December 15, 2021 · Blogs | Press releases | Open internet and inclusive technology | Alternatives to dominant digital services | Transparency

DMA: European Parliament takes first steps towards limiting gatekeeper power and providing real choices for people

Today, the European Parliament has approved its position on the Digital Markets Act (DMA). While unfortunately, it scales down the DMA scope by limiting who will be considered a gatekeeper, the Parliament position adds a number of notable improvements from a digital rights perspective that help challenge digital gatekeepers’ overwhelming power.

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October 28, 2020 · Blogs | Open internet and inclusive technology | Alternatives to dominant digital services | Disinformation and electoral interference | Platform regulation

How can “interoperability” strengthen our choices and privacy online?

Brussels is moving into high gear on internet regulation, as the text of the much-anticipated Digital Services Act (now with an additional Digital Markets Act) is due to be published by the European Commission on 2 December.

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October 6, 2015 · Blogs

Netherlands: New proposals for dragnet surveillance underway

In the Netherlands, online consultations by the government have been concluded on far-reaching proposals that foresee the expansion of surveillance powers of the intelligence services and the creation of new surveillance powers for the tax authorities (“Wet op de inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten” and “Concept-Besluit Bijzondere vergaring nummergegevens telecommunicatie”). If proposed and enacted into law, they […]

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January 18, 2012

Belarus strongly censors the Internet

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Weißrussland übt starke Internetzensur aus | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.1_Weissrussland_uebt_starke_Internetzensur_aus?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20120127] — Article corrected on 23.01.2012—- 6 January 2012 saw the application of the Belarusian law imposing even more restrictions on online free expression in a country that is already viewed as a dictatorship. Thus, a new law is enacting the sanctions […]

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January 18, 2012 · Blogs

Dutch Internet providers forced to block The Pirate Bay

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Niederländische ISPs zur Sperre von The Pirate Bay gezwungen | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.1_Niederlaendische_ISPs_zur_Sperre_von_The_Pirate_Bay_gezwungen?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20120127] In its judgement of 11 January 2012, the Court of The Hague granted Dutch copyright enforcement organisation Brein’s request to order Dutch internet providers Ziggo and XS4ALL to block access to The Pirate Bay. This is the […]

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July 1, 2021 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Platform regulation

Joint Civil Society Statement Urges IMCO Committee to Uphold Fundamental Rights in the DSA

On 1 July 2021, along with 6 leading civil society organisations EDRi signed a joint statement urging Members of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) in the European Parliament to uphold fundamental rights and democratic principles in the final Digital Services Act (DSA) regulation.

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January 18, 2012

US continue pushing on EU Commission against Data Protection proposals

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [USA macht weiter Druck auf EU-Kommission und gegen die geplante Datenschutzverordnung | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.1_USA_macht_weiter_Druck_auf_EU-Kommission_und_gegen_geplante_Datenschutzverordnung?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20120127] The US Department of Commerce has circulated a second informal note with comments on the proposals for a data protection regulation and a directive on data protection in the field of law enforcement. This time, […]

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February 13, 2019 · On the ground | Open internet and inclusive technology | Equal access to the internet

Time for better net neutrality rules

A Dutch court struck a blow against strong net neutrality protections. According to the court, the mobile operator T-Mobile may continue to provide certain music services with preferential treatment to its customers in the Netherlands − a disappointing judgment showing the need for better rules.

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January 17, 2013 · Blogs

US lobbying against the data protection reform intensifies

The United States authorities have produced another lobbying document to influence the European Union’s decision making on European citizens’ fundamental right to privacy and data protection. Strangely, the document itself is not on headed paper and contains no authorship information. All of the lobbying documents produced so far have been in support of the positions […]

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October 19, 2016 · Blogs

Shadow regulations – unfair and undemocratic

Shadow Regulations are voluntary agreements between companies (sometimes described as codes, principles, standards, or guidelines) to regulate your use of the internet, often without your knowledge.

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April 20, 2022 · Blogs | Data protection standards | Privacy and confidentiality

UK High Court rules blanket seizure of asylum seekers’ phones breached Article 8 ECHR

On 25 March 2022, the UK High Court ruled that the Home Office acted unlawfully and breached human rights and data protection laws by operating a secret, blanket policy of seizing, retaining and extracting data from the mobile phones of asylum seekers arriving by small boat to UK shores between April and November 2020.

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November 17, 2021 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Online tracking industry / AdTech | Platform regulation | Surveillance and data retention

Platform Regulation: Key takeways from Haugen’s hearing

On 8 November 2021, Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, participated in a hearing of the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO). While her testimony brought extremely important insights into Facebook’s opaque operations, it also showed that Haugen’s thinking of what the digital world in Europe should look like is influenced by her expertise in data science rather than public policy, as well as by her professional experience working with Silicon Valley’s centralised mega-platforms.

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