Digital Rights Weekly | February 7 - 11

Wed Feb 9 21:21:42 CET 2022

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of February 7 - 11

###  Upcoming Virtual TCU Events ###

February 16 | Africa Monthly Meetup
The Africa Monthly Meetups bring together folks from the African
region to share, connect, support, and celebrate each other.
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/February_16,_2022_,_Africa_Meetup

Upcoming Glitter Meetup "Featured Guests (Every Thursday at 2:00pm UTC)

>>> February 17: Facebook Papers with two special guests: dkg, part of the small group of establishing guidelines for an accountable review of documents prior to publication; and b) Dia Kayyali, Associate Director for Advocacy at Mnemonic. https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/February_17_2022_GM

>>> February 24: The Pluggable Transports (PT) crew will run their monthly gathering. PTs are used to circumvent internet censorship, and are a key part of the growing circumvention technology environment. Users, developers and overall PT enthusiasts are welcome!
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/February_24_2022_GM

>>> March 24: The WikiRate team will share info about their open data platform that allows anyone to systematically gather, analyze and report publicly-available information on corporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices.
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/March_24_2022_GM

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Privacy Advocates are Decamping to Big Tech, and TCU’s Research May
Point to a Continued Trend in this Area

A growing number of experienced civil liberties and privacy activists
have taken jobs at major tech companies in recent years, even as the
data collection and practices of tech companies and the government
come under increasing scrutiny. According to analysis carried out by
Emily and Daniel Lippman, at least nine high-level advocates who
focused on government surveillance, data ethics and privacy have left
civil society to join big tech since 2019. Depending on who you ask,
that’s either a win for privacy advocates, who want like-minded people
in the rooms where big decisions are made, or a serious loss of
expertise for an already small civil liberties community. Many of the
retention struggles are also connected to the fact that funding is
drying up in a post-Snowden world.

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2022/02/08/civil-liberties-advocates-decamp-to-tech-industry-00006569

Team CommUNITY’s 2020 Community Health Report hints to a possible
trend of increasing talent loss in coming years. Of the people
surveyed , 72.1% reported experiencing stress in response to toxicity
in professional settings in the digital rights space because of
persistent, unequal power dynamics that obstruct diversity and
inclusion and result in a weakening of healthy relationships within
communities. In addition, loss of financial security was one of the
biggest stressors identified in 2020, in part because of funding
challenges.

Leaders in the digital rights community will need to make changes in
coming years to help curtail this trend, particularly considering how
difficult it is becoming to onboard new talent. In our upcoming
report, we will be providing recommendations to organizational
leaders. Stay tuned!

2. Survey Looking at Caste Discrimination in Tech

Equality Labs is conducting a survey on caste discrimination in tech,
looking for folks that can help distribute the survey widely.
Specifically, they are hoping to get participants who identify as
South Asian and work in tech.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/castetwitter

3. Restrictions to Circumvention Tools in Venezuela

Vesinflitro is reporting new blocks to four news organizations that
affected people using six different ISPs on top of the 35 news sites
being blocked during a recent election. In addition, the following
services continue to be blocked to various degrees: VPN provider
Tunnelbear, Psiphon’s main website, psiphon.ca, VPN protocol IKEv2,
and Tor. Vesinflitro is also providing a list of DNS servers that are
being blocked or limited, as well as recommendations for users.

https://vesinfiltro.com/noticias/2022-02-07-restriction-circumvention-tools/

4. EFF to Appeals: Apple’s Monopoly Doesn’t Make Users Safer

In the antitrust case Epic Games v. Apple, Epic Games, the creator of
Fortnite, sued Apple for antitrust violations relating to its App
Store policies, stating that Apple has an illegal monopoly in iOS app
distribution. However, the court ruled that Apple’s ability to wield
monopoly power is checked by competition from Android. Many internet
freedom advocates believe the court got it wrong. As a result, EFF,
along with attorneys from Constantine Cannon, has filed an amicus
brief siding with Epic Games in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit, explaining that the trial court’s decision was contrary to
law and did not reflect the reality of mobile software distribution.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/02/eff-appeals-apples-monopoly-doesnt-make-users-safer

