Digital Rights Weekly | December 13 - 17

Thu Dec 16 23:03:20 CET 2021

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Please note, Team CommUNITY will be closed from Tuesday, December 21,
2021 to Sunday January 2nd 2022. We will be back at work from Monday
January 3rd, 2022.  We wish all our readers a peaceful and happy time
over the break!

### TCU Update ###

1. We Wish you a Peaceful New Year’s Eve!!!

We hope that all of you have a restorative break, to help bring in
2022 with fresh energy. This year has been incredibly tough for
everyone, and taking time off is so important for our movements,
communities, and families. May your end of year have magical glitter,
love, and great food.

Need a good read? Check out these awesome articles on glitter to start

The History of Glitter
https://www.vice.com/en/article/3dxmp3/the-history-of-glitter

Glitter: A Brief History
https://nymag.com/shopping/features/38914/

15 Shimmering Questions About Glitter, Answered
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71034/15-shimmering-questions-about-glitter-answered

2. Is the IFF Happening?

This is the question we have continuously received since the start of
the pandemic. This is because it is less of an event, and more where
people go to connect, build solidarity, and recharge their morale. We
have an answer to this, but we also think the questions should be:

1) What is being done to ensure that community spaces and events
continue happening post Covid-19?

 2) What are we doing to continue to grow the community by onboarding
and empowering new voices?

Our answer is long for a reason. Take time to read through the blog
post that we crafted with a lot of love and care:

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/is-the-iff-going-to-happen

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Digital Rights Foundation Launches the Hamara Internet Campaign

Hamara Internet is a campaign by Digital Rights Foundation that seeks
to acknowledge the increasing trend of online violence against women
and technology-related abuse. The campaign is committed to building a
movement to promote a free and secure digital environment where women
can participate freely.

https://hamarainternet.org/

2.  Digital Rights Defender Represents at Broadband Breakfast

Jessica Dheere, director of New America’s Ranking Digital Rights
program, attended a a panel hosted by Broadband Breakfast, a media
company advocating for higher capacity internet everywhere. She shared
her thoughts on how surveillance-based business models are negatively
impacting consumers’ digital rights. Dheere’s remarks come as experts
have recently called for the Federal Trade Commission to take action
on internet service providers’ privacy practices.

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/2021/12/accountability-is-first-step-to-ensuring-data-privacy-protecting-human-rights-expert-says/

3. CRD Seeking Security Trainers

Civil Rights Defenders are seeking security trainers for frame
agreements to provide training for their partners and networks on
digital security, organizational security, psychosocial
security/resilience, and interrogation resistance. Individuals and
organizations are welcome to apply. Due to the pandemic, we are
especially seeking trainers with experience in organizing remote
events. Deadline is January 31, 2022. Invitation to tender can be
found at h

https://crd.org/2021/12/13/civil-rights-defenders-seeking-digital-security-trainers/

### Digital Rights Resources ###

1. Guidelines for Designing and Planning Online Events

Check out this guide by APC to improve online events. It has a great
collection of best tips, checklists and more.

https://cometogether.apc.org/

### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###

1. Spyware Firm NSO Mulls Shutdown of Pegasus, Sale of Company

NSO Group Ltd., the scandal-plagued spyware company that’s in danger
of defaulting on its debts, is exploring options that include shutting
its controversial Pegasus unit and selling the entire company. NSO
leadership have been hosting talks with several investment funds about
moves that include a refinancing or outright sale.  Pegasus software
can track a user’s mobile phone, and its misuse has landed NSO at the
center of various high-profile privacy and human rights abuse cases.
Various governments have used  Pegasus to spy on political dissidents,
journalists and human rights defenders. It was also recently used to
hack the mobile phones of at least nine US State Department employees.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-13/spyware-firm-nso-mulls-shutdown-of-pegasus-unit-sale-of-company

2. Annual Report of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU Released

The European Commission released its annual report on the application
of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU, which lays out the
challenges of protecting these rights in the digital age. In addition,
an awareness-raising campaign has been launched to help citizen’s
better understand their rights under the Charter. The report tackles
five key policy areas:

