March 20, 2024 · Blogs | EDRi-gram | Highlights | Information democracy | Open internet and inclusive technology | Privacy and data protection

EDRi-gram, 20 March 2024

On March 13, following years of tireless advocacy, the EU Parliament finally passed the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. But there’s not much to celebrate – the law missed the mark when it comes to protecting our human rights, especially those of migrants and people on the move. On the same day, the Parliament also passed the European Media Freedom Law (EMFA) which aims to protect journalists and media workers. Another legislation with lofty ambitions that did not live up to its goals. Despite the Brussels spyware scandal that shocked up in February 2024, EU’s approach to surveillance technology remains lackadaisical at best. What will finally convince them to take action?

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May 2, 2024 · Blogs | EDRi-gram | Highlights | Information democracy | Open internet and inclusive technology | Privacy and data protection

EDRi-gram, 2 May 2024

Last week, the European Parliament was doing everything everywhere all at once in the run up to the final plenary before the June EU elections. Let’s run through some of the highlights. In a disappointing move that will endanger medical secrecy, the European Parliament passed the European Health Data Space (EHDS). This law will expose everyone’s medical records to unnecessary security and privacy risks in the name of research and “innovation”. The Parliament also took its final step on the much touted Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act last week. With the final version of the law full of loopholes and missed opportunties, we’re left to contend with how to keep advocating for the protection of peope’s rights and fight against biometric mass surveillance. We also directed our attention towards the European Commission’s concerning decision to allow unrestricted data flows to Israel. Together with Access Now and 11 other civil society groups, we wrote to the Commission to ask for clarity on this decision.

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August 26, 2009

Italian DNA database: The devil is in the details

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Italienische DNA-Datenbank: der Teufel steckt im Detail | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1496] On 30 June 2009, the Italian Parliament finally passed Law No. 85 that ratifies the Prum Convention and forms the legal ground for the creation of an Italian National DNA Database (NDNAD). Although this law might have benefited from […]

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June 15, 2011

Big Brother Awards Italy 2011

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Big Brother Awards Italien 2011 | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.12_Big_Brother_Awards_Italien?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110623] The winners of the Big Brother Awards Italy 2011 were designated on 3 June 2011, in Florence, on the occasion of the e-privacy conference 2011. Facebook was the “star” of the awards being nominated for several categories and won the price […]

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May 22, 2013 · Blogs

Germany: Google must remove autocomplete harmful searches if notified

On 14 May 2013, the German Federal Court ruled that Google auto-complete feature may, under certain circumstances, constitute an infringement of the personality right, under the German Civil Code and the German Basic Law. Since April 2009, Google has introduced an “autocomplete” feature integrated into the search engine, which automatically brings forth suggestions, as word […]

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March 22, 2017 · Blogs

Human rights court: Website not liable for anonymous comment

On 9 March 2017, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) published its unanimous ruling in the case of Pihl v. Sweden. It declared that a non-profit association was not liable for an anonymous defamatory comment posted on its blog. The plaintiff Rolf Anders Daniel Pihl had made a civil claim against the small non-profit […]

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January 30, 2008

***European Data Protection Day – 28.01.2008 – special section***

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) 28 January is the European Data Protection Day. For the second time, in 2008, this date marks the anniversary of the Council of Europe’s Convention 108, the first legally binding international instrument related to data protection. This section of the EDRi-gram is dedicated to the European Data […]

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May 2, 2018 · Blogs | Information democracy | Open internet and inclusive technology | Privacy and data protection

Welcoming new EDRi members: FSFE, Hermes Center, NOYB, and Xnet

We are proud to announce that the EDRi network has grown again, and we would like to warmly welcome the four new members: Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Human Rights, NOYB, and Xnet. European Digital Rights has now 39 members in 19 countries.

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February 2, 2006

Big Brother Award for Dutch immigration minister

Dutch Minister Rita Verdonk for Integration and Immigration won a negative Big Brother Award during the Dutch awards ceremony on 28 January 2006 in De Melkweg in Amsterdam. Minister Verdonk was awarded the price for having handed-over the status of asylum seeker of rejected applicants to their country of origin, for having denied it repeatedly […]

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February 2, 2006

UK Passenger Travel Data in Advance

Security services and the police in UK will have a new power. According to the immigration bill going through the Parliament, airlines will have to give them advanced access to personal online details of all passengers travelling in and out Great Britain. The home secretary, Charles Clarke announced the intention to extend the system to […]

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June 19, 2003

Right of reply in on-line media

The Council of Europe (45 member states) is finalizing a recommendation on the ‘right of reply’ in on-line media. Through a right of reply persons and organisations can reply to articles in the media in which they have been portrayed or criticized. Many countries in Europe already have a limited right of reply for printed […]

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June 6, 2012

Czech Republic: Attempts to reintroduce data retention

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Tschechien: Neuer Anlauf zur Wiedereinführung der Vorratsdatenspeicherung | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.11_Tschechien_Neuer_Anlauf_zur_Wiedereinfuehrung_der_Vorratsdatenspeicherung?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20120606] For over a year now, Czech operators have not generally retained data on electronic communication for the needs of police – data police considered crucial in the investigation of crime. Yet, every year, there has been an increase in […]

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