June 29, 2011

EU-US PNR agreement found incompatible with human rights

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [EU-US PNR Abkommen mit Menschenrechten unvereinbar | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.13_PNR_Abkommen_mit_Menschenrechten_unvereinbar?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20110708] In a note sent on 16 May 2011 to the Director-General of DG Home Affairs, the Legal Service of the European Commission warns that the draft EU-US agreement on the exchange of PNR data is not compatible with fundamental rights. […]

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July 4, 2012

European Commission position on Do Not Track

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Do Not Track: Standpunkt der Europäischen Kommission | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.13_Do_Not_Track_Standpunkt_der_Europaeischen_Kommission?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20120704] The European Commission also got engaged in the discussions on the Do Not Track (DNT) at the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) by sending a letter asking W3C to require browser makers to give DNT options to users when they […]

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December 2, 2009

EC changes the openess concept in the draft eGov EIF

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Europäische Kommission ändert Offenheitskonzept im Entwurf des eGov EIF| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1613] A second draft of the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) was recently leaked to the press showing that the European Commission (EC) has decided to take the side of Business Software Alliance (BSA), a lobby group for proprietary software […]

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January 27, 2010

Commissioner Kroes on net neutrality

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Kommissarin Kroes über Netzneutralität | http://www.unwatched.org/node/1678] On 14 January 2010, Neelie Kroes, the former Competition commissioner, had her interview in front of the Internal Market and Industries committees of the European Parliament (EP) as designated for the position of digital agenda commissioner. Answering to the various questions of […]

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March 27, 2020 · Open letters | Privacy and data protection | Cross border access to data | Freedom of expression online | Privacy and confidentiality

Open letter: Civil society urges Member States to respect the principles of the law in Terrorist Content Online Regulation

On 27 March 2020, European Digital Rights (EDRi) and 12 of its member organisations sent an open letter to representatives of Member States in the Council of the EU. In the letter, we voice our deep concern over the proposed legislation on the regulation of terrorist content online and what we view as serious potential threats to fundamental rights of privacy, freedom of expression, etc.

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November 19, 2014 · Blogs

UN calls for balance between privacy and security

In a special discussion at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Flavia Pansieri, the United Nations (UN) Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed her concern about increasing mass surveillance programs conducted by states and private corporations. Ms. Pansieri highlighted the importance of demonstrating that interferences with an individual’s right to privacy are both necessary […]

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October 9, 2019 · Blogs | On the ground | Information democracy | Freedom of expression online | Platform regulation

Content regulation – what’s the (online) harm?

In recent years, the national legislators in EU Member States have been pushing for new laws to combat negative societal phenomena such as hateful or terrorist content online. These regulatory efforts have one common denominator: they shift the focus from conditional intermediary liability to holding intermediaries directly responsible for the dissemination of illegal content on their platforms.

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September 21, 2011

New rules on term of protection of music recordings

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Neue Schutzfristen für Tonaufnahmen | http://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_9.18_Neue_Schutzfristen_fuer_Tonaufnahmen?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20111004] On 12 September 2011, the Council adopted, by a qualified majority, a Directive that extends the term of protection of the rights of performers and phonogram producers on music recordings from 50 to 70 years. According to the Council press release, the […]

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December 1, 2010

Data protection authorities call for a strict EU-US privacy agreement

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [WP29 fordert strenges EU-US Datenschutz-Abkommen | http://www.unwatched.org/node/2390] As the European Commission prepares to conclude a deal with the US on the protection of personal data exchanged in police and criminal justice cooperation matters, the European privacy watchdogs call for a strict and clear privacy agreement. Article 29 Data […]

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February 8, 2017 · Blogs

Dutch Parliament: Safety net for democratic freedoms or sleepnet?

Currently, Dutch parliament is doing everything they can to get a dragnet surveillance bill approved before the elections on 15 March 2017. If they succeed, soon the online communications of Dutch citizens can, on a massive scale, get caught up in the secret services’ dragnet. So what’s happened since the last time we reported to […]

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June 5, 2013 · Blogs

Will the new data protection rules be even weaker than the old ones?

This article is also available in: Deutsch: [Wird das neue Datenschutzgesetz schlechter als das alte? | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_11.11_Wird_das_neue_Datenschutzgesetz_schlechter_als_das_alte?pk_campaign=edri&pk_kwd=20130605] The draft regulation on data protection proposed by the European Commission in January 2012 is being debated by MEPs to decide on de direction of the vote to be taken in the civil liberties committee, possibly at the […]

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February 28, 2007

EPLA found illegal by the EP Legal Service

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar) The Legal Service which advises the European Parliament (EP) on legal issues and acts as its representative in court, found the Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA) as illegal being in direct contradictions with the European law and several EU treaties. The very controversial EPLA, if adopted, would bind […]

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