March 2, 2022 · Blogs | Highlights | Open letters | Privacy and data protection | Online tracking industry / AdTech | Platform regulation

Open Letter: Abolish manipulative dark patterns and creepy online ads, ask 72 civil society organisations

Ahead of the upcoming Digital Services Act (DSA) trilogue meeting on 15 March, EDRi, Liberties and Amnesty International and 69 other civil society organisations have sent a joint open letter to 20 ministers and state secretaries in 9 EU Member States.  On Tuesday 1.03.2022, several organisations in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria, Croatia delivered the letter to relevant decisionmakers responsible for their country's position in the EU negotiations.  

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September 21, 2021 · Blogs | Publications | Open internet and inclusive technology | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Inclusive technologies

Booklet: If AI is the problem, is debiasing the solution?

The development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in all areas of public life have raised many concerns about the harmful consequences on society, in particular the impact on marginalised communities. EDRi's latest report "Beyond Debiasing: Regulating AI and its Inequalities", authored by Agathe Balayn and Dr. Seda Gürses,* argues that policymakers must tackle the root causes of the power imbalances caused by the pervasive use of AI systems. In promoting technical ‘debiasing’ as the main solution to AI driven structural inequality, we risk vastly underestimating the scale of the social, economic and political problems AI systems can inflict.

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March 24, 2021 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Biometrics | Cross border access to data | Data protection standards | Surveillance and data retention

EDRi challenges expansion of police surveillance via Prüm

The Prüm framework permits police forces of EU Member States to exchange DNA files, fingerprints, vehicle data via a decentralised system. The European Commission and the Council are pushing for a “Next Generation Prüm” in which facial images, firearms data, driving licenses, extracts of police records, data about third-country nationals and many additional types of data could be shared via the system.

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March 17, 2022 · Blogs | Highlights | Open letters | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Privacy and confidentiality | Surveillance and data retention

Open letter: Protecting digital rights and freedoms in the Legislation to effectively tackle child abuse

EDRi is one of 52 civil society organisations jointly raising our voices to the European Commission to demand that the proposed EU Regulation on child sexual abuse complies with EU fundamental rights and freedoms. You can still add your voice now!

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October 21, 2022 · Blogs | Position papers | Privacy and confidentiality

Position Paper: State access to encrypted data

EDRi’s new policy paper on encryption highlights that our privacy and security must be strongly protected, keeping into account the recent policy developments on encryption and law enforcement. Trust in communication systems is vital for our lives and connections with others. This allows us to work, socialise, organise, express ourselves, and care for each other safely.

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January 27, 2021 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Platform regulation | Transparency

The Dating App “Grindr” to be fined almost € 10 Mio

On 26 January, the Norwegian Data Protection Authority upheld the complaints, confirming that Grindr did not recive valid consent from users in an advance notification. The Authority imposes a fine of 100 Mio NOK (€ 9.63 Mio or $ 11.69 Mio) on Grindr. An enormous fine, as Grindr only reported a profit of $ 31 Mio in 2019 - a third of which is now gone. EDRi member noyb assisted with writing the legal analysis and formal complaints.

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April 12, 2022 · Blogs | Highlights | Open letters | Privacy and data protection | Platform regulation

A new crisis response mechanism for the DSA

EDRi is one of 38 civil society organisations jointly raising our voices to the DSA negotiators to stop negotiating outside their respective mandates and respect the democratic process of the EU. We demand concrete improvements necessary for the Crisis Response Mechanism (CRM) to respect international human rights law and prevent the future abuse of those emergency powers. Add your voice now!

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November 15, 2021 · Blogs | Highlights | Information democracy | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Biometrics | Surveillance and data retention

EDRi urges Portugal government to oppose proposed video surveillance law

EDRi member and Reclaim Your Face lead organisation D3 (Defesa Dos Direitos Digitais) are raising awareness of how the Portuguese government’s new proposed video surveillance and facial recognition law – which Ministers are trying to rush through the Parliament - amounts to illiberal biometric mass surveillance. It also endangers the very foundations of democracy on which the Republic of Portugal rests.

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October 9, 2024 · Blogs | Campaigns | Highlights | Information democracy | Open internet and inclusive technology | Privacy and data protection

Prioritising safety, participation, and community care: A vision for our digital future

Together, we can protect human rights, strengthen democracy, and reshape societal systems. Read about our commitment to prioritising safety, participation, and community care, as part of our Vision for 2024 and beyond.

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April 22, 2021 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Online tracking industry / AdTech | Platform regulation | Privacy and confidentiality

Buy a phone, get a tracker: unauthorized tracking code illegally installed on Android phones

EDRi's member noyb launched further action against Google’s AAID (Android Advertising Identifier), following similar complaints against Apple’s IDFA. The somewhat hidden ID allows Google and all apps on the phone to track a user and combine information about online and mobile behaviour. While these trackers clearly require the users’ consent (as known from “cookie banners”), Google neglects this legal requirement. noyb therefore filed a complaint against Google’s tracking code AAID.

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June 25, 2025 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Surveillance and data retention

Joint civil society response to the Commission’s call for evidence: Impact assessment on data retention by service providers for criminal proceedings

Last week, the EDRi network expressed shared concerns about the introduction of new rules at EU level on the retention of data by service providers for law enforcement purposes.

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December 4, 2024 · Blogs | Disinformation and electoral interference | Platform regulation

TikTok catalyses extremist views and breaches electoral legislation in Romania

Romanian civil society is alarmed about political advertisement on TikTok breaching European and national laws and how that benefited an extremist candidate in the elections. EDRi member ApTI with 20 other NGOs from Romania call upon the European Commission and the national authorities to take swift action and investigate, as elections are still ongoing.

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