August 18, 2021 · Blogs | Campaigns | Open internet and inclusive technology | Biometrics | Inclusive technologies

Roma & Sinti rights, Resistance & Facial Recognition: RYF in Conversation…

For communities that have been historically sidelined, the promises of digitalisation can instead become a vessel for yet more discrimination and unequal treatment. Facial recognition in particular has a sinister and dark history which links to the persecution of Romani communities. If you missed our webinar on Roma and Sinti rights and the rise of facial recognition across Europe, you can catch up here and learn what the digital rights community can and should do!

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November 16, 2022 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Online tracking industry / AdTech | Platform regulation

The DSA fails to reign in the most harmful digital platform businesses – but it is still useful

The Digital Services Act (DSA) adopted by the European Parliament on 5 July 2022 was lauded by some as creating a “constitution for the internet” and a European response to the “digital wild west” created by Silicon Valley. But the DSA is far from perfect and much will depend on how well the new regulation is going to be implemented and enforced.

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May 27, 2024 · Blogs | Open internet and inclusive technology | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Biometrics | Surveillance and data retention

How to fight Biometric Mass Surveillance after the AI Act: A legal and practical guide

The EU's Artificial Intelligence Act has been adopted, laying out an in-principle ban on live mass facial recognition and other public biometric surveillance by police. Yet the wide exceptions to this ban may pave the way to legitimise the use of these systems. This living guide, for civil society organisations, communities and activists, charts a human rights-based approach for how to keep resisting biometric mass surveillance practices now and in the future

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March 15, 2006

What's so special about French EUCD transposition?

With its succession of coups de theatre, the pathetic show of the French EUCD transposition (DADVSI draft law) is going on. After the surprising adoption, on Christmas Eve, of an amendment legalising the exchange of music and video files on the Internet as private copies, compensated by a monthly fee (‘global license’) collected by ISPs […]

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April 12, 2006

Article 29 asks for safeguards on data retention

Article 29 Data Protection Working Party has adopted its opinion on data retention directive as adopted by the Council on 21 February 2006, pointing out major criticism to the adoption and to the present text agreed by the Parliament. The Working Party recalls its previous concerns and reservations expressed in its last Opinion 113 of […]

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December 20, 2006

Biometric scanning is being tested in Heathrow Airport

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) A biometric scanning system called miSense started to be used as a trial on December 2006 at Heathrow Airport, as part of the International Air Transport Association’s Simplifying Passenger Travel Programme. The system allows passengers to scan their passport and right index finger, creating an electronic key […]

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September 12, 2007

US gains new advantages in the EU-USA PNR agreement

In some recently published documents, Statewatch revealed that very soon after the EU-USA agreement on PNR (passenger name record) was signed on 28 June 2007, the US government announced some changes in its Privacy Act that give exemptions from responding to request for personal information held to DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and ATS (Automated […]

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December 19, 2007

Online media regulation in Ukraine

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) A public workshop held in Ukraine on 12 December 2007 was aimed to discuss the issues regarding the regulation of the new online media. The workshop was organised by Internews Ukraine together with the Council of Europe and the National Commission on Freedom of Speech and Development […]

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January 30, 2008

Key privacy concerns in Czech Republik 2007

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) Last year has seen an increased number attempts from government bodies to extend their powers and make it easier to access people’s private information. To name a few, there were legal proposals to increase the number of agencies authorized to access and process electronic communication data collected […]

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May 21, 2008

Google StreetView might breach EU laws

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The European Data Protection Supervisor warned that the StreetView feature of the Google Maps service could breach the EU data protection laws, if they show the pictures taken from the European cities. The StreetView service makes it possible for users of GoogleMaps to see several photos that […]

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December 3, 2008

Parliaments seem to use very little IT technology

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The findings of the World e-Parliament Report 2008 achieved by UNDESA and the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the use of information and communication technologies within 105 parliament assemblies from all over the world were presented on 25 November 2008, at the second high-level meeting of the Board of […]

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October 22, 2003

199 amendments on IP enforcement directive

Last Monday, the European Parliament’s Judicial Affairs Committee (JURI) should have discussed its Report on the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights. But the agenda was so overcrowded that the Rapporteur, French MEP Janelly Fourtou, could only make some introductory remarks before the session was over. Overwhelmed by the large number of 199 amendments the Parliament’s […]

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