fundamental rights

April 15, 2020 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Artificial intelligence (AI)

COVID-Tech: Emergency responses to COVID-19 must not extend beyond the crisis

In EDRi's new series on COVID-19, we will explore the critical principles for protecting fundamental rights while curtailing the spread of the virus, as outlined in the EDRi network's statement on the virus. Each post in this series will tackle a specific issue at the intersection of digital rights and the global pandemic in order to explore broader questions about how to protect fundamental rights in a time of crisis.

April 15, 2020 · On the ground | Information democracy | Freedom of expression online

Control ©: defending free online communication through litigation

Former Member of the European Parliament Felix Reda has joined the EDRi member German Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF, Society for Civil Rights). The copyright reform activist will coordinate control ©, a new project to defend freedom of communication.

April 1, 2020 · Press releases | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards

Press Release: EDRi calls for fundamental rights-based responses to COVID-19

April 1, 2020 · On the ground | Privacy and data protection | Biometrics

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.

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 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 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.

February 20, 2019 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards

FRA and EDPS: Terrorist Content Regulation requires improvement for fundamental rights

On 12 February 2019, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published an Opinion regarding the Regulation on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online. In the same day, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) submitted its comments on the topic to the responsible committee in the European Parliament. These two texts complement EDRi’s […]

October 31, 2017 · Blogs | Privacy and data protection | Data protection standards

Surveillance laws fall far short of fundamental rights standards

On 23 October, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published the second volume of its study on surveillance and its impact on fundamental rights. This study comes following the request of the European Parliament (EP) for information on the consequences of surveillance for fundamental rights. The Agency notes that “the mere existence of […]

January 13, 2015 · Blogs

Privacy Camp: Big data and ever increasing state surveillance

As every year, EDRi is co-organising a privacy camp for civil society as a warm-up event for the CPDP conference. The event will discuss big data and every increasing state surveillance and the sessions will focus on privacy and data protection challenges and possibilities in Europe. It will take place on Tuesday, 20 January 2015 […]

October 22, 2014 · Blogs

Balancing rights (unless we are talking about copyright)

Recently Google was asked (spiced up with a threat of a 100 million dollar lawsuit) by an attorney representing “over a dozen” celebrities to take down pictures of his clients which had been hacked from their respective iCloud accounts and published in different websites. Google quickly reacted removing those pictures from its blogging and social […]