May 27, 2020 · On the ground | Information democracy | Freedom of expression online

Hungary: “Opinion police” regulate Facebook commentaries

There have been a number of critical news reports from around the world stating that Hungary’s COVID-19 state-of-emergency legislation is “creating a chilling effect”. Such headlines miss the mark somewhat, as chilling effects are far from new.

Read more

 

December 17, 2008

Bulgarian Court annuls a vague article of the data retention law

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) On 11 December 2008, the Bulgarian Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) annulled article 5 of the national legislation that implements the Data retention Directive, following a lawsuit initiated by Access to Information Program(AIP). Article 5 of the Bulgarian Regulation # 40 that was issued by the State Agency […]

Read more

April 24, 2013 · Blogs

EDRi and BEUC demand protection for Net Neutrality

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EDRi und BEUC fordern Wahrung der Netzneutralität | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_11.8_EDRi_und_BEUC_fordern_Wahrung_der_Netzneutralitaet?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20130424] A joint letter sent by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and European Digital Rights (EDRi) to the European Commission on 17 April 2013 demanded the end of dangerous experimentations with the functioning of the Internet in Europe and the […]

Read more

December 5, 2005

Advocate General European Court rejects PNR deal

On 22 November 2005 the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice has advised to annul the EU-US agreement on the transfer of passenger data. The AG does not answer the privacy-questions raised by the European Parliament, but finds the agreement unacceptable under the subsidiarity rule of the European Union. Only the member states […]

Read more

April 9, 2003

New content restrictions in Germany

In Germany, new content restrictions were introduced for the protection of minors, extending current regulations and indexing schemes for film and video to internet and games. Since 1 April all kinds of ego shooters and electronic media “glorifying war” are banned. Furthermore, under the new regulation, all computer games must carry labels with minimum age […]

Read more

May 18, 2011

Ireland adopts innovation agenda on intellectual property

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Irland: Innovationen zu geistigem Eigentum | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.10_Irland_Innovationen_zu_geistigem_Eigentum] Richard Bruton, the Irish Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation, said that he was determined that the Irish government should make whatever changes were necessary to allow innovative digital companies to reach their full potential in Ireland. He said that some […]

Read more

December 5, 2007

European scientific information – too late on open access?

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The recent meeting on 22-24 November 2007 of the Competitiveness European Council meeting adopted its conclusions on scientific information in the digital age: access, dissemination and preservation. The conclusions underline the importance of scientific output resulting from publicly funded research being available on the Internet at no […]

Read more

January 28, 2015 · Blogs

Data retention in Kosovo and Switzerland – legalising illegal laws

Less than a year ago, many thought data retention in Europe would finally be faced with incontrovertible evidence that it is not effective or proportionate. Now, sensing an opportunity to take advantage of a more favourable public relations landscape, some politicians seem to have the intention to bring EU data retention back again. Data retention […]

Read more

 

December 20, 2006

Wiretapping scandal in Greece ends with record fine

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) As a result of the scandal related to the wiretapping of phone conversations of several Greek officials, including Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, during the period August 2004 – March 2005, Vodafone was fined by the Greek privacy committee for not having protected its network against hacking activities. […]

Read more

April 24, 2013 · Blogs

Finland: Common Sense in Copyright Law

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Finnland: Gesunder Menschenverstand im Urheberrecht | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_11.8_Finnland_Gesunder_Menschenverstand_im_Urheberrecht?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20130424] The Finnish campaign “Common Sense in Copyright Law” organized a blackout day 23 April 2013 to market the citizens’ initiative, which would strip the worst parts out of the Finnish copyright law and add German-style fairness-requirement to the copyright contracts. More […]

Read more

May 10, 2022 · Blogs | Open letters | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Biometrics

Will the European Parliament stand up for our rights by prohibiting biometric mass surveillance in the AI Act?

On 10 May, EDRi and 52 organisations wrote to the Members of the European Parliament to ask them to ban the remote use of these technologies in publicly accessible spaces to protect all the places where we exercise our rights and come together as communities from becoming sites of mass surveillance where we are all treated as suspects.

Read more

 

December 19, 2007 · Blogs

ENDitorial : "No Swiss DMCA" Referendum campaign

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Like everywhere else, DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) systems which impose technical restrictions on what end users can do with texts and multimedia content are highly unpopular also in Switzerland. At the same time, the representatives of the entertainment industry claim that this technology is necessary, and politicians […]

Read more