause of the problem: the design and business model of platforms.
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The EU AI Office must prioritise setting up the Advisory Forum
35 organisations and researchers call on the EU AI Office to provide clear information on the timeline and process of the establishment of the Advisory Forum, the only formal mechanism ensuring civil society voices are part of AI Act implementation.
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It’s not just spyware scandals: EU is funding the industry that spies on Europeans
Spyware, an extremely potent technology that turns a personal device into a constant surveillance instrument, was used by the Greek secret services to target dozens of people, including journalists, politicians and business executives. The Greek case marks arguably the first time that the executives of a spyware manufacturer – Intellexa, who developed Predator – will face criminal accountability. Although it did not condemn any Greek authorities for using spyware, this victory is heartening. It also leads to a bigger question: what about the EU’s own complicity in funding the market for spyware, even when we recognise the harms it inflicts?
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EDRi-gram, 15 April 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: Cracking the egg shells: what's inside the latest in EU digital rights?
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Europe shouldn’t “move fast and break things” with fundamental rights
The Digital Omnibus proposals, presented as “simplification,” risk weakening essential safeguards in the GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive, and the AI Act. By reducing protections and delaying obligations for high-risk systems, they introduce a logic reminiscent of the tech industry’s “move fast and break things” approach. In digital infrastructures built on large-scale data processing and automated decision-making, however, mistakes do not simply disappear. They become part of the system. This is why regulation is essential to protect people’s rights.
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Open Letter: EU lawmakers must safeguard the AI Act
41 organisations and experts are calling on the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council to reject the AI Omnibus, and honour their responsibility in upholding and safeguarding the integrity of the AI Act and its implementation without delay.
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The Court of Justice of the European Union condemns France’s police profiling practices
On 19 March 2026, the EU court ruled that France's law allowing law enforcement data collection is disproportionate and in violation of EU rules, as raised by public interest groups like La Quadrature du Net. This is another illegal feature in the French police databases, which must be urgently dismantled.
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Safeguarding democratic lawmaking: EDRi’s contribution to Commission consultation on Better Regulations
The European Commission has opened a consultation on its Better Regulation framework. In its response, EDRi raises concerns about the lack of proper impact assessment and the false sense of urgency. Instead of strengthening democratic processes, the current reform risks practices that reduce transparency and limit participation.
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The Digital Omnibus reopens the EU data acquis before it has even been tested
The Digital Omnibus not only targets the GDPR, ePrivacy and AI rules, but also rewrites the EU’s data acquis by merging recent laws into the Data Act. These changes risk weakening safeguards, concentrating power, and creating uncertainty before the framework has even been implemented in practice.
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