Open Letter: The EU weakens the rules that safeguard people and the environment
470 civil society society organisations, trade unions and public interest groups are making it clear to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Commissioners and EU Member States that our rights, planet, health and justice are not for sale. They call on EU lawmakers to protect and promote the rights enshrined in the EU Charter and international human rights law, instead of endangering them.
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Open Letter: The EU weakens the rules that safeguard people and the environment
470 civil society society organisations, trade unions and public interest groups are making it clear to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Commissioners and EU Member States that our rights, planet, health and justice are not for sale. They call on EU lawmakers to protect and promote the rights enshrined in the EU Charter and international human rights law, instead of endangering them.
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Age verification gains traction: the EU risks failing to address the root causes of online harm
Narratives around age verification and restriction of access for minors are gaining traction in the EU, amid similar efforts being pursued in the UK, US and Australia. This blog analyses different EU policy files and warns that relying on age-gating risks undermining more holistic, rights-respecting and effective solutions to online harm.
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Civil society files joint DSA complaint against X for targeting people with ads using their sensitive personal data
Nine civil society organisations, including EDRi, submitted a complaint against X for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) by using people’s sensitive personal data for targeted ads. Together, we are calling for Digital Services Coordinators and the European Commission to promptly investigate X, and hold it to accountable for undermining users’ fundamental rights.
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New research shows online platforms use manipulative design to influence users towards harmful choices
New research by Bits of Freedom investigated social media platforms Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok, and e-commerce platforms Shein, Zalando and Booking.com for their use of manipulative design. The worrying findings indicate that these platforms continue to nfluence the choices of users to their detriment despite being prohibited by laws.
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Six years in court fighting against arbitrary censorship. What about user empowerment promised by the DSA?
Regardless of the final court judgment, this case highlights the urgent need for Poland to implement the DSA. Without its enforcement, users of the largest social media platforms — whether private individuals or CSOs — still stand little chance against the dominance of tech giants.
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Civil society files DSA complaint against Meta for toxic, profiling-fueled feeds
Civil society organisations Bits of Freedom, Convocation Design + Research, European Digital Rights (EDRi), and Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF) are filing a complaint against Meta for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA).
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Surveilling Europe’s edges: when research legitimises border violence
In May 2024, EDRi member Access Now’s Caterina Rodelli travelled across Greece to meet with local civil society organisations supporting migrant people and monitoring human rights violations, and to see first-hand how and where surveillance technologies are deployed at Europe’s borders.
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EDRi files DSA legal complaint against X
EDRi and our member ApTI filed a DSA complaint against social media giant 'X' for breaching its obligations towards Trusted Flaggers.
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12 civil society organisations tell delivery platforms it’s time to deliver answers on how they use algorithms to manage their workers
EDRi member Privacy International and more digital rights groups, together with trade unions, call out food delivery platforms for their algorithmic management of workers. In an open letter co-signed by 12 organisations, they make three clear recommendations for the platforms to improve.
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The Digital Services Coordinator Database: Tracking DSA investigations into Big Tech
EDRi has launched its Digital Services Coordinator Database which provides a comprehensive overview of all enforcement authorities and the cases they have taken against online platforms under the EU’s Digital Services Act.
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Exploring the aftermath of the annulment of Romanian election results – social media platforms, the democratic process, and the role of the DSA
EDRi member ApTI recaps events leading up to and after the annulment of the December 2024 result of the first round of Presidential elections in Romania. Investigations confirm TikTok’s failure to follow European and national electoral law. With the elections set to take place again later this year, ApTI explores the relationship between the discourse on social media platforms, the democratic process and how legislation such as the DSA can act as a safeguard.
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Meta and X are going rogue. Here is what Europe should do now.
With Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and many other tech billionaires cuddling up to an ever more authoritarian Trump administration, it is crucial that the EU sticks to stringent enforcement of its tech laws. However, to solve the core problem, we have to curb the immense grip Big Tech has on our institutions and invest in truly independent digital alternatives.
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