1) Tackling the challenges of online moderation
2) Safeguarding fundamental rights where artificial intelligence is used
3) Addressing the digital divide
4) Protecting people working through platforms
5) Supervising digital surveillance.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2249

3. New Funding to Help Free Press in Peril

Press freedom is starting to get more attention from world leaders.
New data suggests that 2021 was yet another record-breaking year where
despots have targeted journalists in record number, through various
means. For example, governments around the world have begun creating
“fake news” laws and other rules meant to silence the press. Needless
to say, press freedoms have faced an unprecedented toll during the
pandemic because of this, especially in poorer nations and in
countries teetering on the edge of democracy. The US President
confirmed this week that the US will invest up to $30 million in a new
initiative, led by news veterans, to protect the free press globally.

https://www.axios.com/press-freedom-journalists-nobel-prize-biden-a5f51ace-5024-4341-a00c-951ff983492d.html

4. Grindr Fined over €6M for Privacy Violations

The Norwegian data protection agency fined dating app Grindr €6.3
million for sharing sensitive personal data with other companies
without users' consent. Grindr is a location-based social networking
and online dating application for gay, bi, trans, and queer people.
This makes this breach of privacy extremely troublesome, since some
individuals using Grindr may not be out in their families and
communities, and/or may face serious repercussions for who they are.
Grindr did not offer an opt out feature, instead making users consent
to share data or else pay for a subscription. This is unacceptable,
since personal data should not be used as a commodity to be sold.
Especially worrisome, Grindr had been sending sensitive personal data
to hundreds of advertising partners, which is documented in detail in
the Norwegian Consumer Council’s “Out of Control” report.

https://noyb.eu/en/ncc-noyb-gdpr-complaint-grindr-fined-eu-63-mio-over-illegal-data-sharing

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### Grants, Fellowships, & Awards ###

The following opportunities are open to individual digital rights
defenders and to organizations. If you would like us to include a
grant, fellowship or award, please email details to
team at digitalrights.community
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Fundraising_Opportunities

Digital Freedom Fund
Deadline: 24 January - 1 March 2022
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/

JustTech Fellowship
The Social Science Research Council
Deadline: 2 January 2022
https://www.ssrc.org/programs/just-tech/just-tech-fellowship/

Regional and Local Micro Grants Fund
Calyx Institute
Deadline: 15 January, 2022,
https://calyxinstitute.org/projects/regional-and-local-microgrant-fund

Internet Freedom Fund
Open Technology Fund
Deadline: Rolling Basis
https://www.opentech.fund/funds/internet-freedom-fund/

Rapid Response Fund
Open Tech Fund
Deadline: Rolling Basis
https://www.opentech.fund/funds/rapid-response-fund/

Rapid Response Fund
Derechos Digitales
Deadline: Rolling Basis
https://www.derechosdigitales.org/sobre-el-fondo-de-respuesta-rapida/

Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights
Deadline: Rolling Basis
https://urgentactionfund.org/

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### Global Events Calendar ###

APAC DNS Forum 2022 First Pre-Event Webinar
September 2021 - February 2022
https://apacdnsforum.my/

Check out a list of our virtual events here:
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Calendar_of_Events

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### NEW Job Opportunities  ###

Below is a short-list of jobs we have been sent in the last week.

You can view the complete list of jobs on the Team CommUNITY Job Board
at: https://www.digitalrights.community/job-board

If you know someone who may be a fit for any one of these jobs, please
forward them this email. Or better yet, have them sign up to receive
more jobs each week:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

✎ Design Research Manager | Wikimedia
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/8148777e1us

✎ Communications Director | Data & Society Research Institute
+ Remote
https://chaloner.com/searches/#!/01b39f06-34af-486b-bb47-1b905c8bf8c0/detail

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### Remember to Sign up for and Share Our Newsletter ###

We hope this information will be helpful and informative as we
continue working together to protect the people who defend human
rights online. If you have any questions or want to learn more about
partnerships, get in touch at team at digitalrights.community.

If you would like to us to include your news, updates, or
opportunities in the newsletter, or if you’ve been forwarded this
email and want to receive it yourself, please sign up at:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

(((Hugs & light)))