5. Qubes 4.1 is Finally Released

At long last, the Qubes 4.1.0 stable release has arrived! The
culmination of years of development, this release brings a host of new
features, major improvements, and numerous bug fixes. Among them are
continuous integration (CI), which automates and improves several
aspects of the development process, and reproducible builds, which
improves the security of the build and verification process.

https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2022/02/04/qubes-4-1-0/

6. NEW Signal Feature

Signal  is now providing the ability for users to change the phone
number on their Signal account, while retaining all of their chats,
profile information and groups. This is an amazing update that
individuals have been requesting for some time!

https://signal.org/blog/change-number/

### NEW CALLS FOR PROPOSALS: FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS AND MORE! ##
This week we received a number of fellowship opportunities! Make sure
to check out our Grants, Fellowships, & Awards section listed below as
well.

1. Apply to the Internet of Rights Fellowship

ARTICLE 19's Team Digital is looking for public interest advocates to
join their 2022-2023 Internet of Rights (IoR) Fellowship cohort. The
12-month fellowship, which begins in April 2022, has three tracks:
Censorship, Connectivity, and Datafication. Besides conducting
research, the program will support fellow’s participation in internet
governance bodies. Deadline for applications is March 2, 2022.

https://www.article19.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Call-for-Applications-2022-IoR-Fellowship.pdf

2. Submit a Nomination for the 2022 ICFJ Knight International Journalism Awards

The International Center for Journalists is seeking nominations for
the 2022 ICFJ Knight International Journalism Awards. The center is
looking for nominees whose pioneering coverage or media innovations
have had a significant impact on the lives of people around the world.
Candidates can be reporters, editors, technologists, media managers or
citizen journalists. You can also nominate yourself! Deadline is 11:59
pm Eastern time on Sunday, February 20, 2022.

https://www.tfaforms.com/4958510

3. King’s College London Offering Three PhD Scholarships for
International Students from Africa.

Three full PhD scholarships are available for 2022/23 entry,
supporting international students from Africa in undertaking full-time
doctoral research degrees (PhDs) at King's College,London.

The topic of the PhD must be clearly relevant to the continent of
Africa. Interdisciplinary projects are especially encouraged, and all
projects must fall at the intersection of two or more of the following
themes or disciplines: Conflict, Peace and Security, Global Health,
Development and Digital Technology.

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study-legacy/funding/africa-international-pgr-scholarships

4. Applications Open for ReclaimYourFace BootCamp

If you are a member of a community excessively affected by biometric
mass surveillance, you may be interested in this bootcamp. It will
provide individuals training on biometric mass surveillance, data
protection, and European Citizens' Initiatives (ECIs), as well as tips
for engaging people on the streets.

https://reclaimyourface.eu/bootcamp/

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###  TCU Updates ###

Just a reminder, you can post your openings directly to our Job Board
here: https://www.digitalrights.community/job-board

Also, you can send us your news items using this form:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

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### Digital Rights Resources ###

1. Information Security and Journalism: Mapping a Nascent Research Field

With the growing number of digital attacks and surveillance operations
targeting journalists, the issue of information security has become
even more crucial for the field. Check out this recent study by Philip
Di Salvo, who examines how journalism studies approach the use of
encryption and information security tools for journalistic purposes.
The article also provides an overview of research advancements,
highlighting current major trends and research areas.

https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/soc4.12961

2. March 9 Online Lecture With Nobel Prize Laureate & Scientists for Palestine

Join professor George Smith, a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, as he
presents “The Virology of Ideas — An Indispensable Pandemic”. Hosted
by Scientists for Palestine, the online lecture likens ideas, or
cultural innovations, to viruses, in that both proliferate through a
community infection, and are subject to massive random variations and
ruthless natural selection as they spread. In addition, the lecture
focuses on how injury to any part of the global cultural community,
such as Israel has inflicted on Palestine, is an injury to the entire
global community. As such, liberation from such injuries is a cultural
as much as a political and moral imperative.

https://www.scientists4palestine.com/webinar-the-virology-of-ideas--a-beneficial-pandemic/

