Freedom of expression online
Filter resources
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59% of polled EU citizens decry anti-terror upload filters. You should too.
Following disruptions due to the COVID-19 crisis, the negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers on the Terrorist Content Regulation are resuming this week.
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The new and improved EDRi-gram
The EDRi-gram that you know and love has received a facelift! Welcome to EDRi-gram 2.0. We know that change can be hard but we hope that you are as excited as we are to take the newsletter and EDRi’s efforts to the next level.
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Upload filters? Still no, thanks
Together with thousands of protestors, EDRi has fought against mandatory upload filters in the Copyright Directive. Despite the Directive having been adopted, including the infamous Article 13 (now 17) that could lead to upload filters, the Directive allows for some flexibility to prevent the worst impacts on our freedom of expression.
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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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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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European Commission derails copyright reform in South Africa
Last year, the South African parliament adopted a progressive new copyright bill that would have drastically improved access to educational materials, introduced a fair use exception, implemented the Marrakesh treaty for the benefit of people who are blind or print disabled, and strengthened the negotiating positions of authors and performers in their negotiations with publishers.
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The threat on OTF as a wake up call for European digital sovereignty
Around 2 billion people in 60 countries are able to use the internet securely and without risks of being surveilled or censored. And all of this, thanks to the work done by a non-profit called Open Tech Fund (OTF) for only 15 million dollars a year. However, all of this may be over soon.
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French Avia law declared unconstitutional: what does this teach us at EU level?
On 18 June, the French Constitutional Council, the constitutional authority in France, declared the main provisions of the “Avia law” unconstitutional. France’s legislation on hate speech was adopted in May despite being severely criticised from nearly all sides: the European Commission, the Czech Republic, digital rights organisations and LBGTQI+, feminist and antiracist organisations.
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Open Letter: ending gag lawsuits in Europe – protecting democracy and fundamental rights
The European Digital Rights network joined 118 civil society organisations from across the globe in signing an open letter (the latest act of a longstanding movement) addressing the need to end gag lawsuits that threaten the public interest by allowing powerful actors to silence those that would speak against them.
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More than the sum of our parts: a strategy for the EDRi Network
It took over a year. From an EDRi members’ survey in early 2019 to the vote by the (online) General Assembly of members at the end of April 2020. In those months we held workshops, webinars, calls, several rounds of comments, draft iterations and about 50 consultations.
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German Constitutional Court stops mass surveillance abroad
The German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has so far been able to spy on foreign citizens abroad en masse and without cause—even on sensitive groups such as journalists.
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Hungary: “Opinion police” regulate Facebook commentaries
There have been a number of critical news reports from around the world stating that Hungary’s COVID-19 state-of-emergency legislation is “creating a chilling effect”. Such headlines miss the mark somewhat, as chilling effects are far from new.
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