Privacy and data protection

March 27, 2020 · Open letters | Privacy and data protection | 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.

March 25, 2020 · Document pools | Open internet and inclusive technology | Biometrics

Facial Recognition & Biometric Mass Surveillance: Document Pool

Despite evidence that public facial recognition and other forms of biometric mass surveillance infringe on a wide range EU fundamental rights, European authorities and companies are deploying these systems at a rapid rate. This has happened without proper consideration for how such practices invade people's privacy on an enormous scale; amplify existing inequalities; and undermine democracy, freedom and justice.

March 20, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Disinformation and electoral interference

EDRi calls for fundamental rights-based responses to COVID-19

Some of the actions taken by governments and businesses under exceptional Coronavirus circumstances today, can have significant repercussions on freedom of expression, privacy and other human rights both today and tomorrow.

March 16, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards

Terrorist Content Online Regulation: Time to get things right

Closed-door negotiations (“trilogues”) on the Regulation to prevent the dissemination of terrorist content continue in Brussels. After our open letter from December things have moved on fairly slowly at first, but, recently, new texts are quickly being discussed in order to try to reach an agreement soon. Nonetheless, according to MEP Patrick Breyer, many key issues remain open for discussion.

March 11, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Biometrics

Stuck under a cloud of suspicion: Profiling in the EU

As facial recognition technologies are gradually rolled out in police departments across Europe, anti-racism groups blow the whistle on the discriminatory over-policing of racialised communities linked to the increasing use of new technologies by law enforcement agents.

March 11, 2020 · On the ground | Privacy and data protection | Profiling practices

Germany: Invading refugees’ phones – security or population control?

In its new study, EDRi member Society for Civil Rights (GFF) examines how German authorities sniff out refugees’ phones. The aim of “data carrier evaluation” is supposed to be determining a person’s identity and their country of origin. However, in reality, it violates refugees’ rights and does not produce any meaningful results.

March 11, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI)

Accountable Migration Tech: Transparency, governance and oversight

Migration continues to dominate headlines around the world. For example, given the currently deteriorating situation at the border between Greece and Turkey, with reports of increasingly repressive measures to turn people away, new technologies already play a part in border surveillance and decision-making at the border.

March 11, 2020 · On the ground | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards

Security Information Service wins the Czech Big Brother Awards

The Czech Big Brother Award (BBA) 2019 winners are the Czech Security Information Service (BIS), the antivirus company Avast, and the energy company PRE. Positive prize of Edward Snowden went to the city of Prague.

March 4, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Cross border access to data

E-evidence and human rights: The Parliament is not quite there yet

The European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) is currently busy working out a compromise between its different political groups in order to establish a common position on the “e-evidence” Regulation.

February 26, 2020 · Highlights | Privacy and data protection | Biometrics

ECtHR: UK Police data retention scheme violated the right to privacy

February 26, 2020 · Blogs | Open internet and inclusive technology | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Biometrics | Inclusive technologies | Profiling practices | Surveillance and data retention

Immigration, iris-scanning and iBorderCTRL

Technologies like automated decision-making, biometrics, and unpiloted drones are increasingly controlling migration and affecting millions of people on the move. This second blog post in our series on AI and migration highlights some of these uses, to show the very real impacts on people’s lives, exacerbated by a lack of meaningful governance and oversight mechanisms […]

February 26, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Cross border access to data | Data protection standards | Surveillance and data retention

Click here to allow notifications in cross-border access to data

From a fundamental rights perspective, it’s essential that the proposal enabling cross-border access to data for criminal proceedings (“e-evidence”) includes a notification mechanism. However, this requirement of a notification seems to be out of the question for those advocating for “efficiency” of cross-border criminal investigations, even if that means abandoning the most basic procedural safeguards […]