3. What is Emotional Tax?

Employees of color pay an emotional tax at work when they feel they
must be on guard to protect against bias. These harmful experiences
occur both inside and outside the workplace and prevent employees from
being able to truly thrive at work. Check out Catalyst’s new research
series on this phenomena, and learn how you can mitigate negative
impact on your team or organization.

https://www.catalyst.org/research-series/emotional-tax/

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

1. Exposed Documents Reveal how the Powerful Clean up their Digital
Past Using a Reputation Laundering Firm

Documents viewed by Rest of World shed light on the reputation
management industry, revealing how Eliminalia and companies like it
may use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and
obscure articles linking clients to allegations of tax avoidance,
corruption, and drug trafficking. In February 2021, Qurium, an
organization that provides secure web hosting services for human
rights organizations and independent news outlets, received such a
request.

https://restofworld.org/2022/documents-reputation-laundering-firm-eliminalia/

2. Call for Cities to Pilot First Digital Rights Framework

A call is now open to find cities to pilot a new digital rights
governance framework. The initiative from the Cities Coalition for
Digital Rights, UN-Habitat, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
and Eurocities, in partnership with Open Society Foundations, aims to
help cities put the commitments, structures and tools in place to
ensure new technology does not outpace citizens’ rights.

https://citiesfordigitalrights.org/opencall

3. Characterizing People’s Most Recent Online Harassment Experience

Check out the Pew Research Center’s most recent findings:  Among the
41% of Americans who report ever being harassed online, about a third
(34%) say their most recent experience involved more severe forms of
harassment. About a fifth of people aged between 18 to 29 who have
been targeted online say their most recent experience involved
physical threats.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/01/08/characterizing-peoples-most-recent-online-harassment-experience/

4. IRS Cancels Plan to use Facial Recognition on Millions of Taxpayers

The United States’ Internal Revenue Service will no longer use
third-party facial recognition technology on millions of Americans who
use the agency’s website to pay taxes or access documents.This is a
huge win for privacy advocates who warned systems using selfies to
verify identity often misidentified black and brown faces and
increased theft risks.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/07/us-lawmakers-urge-irs-halt-plan-facial-recognition-millions-taxpayers

5. Kazakhstan’s Internet Shutdown is the Latest Episode in an Ominous
Trend: Digital Authoritarianism

Information technology has been increasingly weaponized against
civilian populations, including by cutting off the essential service
of internet access. It’s part of an ominous trend of governments
taking control of internet access and content to assert authoritarian
control over what citizens see and hear. The number of internet
shutdowns is on the rise, from 56 times in 2016 to over 80 times in
2017 and at least 155 blackouts documented in 29 countries in 2020.

https://bigthink.com/the-present/internet-shutdown-digital-authoritarianism/

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### The Health & Wellbeing Corner ###

// This corner is authored by Selma Zaki, TCU’s Director of Community
Mental Health //

The thoughts that show up consistently, that repeat themselves in our
minds, can tell us a lot about ourselves.

This week I repeatedly heard a voice inside of me telling me: it’s not
enough, it’s not enough, it’s not enough. In response to my efforts to
heal and recover, and despite my progress, this part of me was telling
me that my efforts and progress were not enough. It took me time to
see this, but for this part of myself, no effort will ever be enough.

Why this part of me exists, where it comes from - what its function
and purpose is - is a longer conversation. But I know a lot of us
share this experience - and I am starting to see how this part of us
impacts us: it wears us out. Battling yourself internally while
dealing with external battles is truly exhausting.

Some therapy models call this part of us the “internal critic”. And so
many of us are not aware of our own internal critic because we blend,
enmesh and attach to it until we both believe it and become it. The
first step to creating distance between you and your internal critic
is to name and identify it.

For the next week, try this exercise. Whenever you have an unhelpful
thought like “I am not doing enough” or “I am not enough” and you
notice it, try to create some distance from the thought by changing
your language. Instead of telling yourself “I am not enough”, tell
yourself, “I am noticing that I am having the thought that I am not
enough”. A big part of healing is relating to our thoughts in new
ways.

