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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EDRI-gram – Number 3.4, 24 February 2005
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Italian GSM provider warns: too many wiretaps
The Italian mobile operator TIM, one of the largest mobile phone companies in Italy has issued a unique warning that the number of wiretaps has reached the limit. In a fax sent to all Italian public prosecutors they say that they have already over-stretched their capacity from 5.000 to 7.000 simultaneously intercepted mobile phones. New […]
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Commission opposes framework decision on data retention
The European Commission has made it clear to all the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs in the EU that there is no legal basis for a framework decision on mandatory data retention in the third pillar. The draft framework decision on data retention was introduced in April 2004 by the governments of France, the […]
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McLibel victory European Court of Human Rights
In an important ruling in the McLibel case, the European Court of Human Rights has defended “the public’s right to criticise massive corporations whose business practices can affect people’s lives, health and the environment.” The McLibel case dates back to 1990 when McDonald’s decided to file a libel case against 2 English people that were […]
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Update on WSIS PrepCom-2
After two weeks of intense debate in Geneva tomorrow the second preparatory conference to the WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) ends. The second and final World Summit will take place in Tunisia in November 2005. The Human Rights caucus (a loose coalition of currently 59 human rights organisations) devoted its time in the […]
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Brussels demonstration against software patents
On the cold Thursday morning of 17 February, 250-300 people gathered on the square between the European Commission and the Council of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium for a demonstration against patents on software ideas. The demonstration was aimed to support the request made that same day from the European Parliament Conference of Presidents, […]
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Controversy over EU Human Rights Agency
The plan from the European Commission to transform the Vienna Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia into an Agency for Fundamental Rights has met with strong criticism from the Council of Europe (46 member states). The Financial Times quotes Terry Davis, secretary-general of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, “With all the best will in the […]
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No extra regulation for Voice over IP
On 11 February the European Regulators Group (ERG) released a common statement against regulation of Voice over IP services. The statement from the 25 national regulatory authorities was welcomed by EU Commissioner Viviane Reding, responsible for Information Society and Media. In a press release from the Commission she says: “I expect Voice over IP to […]
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Recommended reading: software patents
The Swedish jurist Sandra Paulsson has published a 27 page report on the differences in approach between the US and the EU approach to software patents. She has written the briefing for the European Parliament as trainee at the Policy Department for Economic and Science (STOA). Paulsson finds the differences between the patent systems in […]
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Update ISOC Bulgaria
EDRI-member ISOC Bulgaria has published an overview of activities in 2004. From a strong focus on free and open source software, they initiated an important project to use FOSS on the municipal level. The project is steered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help municipal governments in South-eastern Europe use the Internet to […]
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Copyright law revision in Switzerland criticised
Civil rights and consumer organisations in Switzerland have severely criticised a proposal to revise the Swiss copyright law. In October 2004 the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property opened a consultation about the revision of the Swiss copyright law and asked for comments until the end of January 2005. The revision mainly concerns the implementation […]
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3.300 ID fines in the Netherlands in 1 month
In the first month of the new ID obligations in the Netherlands, the Dutch police have issued 3.300 fines to people who could not immediately show a valid ID when asked. According to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, the ID checks mainly take place in specific circumstances. “ID control mostly occurs in situations of disorder […]
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