Privacy and data protection
Privacy and data protection are essential for us to live, connect, work, create, organise and more. Governments and companies have long used mass surveillance for control trying to legitimise snooping for health, security or other reasons. The near-total digitisation of our lives has made it easier to control, profile and profit from our attention, data, bodies and behaviours in ways that are very difficult for us to understand and challenge. European data protection standards such as the GDPR are a good step forward but we need more to effectively ensure enforcement and protection against unlawful surveillance practices.
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Position Paper: EU’s proposed health data regulation ignores patients’ privacy rights
EDRi’s new position paper outlines how the European Commission’s proposal for a European Health Data Space, in an attempt to make use of people’s health data, would sabotage the rights of patients to make decisions about their private medical information.
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Poland: the government declares no further extension of data retention obligation
Data retention obligation will not be further extended in Polish law on electronic communication. However, the current, unlawful scope of telecommunication data retention remains unchanged.
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Czech online state services without Google Analytics: thanks to IuRe
The Czech organisation Iuridicum Remedium (IuRe) sent an open letter to the Ministry of Health in June 2021. It was mainly about the vaccination system, but its impact is much bigger: many state websites are getting rid of Google Analytics and thus taking more account of user privacy.
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European Commission must have greater ambition in combating sexual violence
Last year, the European Commission made a far-reaching proposal to protect children against sexual violence. But a study by Delft University shows that there is a lot wrong with the substantiation of the proposal.
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EDRi-gram, 1 March 2023
In this edition of the EDRi-gram, we celebrate the success of EDRi’s member in the Czech Republic against the use of Google analytics in state services. We are also exploring the consequences of internet restrictions for people imposed by the Turkish government to silence criticism. You will also find the Stop Scanning Me movement’s recently launched petition enabling people to fight against the European Union's attempt to scan every move we make online. Join us!
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The secret services’ reign of confusion, rogue mayors, racist tech and algorithm oversight (or not)
Have a quick read through January’s most interesting developments at the intersection of human rights and technology from the Netherlands.
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Petition: Children deserve a secure and safe internet
Join us in our fight against the EU's attempt to scan every move we make online. Sign the petition.
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PEGA Committee must call for an EU-wide ban on spyware
The European Parliament’s inquiry committee on Pegasus and other similar spyware (PEGA) is working on a set of recommendations for the regulation of the use of intrusive spyware by EU Member States. It is still unclear whether the Committee will dare to set vitally needed red lines and call for a sufficiently protective European Union-wide framework against spyware in its non-binding report. EDRi submitted amendments to strengthen the demands for the protection of affected people and democratic values.
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SERBIA: Government retracts again on biometric surveillance
Another attempt to legalise mass biometric surveillance in Serbia was ditched by the government in a sudden U-turn just as 2022 was drawing to a close. In a little over a year this was the second draft law on internal affairs failing to pass the public hearing stage before its formal introduction to the parliamentary vote.
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Is the EU protecting people from Pegasus spyware?
Spyware is an extremely invasive surveillance tool and a global threat to human rights and democracy. Since the initial Pegasus Project revelations, we’ve learned that governments and private actors in over 46 countries worldwide, including EU member states, have used invasive spyware to target and silence journalists, human rights defenders, political opponents, and dissidents.
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EDRi 2.0: The European Digital Rights network turns 20
This year, EDRi turns 20, marking two decades of building a movement of NGOs, experts, advocates, technologists, academics and impacted communities. Together, we have been defending and advancing digital rights across Europe. Read about our 20-year impact below and join us in celebrating our anniversary.
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EDRi-gram, 16 February 2023
In this edition of the EDRi-gram, we invite you to join us in celebrating EDRi’s 20th birthday by reading our impact journey and sending us your wishes and vision for the future of digital rights. In our digital rights news updates, we are looking at the Serbian government’s second attempt to legalise biometric mass surveillance. We are also exploring how TikTok’s new feature will use your emotions to make even more profit.
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