EDRi-gram, 1 July 2026
What has the EDRi network been up to over the past few weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: The heat is on
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EDRi-gram, 1 July 2026
What has the EDRi network been up to over the past few weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: The heat is on
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Now or never: why the Digital Euro must not fail on privacy
Europe is developing a Digital Euro to reduce its reliance on US-controlled payment systems and give citizens a privacy-friendly digital payment option. Epicenter.works and other civil society groups support the project but argue that strong privacy protections must be built into its technology, not just promised on paper, to ensure public trust and protect fundamental rights. The vote of the ECON Committee signals a move in the right direction, which must not be weakened in the remainder of the legislative process.
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Slovenia’s democracy under siege: An urgent update
Following the March 2026 elections, Slovenia's newly appointed right-wing coalition government – led by Janez Janša in his fourth term – has launched an aggressive crackdown on independent civil society. Janša’s return follows a turbulent campaign marred by the Black Cube scandal involving an Israeli intelligence firm. Now, his administration is moving fast to radicalise politics, using tactics that also threaten broader EU democratic standards. This poses danger to civil society, fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens, and will also have a significant impact on the protection of digital rights in Slovenia.
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EDRi Annual Report 2025: Championing digital rights in the deregulation era
In 2025, the EU entered an era of deregulation in which hard-fought digital rights protections are being diluted. With our long-term vision for digital futures in mind, EDRi's work in 2025 focused on protecting digital rights legislation and advocating for human-centred perspectives. We also adopted our new agile and responsive strategy which will guide our work for the next five years.
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AI Omnibus deal: EU lawmakers should reject a rollback of AI safeguards
On 7 May 2026, EU institutions reached a final deal on the AI Omnibus, a file presented as technical simplification of the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). In practice, the deal delays key protections, weakens transparency and creates a dangerous precedent for the EU digital rulebook. The European Parliament and the Council of the EU should reject it.
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Statement: End complicity with ISS World Europe
ISS World Europe is an annual surveillance industry trade fair where the most invasive technologies for mass surveillance, data harvesting and tracking of individuals are traded and promoted. Such a marketplace for digital repression tools, connected to companies directly involved in war crimes, human rights violations, and the genocide in Gaza, should have no place in the EU. Civil society is calling on the EU to immediately cut ties with ISS World Europe.
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A push back to Czech football club‘s plan to install facial recognition CCTV system
There is a debate in the Czech Republic over the use of facial recognition cameras in stadiums. Both clubs and politicians are calling for biometric surveillance after hundreds of fans stormed the football pitch during a recent match. The debate has unfolded with pushbacks from the public opinion and digital rights groups, including IuRe, while government officials are still considering the implementation of biometric system regardless of their illegality.
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Inside Italy’s low-cost spyware economy
Commercial spyware in Europe has recently made headlines with the now notorious names of Pegasus and Graphite, the expensive, exploitation-driven products at the top end of the market. Much less known is the wide underworld ecosystem of low-cost spyware vendors, often targeting citizens via their smartphones. EDRi member Osservatorio Nessuno has investigated and analysed two separate products, Spyrtacus and Morpheus.
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EDRi-gram, 28 May 2026
What has the EDRi network been up to over the past few weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: May the force be with the digital rights community.
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“Fight for Us, Not for Them”: A Public Interest Vision for EU Tech Policy — programme and new speakers announced
As EU digital policy faces growing pressure from deregulation and “simplification” agendas, civil society experts, lawmakers, regulators, and journalists are coming together in Brussels and online to make the case for a bold public-interest vision of technology policy: one that protects people, communities, democracy, and our fundamental rights.
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Research study: Evaluation of EU’s Law Enforcement Directive shows implementation still fragmented and insufficient
This study commissioned by EDRi analyses the implementation of the Law Enforcement Directive (LED) in five EU Member States. It shows that even eight years after the LED’s entry into application, the implementation of this crucial instrument for digital rights remains fragmented and insufficient.
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Did the EU Parliament really vote not to protect children online?
In April 2026, negotiations on the ‘interim ePrivacy derogation’ fell apart, with several stakeholders claiming that the European Parliament stopped the EU from protecting children. In reality, however, the Parliament’s position aimed to ensure the protection of all fundamental rights without leading to mass surveillance – whereas EU Member States and the Commission proved unwilling to move even an inch on safeguards.
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