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.
Filter resources
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EDRI-gram – Number 2.24, 15 December 2004
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Bitkom research: no grounds for data retention
Extensive research commissioned by BITKOM, the German industry association for information technology, telecommunications and new media, into the current practices in the telecom sector shows that there are no grounds for the proposed regime of mandatory traffic data retention. The study compares the legal obligations and practices in Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, […]
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Public denied access to Council documents on Data Retention
The draft Framework Decision on the retention of traffic data resulting from electronic communication has been sent to the European Parliament at the beginning of December. This started the public part of the lawmaking process. But the Council of the European Union has still failed to declassify the very document that the Parliament is supposed […]
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EDRI response on new EU human rights agency
In a response to the European Commission on 9 December 2004, EDRI welcomes the creation of a Human Rights Agency within the European Union. “The creation of the Agency is especially relevant at a time when, one the hand, many new EU countries have joined through the expansion of member states from 15 to 25 […]
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Council ready to adopt Common Position on Soft-Pats
Contrary to expectations which already saw the majority of the Council of the European Union shifting to opposing software patents, the Council seems to be taking preparations to adopt its much contested draft Common Position, dating from 26 May 2004, during one of its meetings in the week before Christmas. The current Dutch Presidency of […]
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Jurisprudence shows shortcomings French digital economy law
The French digital economy law (Loi pour la confiance dans l’économie numérique or LEN) recently entered into force. The first 2 court cases already demonstrate noxious effects of the law. As feared by French civil rights organisations like EDRI-member IRIS, the Human Rights League and others, the LEN creates judicial insecurity for French website editors […]
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20% Europeans read spam and buy goods
Research by Forrester, commissioned by the Business Software Alliance, shows an incredibly high number of Europeans that use spam to buy computer software, clothes/jewellery and travel/leisure products. In France, Germany and the UK, 1 in every 5 internet users said they had bought one of these things via spam. The poll was simultaneously conducted in […]
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130.000 prepaid GSMs disconnected in Switzerland
On 30 November 2004 the Swiss mobile operator Swisscom has disconnected aproximately 130.000 unregistered users of prepaid mobile phones. On 23 June 2004 a new measure was adopted by the Swiss Bundesrat (Council of ministers) that required the operators (besides Swisscom also Orange and Sunrise) to start registering the personal details of all buyers, including […]
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EU Report: Member States lazy to protect data
The European Commission has adopted, on 7 December 2004, its annual report on the implementation of the EU electronic communications regulatory package. The report states that 20 of the EU’s present 25 Member States have notified the Commission that they have adopted primary legislation transposing the package, which became law in 2002. The Commission has […]
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Successful access to information claim in Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, proponents of open source and open standards have booked a remarkable legal victory. On 7 December 2004 the Supreme Administrative Court ruled against the minister of state administration, Dimitar Kalchev. Two members of parliament and the foundation ‘Access to Information Program’ had demanded access to the 2002 agreement between Microsoft and the Bulgarian […]
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EU model for proper privacy notification
The Article 29 Working Party of data protection authorities in the EU has developed an interesting and useful model for a standard EU privacy notice, consisting of a short, a condensed and a full legal notice. Under the European Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC data subjects must be informed of their rights to data protection. The […]
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Recommended participation
Public consultation on new action plan eEurope 2005-2010. Participants are invited to consider how European Information Society policy should evolve over the next five years if the EU is to reach its ‘Lisbon Goals’ by 2010. Contributions are invited by e-mail and should be submitted by 16 January 2005. http://europa.eu.int/information_society/eeurope/2005/all_about/2010_challenges/text_en.htm Lisbon goals portal site http://europa.eu.int/comm/lisbon_strategy/index_en.html
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