April 1, 2020 · On the ground | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Biometrics | Surveillance and data retention

Facial recognition: Homo Digitalis calls on Greek DPA to speak up

In the spring of 2019, the Hellenic Police signed a €4 million contract with Intracom Telecom, a global telecommunication systems and solutions vendor, for a smart policing project. Seventy five percent of the project is funded by the Internal Security Fund (ISF) 2014-2020 of the European Commission.

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March 1, 2023 · Blogs | Campaigns | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Surveillance and data retention

European Commission must have greater ambition in combating sexual violence

Last year, the European Commission made a far-reaching proposal to protect children against sexual violence. But a study by Delft University shows that there is a lot wrong with the substantiation of the proposal.

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September 10, 2020 · Blogs | Open internet and inclusive technology | Freedom of expression online | Inclusive technologies | Online tracking industry / AdTech | Surveillance and data retention

Digital Services Act: what we learned about tackling the power of digital platforms

A year into EDRi’s policy and advocacy efforts to improve the DSA, we take stock of our efforts in mapping challenges and successes in enabling positive change.

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November 12, 2020 · Campaigns | Highlights | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Biometrics | Surveillance and data retention | Transparency

Campaign “Reclaim Your Face” calls for a Ban on Biometric Mass Surveillance

Civil society across Europe launches the “Reclaim Your Face” campaign, demanding that local and national authorities  listen to their communities about the serious risks of using facial recognition and other biometric technologies in public spaces. The newly formed coalition calls to ban biometric mass surveillance, in reaction to the rapid and secretive roll out of invasive and unlawful technologies by police forces and local authorities in many European countries.

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November 17, 2021 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Online tracking industry / AdTech | Platform regulation | Surveillance and data retention

Platform Regulation: Key takeways from Haugen’s hearing

On 8 November 2021, Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, participated in a hearing of the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO). While her testimony brought extremely important insights into Facebook’s opaque operations, it also showed that Haugen’s thinking of what the digital world in Europe should look like is influenced by her expertise in data science rather than public policy, as well as by her professional experience working with Silicon Valley’s centralised mega-platforms.

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December 14, 2022 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Privacy and confidentiality | Profiling practices | Surveillance and data retention

Update: UK’s Online Safety Bill heralds a trio of surveillance

The UK’s Online Safety Bill was back in the Westminster Parliament in December It had been stalled for five months whilst the new British government made a few changes. A Parliamentary debate on Monday (5 December 2022) revealed the shift in policy direction for the first time. It’s a relatively small change with big implications. Read more about the changes.

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October 21, 2020 · Blogs | Campaigns | Highlights | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Biometrics | Surveillance and data retention

Attention EU regulators: we need more than AI “ethics” to keep us safe

In this post, Access Now and European Digital Rights (EDRi) analyse recent developments in the EU AI debate and explain why we need a bold, bright-line approach that prioritises our fundamental rights.

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January 10, 2018 · Blogs

2018: Important consultations for your Digital Rights!

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

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September 10, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Profiling practices | Surveillance and data retention

Down with (discriminating) systems

Amidst a particularly hectic time for digital rights policy in Europe, there remains a large elephant in the room.

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April 1, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Privacy and confidentiality | Surveillance and data retention

Surveillance by default: PATRIOT Act extended?

On 15 March, Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act, and several other similar legal provisions, were due to expire and begin the process of reform and review to incorporate new legal protections of privacy. However, as a result of a coordinated effort by both chambers of the US Congress, the provisions may be extended for at least 77 days.

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June 8, 2021 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Cross border access to data | Surveillance and data retention

Civil society warn against rushed global treaty for intrusive cross-border police powers

European Digital Rights (EDRi), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and 40 other civil society organisations urge the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Parliamentary Committee (PACE) to give them more time to provide much-needed analysis and feedback on the flawed cross border surveillance treaty recently approved by its Cybersecurity Committee (T-CY).

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January 10, 2018 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards | Surveillance and data retention

ePrivacy proposal undermined by EU Member States

The discussions on the ePrivacy Regulation continue in the European Union (EU) legislative process. They were on hold for a few weeks because of ongoing negotiations on the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) – another big “telecoms” file that the Council of the European Union is working on.

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