Press Release: EU stands up to Big Tech with €120 million fine to X
The European Commission took aim at X for breaking the DSA, proof that Europe’s landmark law can bite. Despite political pressure and corporate pushback, the EU is showing that online platforms can and will be held accountable for practices that mislead users, cause harm, or undermine democracy.
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Press Release: EU stands up to Big Tech with €120 million fine to X
The European Commission took aim at X for breaking the DSA, proof that Europe’s landmark law can bite. Despite political pressure and corporate pushback, the EU is showing that online platforms can and will be held accountable for practices that mislead users, cause harm, or undermine democracy.
Read more
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Judge grants Meta limited postponement in Bits of Freedom lawsuit
In early October, digital human rights organization Bits of Freedom took Meta to court. The organization demanded that Meta offers its users on in apps such as Instagram and Facebook the option to choose a feed that is not based on profiling. The judge ruled in favour of Bits of Freedom and ordered Meta to modify its apps within two weeks. Meta claimed that such changes were impossible to deliver in that timeframe and asked the Amsterdam Court of Appeal for a postponement. The court has now ruled that Meta will indeed be granted a postponement.
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Why Europe’s new tech laws have the world on edge
Trump and the global far-right are trying to discredit Europe’s tech laws with misinformation and political pressure, fearing that these regulations might disrupt their ability to undermine democracy. If Europe wants to safeguard its democracy and its credibility as a global regulatory leader in tech, the European Commission needs to enforce these laws swiftly and decisively.
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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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