March 20, 2020 · Blogs | Information democracy | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Disinformation and electoral interference | Freedom of expression online | Privacy and confidentiality

EDRi calls for fundamental rights-based responses to COVID-19

Some of the actions taken by governments and businesses under exceptional Coronavirus circumstances today, can have significant repercussions on freedom of expression, privacy and other human rights both today and tomorrow.

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June 24, 2020 · Blogs | Information democracy | Digital rights in trade agreements | Freedom of expression online

European Commission derails copyright reform in South Africa

Last year, the South African parliament adopted a progressive new copyright bill that would have drastically improved access to educational materials, introduced a fair use exception, implemented the Marrakesh treaty for the benefit of people who are blind or print disabled, and strengthened the negotiating positions of authors and performers in their negotiations with publishers.

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October 6, 2020 · Highlights | Press releases | Privacy and data protection | Privacy and confidentiality | Surveillance and data retention

Press release: The data retention regimes of France, United Kingdom and Belgium are illegal says CJEU

Note: This quick reaction is based on the Court’s press release. A more thorough analysis of the judgement will be published later this week.

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November 15, 2017 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Surveillance and data retention

High time: Policy makers increasingly embrace encryption

Encryption is of critical importance to our democracy and rule of law. Nevertheless, politicians frequently advocate for weakening this technology. Slowly but surely, however, policy makers seem to start embracing it.

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May 13, 2020 · Blogs | Information democracy | Disinformation and electoral interference | Freedom of expression online

COVID-Tech: COVID infodemic and the lure of censorship

In EDRi's series on COVID-19, COVIDTech, we will explore the critical principles for protecting fundamental rights while curtailing the spread of the virus, as outlined in the EDRi network's statement on the virus.

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January 22, 2025 · Blogs | EDRi-gram | Highlights | Information democracy | Open internet and inclusive technology | Privacy and data protection

EDRi-gram, 22 January 2025

The EDRi-gram is back after the winter break and yes, we missed you too. Before we dive into the new year, we have a review of 2024 for you. From stopping Chat Control to hosting the first-ever Tech and Society Summit, read up on what kept EDRi so busy last year. In this edition, also catch-up with some important developments from the end of 2024 which are bound to pop up again on the digital rights radar soon. The infamous High Level Group Going Dark presented their "insecurity by design agenda". So don’t be surprised if EU politics sees another iteration of flawed proposals on data retention and circumventing encryption. Ugh. Meanwhile, the European Commission presented their proposal for digitalising travel documents. “Didn’t they promise that for the third quarter of 2023,” you say? Indeed, but after the initiative received a devastating amount of negative feedback, it took more than a year for the adjusted EU travel app proposal. We provide an extensive analysis of the (so far) voluntary system for pre-travel controls. For our more masochistically inclined readers, we take a look over to the US and how corporate social media such as Meta and X align with the new administration. Recent changes to content moderation policies empower far-right extremists and expose marginalised and minoritised communities to hate speech.

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July 17, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Biometrics | Surveillance and data retention

IBM’s facial recognition: the solution cannot be left to companies

On 8 June 2020, IBM’s CEO announced to the US Congress that – on the grounds of “justice and racial equity” – the company would “sunset” its “general purpose” facial recognition technologies. EDRi has addressed the company through a letter, but IBM's response suggests the organisation is motivated by public relations, instead of fundamental rights.

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May 3, 2017 · Blogs

Member in the Spotlight: epicenter.works

epicenter.works is a non-profit organisation from Austria committed to the preservation of fundamental rights in the digital age and a pluralistic society.

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February 2, 2006

Debates on draft directive on Television without Frontiers Directive

During the Oxford Media Convention on 19 January 2006, Hon.Tessa Jowell, the UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport expressed the opinion that a European Union plan to introduce Internet regulation was unwelcome, arguing that new media were best left to govern themselves. The statement comes at a time when the European Union […]

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February 2, 2006

Irish ISPs to give File-sharers details

On Tuesday 24 January the Irish High Court made an order requiring three ISPs to hand over the personal details of 49 alleged file-sharers. This decision follows a similar decision in July 2005, and was made by the same judge (Kelly J.) in essentially identical terms, including an undertaking that the information would only be […]

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June 19, 2003

Industry groups against data retention laws

Four major industry groups have published a joint statement against mandatory data retention. The coalition represents worldwide and European businesses including most major electronic communications service providers and manufacturers. They are challenging EU member states on proposals that would require communication service providers to store details of all calls, emails and transactions for use by […]

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April 5, 2017 · Blogs

Denmark: Weakening the oversight of intelligence services

A draft law to amend the data protection provisions of the law on the oversight of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) was submitted for public consultation in September 2016. In their consultation responses, several NGOs including EDRi member IT-Pol Denmark, as well as the Danish Intelligence Oversight Board (TET) criticised the proposal. The […]

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