Here is an article with helpful information that can help us
understand our internal critic and cope with it:
https://positivepsychology.com/inner-critic-worksheets/

And of course, music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJckE8HDBO0&list=RDTJckE8HDBO0&start_radio=1

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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 in this newsletter, please email details to
team at digitalrights.community
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Fundraising_Opportunities

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

Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP)
Open Technology Fund
Deadline: March 13, 2022
https://www.opentech.fund/news/information-controls-fellowship-program-now-accepting-applications-for-ninth-cohort/

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 ###

Intersectional Approaches to Data & Digital Rights Advocacy During the Pandemic
February 15
5pm CET
https://www.theengineroom.org/new-research-community-call-intersectional-approaches-to-data-and-digital-rights-advocacy/

Africa Monthly Meetup

February 16
3pm SAST / 1pm UTC / 8am EST
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/February_16,_2022_,_Africa_Meetup

Glitter Meetup: The Facebook Papers
February 17
9am EST / 2pm UTC
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/February_17_2022_GM

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

MisinfoCon Mozfest
Hack/Hackers
March 7 - 11
Online
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/misinfocon-mozfest-2022-a-global-online-summit-on-misinformation-tickets-247379979177?aff=mozfest

Glitter Meetup: The WikiRate project
March 24
9am EST / 2pm UTC
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/March_24_2022_GM

Glitter Meetup: The BASICS Project
March 31
9am EST / 2pm UTC
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/March_31_2022_GM

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.

Want to see more jobs? OR Have a job opening you want us to promote?
Check out the Team CommUNITY Job Board:
https://www.digitalrights.community/job-board

✎ IT Systems Support and Development Officer, LINUX | Mama Cash
+ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
https://www.mamacash.org/en/vacancy-it-systems-support-and-development-officer

✎ Senior Site Reliability Engineer (ServiceOps) | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/3b0ab3191us

✎ Site Reliability Engineer | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/d0cff4091us

✎ Digital Rights Program Manager | EngageMedia
+ Remote
https://engagemedia.org/2021/job-digital-rights-program-manager/

✎ Executive Director | EngageMedia
+ Remote
https://engagemedia.org/2021/job-executive-director/

✎ Digital Safety Specialist (MENA/Africa) | Access Now
+ Tunisia (Remote around the region, including Kenya)
https://accessnow.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=103&source=aWQ9MjA%3D

✎ Digital Safety Specialist (Southeast Asia) | Access Now
+ Manila (Remote around the region, including Singapore and Indonesia)
https://accessnow.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=104&source=aWQ9MjA%3D

✎ Early-career Software Developer | Western Pennsylvania Regional Data
Center, The University of Pittsburgh
+ Pittsburgh, PA, USA
http://www.wprdc.org/software-developer-job-03/

✎ Senior Site Reliability Engineer (ServiceOps) | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/3b0ab3191us

✎ Site Reliability Engineer III | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/d0cff4091us

✎ Curriculum Development Expert | Internews
+ Remote
http://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf04/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=INTERNEWS&cws=38&rid=1644

✎ Android/Python contractors for mobile/free software/privacy work |
Guardian Project
+ Remote (Near CET Timezone)
https://guardianproject.info/contact/android-python-contractor/

✎ Lingua Lead | Global Voices
+ Remote
https://globalvoices.org/2022/02/03/global-voices-seeks-a-lead-for-our-lingua-project-to-manage-our-translation-communities-and-projects/

✎ Staff Site Reliability Engineer (Traffic) | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/d4a8267c1us

✎ Facilitator, Leadership Development Task Force (Contract, Part-Time)
| Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/48066ebc1us

✎ Assistant Controller | Access Now
+ New York or Washington, DC, USA
http://accessnow.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=108&source=aWQ9MjA%3D

✎ Investigative Data Developer (Russian speaker) | The Organized Crime
and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
+ Remote (UTC-0 - +4)
https://www.occrp.org/en/occrp-jobs/investigative-data-developer-russian-speaker

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_________________________________________________

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### What to Partner with Us?###

If you have any questions or want to learn more about partnerships,
get in touch at team at digitalrights.community. We are always looking
for like-minded organizations and people.

(((Hugs & light)))

--
Team CommUNITY at ARTICLE 19
www.digitalrights.community
Organizers of the Internet Freedom Festival
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