October 20, 2021 · Blogs | On the ground | Information democracy | Transparency

You Shall Not Pass! Wikimedia Foundation Denied Observer Status At WIPO

China blocked the Wikimedia Foundation’s bid for observer status at WIPO. This is the second time this has happened after the Foundation’s initial application in 2020. Wikimedia’s exclusion sets a worrying precedent and should alert European lawmakers who are concerned about the democratic governance of intergovernmental organizations. EDRi's member Wikimedia Germany sheds some light on the case.

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October 20, 2021 · Blogs | Open internet and inclusive technology | Inclusive technologies

Top system and the right to repair

Some questions take thirty years to answer, even if just partially. In the early ’90s of the previous century, the EU legislative process was a battleground of American tech behemoths and some national champions from the EU. The legislative dossier was what was to become the 1991 Software Directive. And it was seen as an opportunity for European tech companies and others to break the hegemony of IBM through interoperability.

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January 14, 2019 · Blogs | Information democracy | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Freedom of expression online | Privacy and confidentiality

2019: Important consultations for your Digital Rights!

Public consultations are an opportunity to influence future legislation at an early stage, in the European Union and beyond. They are your opportunity to help shaping a brighter future for digital rights, such as your right to a private life, data protection, or your freedom of opinion and expression.

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December 15, 2021 · Blogs | Open internet and inclusive technology | Freedom of expression online | Platform regulation | Transparency

Digital Services Act: EU Parliament’s key committee rejects a filternet but concerns remain

The European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) is a big deal. It's the most significant reform of Europe’s internet platform legislation in twenty years and the EU Commission has proposed multiple new rules to address the challenges brought by the increased use of services online. EU members of Parliament (MEPs) showed that they listened to civil society voices: Even though the key committee on internal market affairs (IMCO) did not follow the footsteps of the ambitious DSA reports from last year, MEPs took a stance for the protection of fundamental rights.

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February 7, 2024 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Surveillance and data retention

A complete U-turn in jurisprudence: HADOPI and the future of the Court of Justice of the European Union’s authority

This blog post argues that, if followed by the Court, the interpretation proposed by the AG would lead to a severe weakening of the CJEU’s authority and legitimacy, more generally. This would be of great symbolic significance in an already challenging environment for the Court which is faced with increasing defiance of Member States in the field of data protection.

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January 30, 2012

The EDRi Papers

—————————— Previous publications:

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December 19, 2014 · Blogs

EDRi Awards 2014

For the first time this year and with great solemnity, EDRi presents its first annual awards. 1. The “Humpty Dumpty Award” for the most silly “statistics”. Winner: Deutsche Telekom, for its “One Million Cyber Attacks per day”. This statistic was not plagiarised by any of DT’s employees. Honourable Mention: TERA for its “study” on losses […]

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June 13, 2018 · Blogs | Information democracy | Freedom of expression online

Censorship – don’t look left or right. Look ahead, look behind!

There is discussion about arbitrary censorship of our freedom of expression in every possible policy area these days.

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September 10, 2020 · On the ground | Information democracy | Freedom of expression online | Platform regulation | Surveillance and data retention | Transparency

First Analysis of the Austrian Anti-Hate Speech Law (NetDG/KoPlG)

On September 3rd the Austrian government released a legislative package to tackle online hate speech. Besides a comprehensive justice reform, the package also contains a bill that creates new obligations for online platforms to remove illegal user-generated content. This article offers a first analysis of the so called Kommunikationsplattformen-Gesetz (KoPl-G) and the many similarities it has to the German Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (NetzDG).

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September 10, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Privacy and confidentiality | Surveillance and data retention

Keep private communications private

On 27 July, the European Commission published a Communication on a EU strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Communication indicates that messaging services (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger…) may see their privacy protections undermined under new legislation that will be proposed this week.

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December 9, 2020 · Blogs | Information democracy | Open internet and inclusive technology | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Biometrics | Data protection standards | Surveillance and data retention

Looking back at digital rights in the era of a surveillance pandemic

2020 started as a year to build momentum to tackle various digital rights issues, including mass surveillance and freedom of expression online. Needless to say, the global pandemic disrupted not only these efforts but also our health, personal relations, basic survival needs and ways to organise around human rights. After 9 months of living and working in a pandemic, we look back at what we achieved and the ways forward from here.

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November 25, 2022

Open Future Salon #2. Launch of Paradox of Open: Responses

The essays tackle the paradox from multiple perspectives, looking at such issues as risks of underestimating openness, public memory, creative communities, social justice in the context of open, web3, and the legacy – and continuation – of the copyright wars.

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