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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Search engines voluntarily block harmful content in Germany
According to a report in the German e-zine Heise all the major search engines in Germany have voluntarily agreed to filter out harmful content for their German audience. Google, Lycos Europe, MSN Germany, AOL Germany, Yahoo, T-Online and t-info have founded a self-regulatory organisation that will voluntarily block a list of URLs considered to be […]
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Dutch plan large-scale satellite snooping
The Dutch ministry of defence is planning to build a large facility to intercept civilian and military satellite communications. The Echelon-like site at Burum, in the north of the Netherlands, will have 15 dishes and listen to telephone, fax and internet telecommunications. The large streams of intercepted information will be examined by a new intelligence […]
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French court decision on traffic data retention
On 4 February 2005 the appeal court of Paris has extended the general obligations for data retention to companies. According to the verdict, like internet providers all companies are obliged to store traffic data originating from their employees, to allow identification of e-mails with illegal contents sent from company machines. The verdict is ominous since […]
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Geneva meeting on access to knowledge
On 3-4 February 2005, more than 60 academics, researchers and scientists, software developers, diplomats, librarians, consumers and representatives of disability and other public interest groups from north and south gathered in Geneva to discuss the WIPO Development Agenda and a draft Treaty on Access to Knowledge (A2K). The meeting was organised by the Consumer Project […]
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Europe crowned as Internet Villain
Europe was crowned ‘Internet Villain’ of the year at the 7th Annual UK Internet Industry Award Ceremony, for “threatening the Country of Origin principle, which has encouraged e-commerce across the EU, and for the Draft Framework on Data Retention.” The awards are an initiative of the UK Internet Service Providers’ Association Council. Previous winners include […]
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Council adopts decision on attacks against information systems
On 24 February 2005 the JHA Council finally adopted the framework decision on attacks against information systems. The decision harmonises legislation in the EU for any offence committed against a computer infrastructure with the intention of destroying, modifying or altering the information stored on computers or networks of computers. The two key definitions in the […]
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Recommended reading: CCTV
Publication by the Development and Statistics Directorate of the English Home Office of the results of the first major research into the application of CCTV in the UK. The general conclusion about the effects on criminality is that camera surveillance is a powerful instrument, but it must be acknowledged camera’s are used in widely different […]
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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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