It’s not just spyware scandals: EU is funding the industry that spies on Europeans
Spyware, an extremely potent technology that turns a personal device into a constant surveillance instrument, was used by the Greek secret services to target dozens of people, including journalists, politicians and business executives. The Greek case marks arguably the first time that the executives of a spyware manufacturer – Intellexa, who developed Predator – will face criminal accountability. Although it did not condemn any Greek authorities for using spyware, this victory is heartening. It also leads to a bigger question: what about the EU’s own complicity in funding the market for spyware, even when we recognise the harms it inflicts?
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It’s not just spyware scandals: EU is funding the industry that spies on Europeans
Spyware, an extremely potent technology that turns a personal device into a constant surveillance instrument, was used by the Greek secret services to target dozens of people, including journalists, politicians and business executives. The Greek case marks arguably the first time that the executives of a spyware manufacturer – Intellexa, who developed Predator – will face criminal accountability. Although it did not condemn any Greek authorities for using spyware, this victory is heartening. It also leads to a bigger question: what about the EU’s own complicity in funding the market for spyware, even when we recognise the harms it inflicts?
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Europe shouldn’t “move fast and break things” with fundamental rights
The Digital Omnibus proposals, presented as “simplification,” risk weakening essential safeguards in the GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive, and the AI Act. By reducing protections and delaying obligations for high-risk systems, they introduce a logic reminiscent of the tech industry’s “move fast and break things” approach. In digital infrastructures built on large-scale data processing and automated decision-making, however, mistakes do not simply disappear. They become part of the system. This is why regulation is essential to protect people’s rights.
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Civil society calls for an ambitious Digital Fairness Act on World Consumer Rights Day
On World Consumer Rights Day, EDRi and dozens of other civil society organisations have signed a joint letter urging the European Commission to adopt a strong Digital Fairness Act (DFA). The coalition calls for rules that address manipulative digital business models and protect people from harmful online practices. The letter echoes the recommendations set out in EDRi’s recent policy paper on a rights-based approach to digital fairness.
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Open Letter: We say no to Big Tech mass snooping on our messages!
EDRi and 39 organisations are urging Members of the European Parliament to reject any extension of the the temporary ePrivacy derogration, also known as “Chat Control 1.0”, and to protect the rights that keep us safe from arbitrary snooping in our lives.
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Reopening GDPR and ePrivacy through the Digital Omnibus: a risky path for EU digital rights
EDRi has assessed the Digital Omnibus proposals affecting the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy framework. While presented as simplification, the changes amount to deregulation in effect, weakening fundamental rights safeguards, increasing legal uncertainty, and advancing through a process that falls short of democratic lawmaking standards.
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Statement of solidarity with EDRi members and allies facing pressure for their work on platform regulation
The EDRi network strongly condemns the pressure of the US Trump administration on EDRi members and allies for our work on online platform regulation.
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Open Letter: Civil society concerned about extensive and indiscriminate data retention regime in Switzerland
19 civil society organisations have penned a letter to the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) to express serious concerns about their plans to extend the Swiss Data Retention regime. They call on the Federal Councilor to align Swiss legislation with the highest standards of protection for people’s privacy.
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UK adequacy decision: a risk for the future and a lesson to be learnt
As the UK adequacy renewal comes to an end, EDRi member Open Rights Group reflects on its outcome and the broader implications for the future of EU-UK relatiopnships.
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When data relate to us
The EDPS vs. Single Resolution Board judgment goes to the heart of the EU’s fundamental right to data protection, shaping how artificial intelligence, data spaces and so-called privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) will be governed in practice. The ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) arrives at a crucial time to reiterate what counts as personal data, reinforcing the importance of the protection that the GDPR was designed to guarantee.
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Press Release: Commission’s Digital Omnibus is a major rollback of EU digital protections
Today the European Commission has published two Digital Omnibus proposals, reopening the EU’s core protections against harm in the digital age. This step risks dismantling the rules-based system that was hard-won over decades, endangering the very foundation of human rights and tech policy in the EU.
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Why the Digital Omnibus puts GDPR and ePrivacy at risk
On 19 November, the European Commission has published two Omnibus proposals: one that rewrites key parts of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ePrivacy rules, along with other data-related laws, and another that amends the AI Act. This article focuses on the first proposal. It explains how the changes would weaken core rights to data protection and the confidentiality of communications, and why the combined effect risks reshaping long-standing safeguards for people in the EU.
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Budget cuts incapacitate Austrian DPA: NGOs complaint to the EU Commission
Despite its growing responsibilities, the Austrian Data Protection Authority continues to be impaired by budget cuts. epicenter.works and noyb are filing a complaint with the European Commission about Austria not fulfilling its obligations of sufficiently funding its data protection authority and leaving millions of Austrians to deal with consequences of limited access to the fundamental right to data protection.
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