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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First P2P prosecution case in Sweden
In Sweden, for the first time an individual internet user is prosecuted for file-sharing. A young man from Västerås has shared the film ‘Hip Hip Hora’ via the Internet and is theoretically facing a maximum of 2 years prison sentence. But the public prosecutor doesn’t have a lot of confidence in the case. “As these […]
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ISP self-regulation proposal entertainment industry
The MPA (Motion Picture Association) and the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) are pushing for a new collaboration with internet service providers in Europe. The MPA has drafted a ‘possible ISP-Film Sector Voluntary Code of Conduct’, while the IFPI called for a similar code in relation to the music sector during a conference […]
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Bulgarian ISPs ordered to remove websites
On 24 March 2005 the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior issued a radical order to Bulgaria’s largest internet providers. Within 7 days the ISPs “must remove all free hosting servers which offer works, audio records, entertaining or business software, images, pictures, books, graphical logos, etc.” and notify the department. Remarkably, the order isn’t limited to […]
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Germany: meta search engine responsible for hyperlinks
A Berlin court has ruled on 22 February 2005 that a meta search engine has exactly the same legal responsibilities as a regular search engine to prevent users from accessing illegal content. A meta search engine doesn’t have any databases of itself that could contain possibly illegal content, but should be able to filter the […]
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EDRI-member nominated in Blog contest
Reporters Without Borders has opened an awards competition for blogs defending freedom of expression. The blog of Markus Beckedahl from EDRI-member Neue Medien Netzwerk, www.netzpolitik.org is nominated by RSF as best international blog promoting freedom of expression. Until 1 June 2005 all Internet-users may vote online for award-winners from among 60 blogs defending freedom of […]
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EDRI-gram – Number 3.6, 24 March 2005
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Data retention news: EU Council, Germany, Spain
The Council of European Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA council) seems set for a frontal collision with the European Commission with the proposal for a framework decision on mandatory data retention. On 14 April 2005 the Council will discuss the proposal, possibly including a functional list, in spite of the urgent request from […]
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LSE report: UK ID card plans too risky
The UK Government’s plans for a national identity card have come under renewed criticism in a report published last week by the London School of Economics. The report, “The Identity Project: An assessment of the UK Identity Cards Bill & its implications”, featured contributions from experts across the LSE and from businesses that would be […]
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French jurisprudence about Google and cybersquatting
Search engine Google has lost an appeal on 10 March 2005 against a French court order to change its advertisement practices. The case about the advertisement practice was instigated by the travel companies Luteciel SARL and Viaticum SA. Competitors bought the search terms ‘bourse des vols’ and ‘bourse des voyages’ (flight exchange and trip exchange) […]
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EU rejects Microsoft's licence
The European Commission has rejected Microsoft’s proposal to comply with the EU anti-trust ruling. Microsoft needs to enable other software providers to interoperate with computers that run the Windows operating system. But the proposed Microsoft server interoperability licence contains a number of serious flaws including unjustifiably high royalty fees and the exclusion of open source […]
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No ban on wiretapping of Dutch lawyers
The Dutch association of criminal defence lawyers (NVSA) has lost a court case (preliminary proceedings) demanding an immediate stop to the practice of wiretapping their confidential telephone conversations with clients. On 15 March 2005 the administrative Court of the Hague ruled that these conversations do not per definition fall under the professional secrecy. There is […]
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Austrian power company demands take down critical website
The Austrian regional power company TIWAG (based in Tirol) has claimed 500.000 euro in damages if an activist doesn’t immediately take down a critical website. On 10 March they filed preliminary proceedings at the court of Innsbruck. On 23 March they sent another claim of 100.000 euro to the hosting provider of the site (based […]
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