Digital Rights Weekly | September 12 - 16

Sat Sep 17 20:44:44 CEST 2022

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
weeks of September 12 - 16. As a reminder, you can submit your news
for the newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

###  Upcoming Virtual TCU Events ###

September 21 | Lingua Cafe
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/lingua_cafe_11

September 21 | Latin America Monthly Meetup
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/21_de_Septiembre,_2022_LATAM

September 22 | Glitter Meetup: Palestine under a digital panopticon:
what can we do?
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/September_22_2022_GM

September 28 | Africa Monthly Meetup
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/September_28_2022,_Africa_Meetup

September 28 | MENA Monthly Meetup
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/September_28_2022,_MENA_Meetup

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## Team CommUNITY Update ##

1. RVSP for the Community Health Village

Sign up for the 2022 Community Health Village, which looks at
individual, community and organizational pathways towards collective
healing.  You must RSVP for each session you are interested in
attending. Remember, some sessions have limited space, so sign up as
soon as you can.
https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/community-health-village-2022

2. VPN Community Unconference 2022 Notes

You can find the notes from our VPN Unconference, which we brought
together different individuals active in the VPN ecosystem. The
discussions revolved around questions related on challenges facing
at-risk VPN, obstacles to establishing and upholding best practice in
the VPN industry, and ways to improve distribution and development in
highly censored regions. Read some of the findings here:
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/VPN_Community_Unconference_2022
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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Code for All Summit 2022

The Code for All Summit 2022 is happening from September 19-22, 2022.
This is the premiere gathering for Civic Tech enthusiasts around the
world celebrating communities and technologies working to solve
problems and improve lives. The 2022 Summit will bring sessions
focused on a range of topics, including combating climate change,
building community engagement, and fighting authoritarianism with
community & tech. Register to attend:
https://bit.ly/CfAllSummit22

2. Article19 Condemns the Draconian Internet User Protection Bill in Iran

ARTICLE 19 condemns the absolute lack of due process in the
implementation of the draconian Internet User Protection Bill, which
is being railroaded into partial implementation through the Supreme
Council of Cyberspace (SCC). Article19 calls for the removal of the
Internet User Protection Bill and an end to the SCC’s role in limiting
freedom of expression and access to the internet in Iran.

https://www.article19.org/resources/iran-draconian-internet-bill/

3. APC Releases Two New Publications, Now in English

APC and Sursiendo released the English translations of two
publications, originally in Spanish.  The publications came about as a
result of the 2019 hackfeminist meeting titled Technology and
Affections: How to Outline Policies of [Co]responsibility in Chiapas,
Mexico.  Technoaffections investigates the politics of shared
responsibility and speaks to our first relationships with technology
through memory, feelings and emotions. The 12 chapters unpack the
politics of shared responsibility as creative and collaborative,
rooted in experiences of land defence, feminism and social movements.
How do we build ethical and fair practices to ensure that our use of
technologies respects the environment?

https://www.apc.org/en/news/towards-new-feminist-principle-internet-environment-two-new-publications-now-available-english

4. SMEX Releases Report on Internet Shutdowns Impact on Society in the MENA

SMEX’s report titled Internet Shutdowns to Prevent Cheating During
Exams: The Impact on Society and Economy in the MENA Region analyzes
the use of internet shutdowns to combat cheating and to control
information leaks during school exams in four countries in the Middle
East and North Africa (MENA) region. The report assesses the effects
that these shutdowns have on society, the economy, and the internet
overall. Internet shutdowns are unjustifiable, harm societies,
economies, and the health of the global internet.

https://smex.org/internet-shutdowns-to-prevent-cheating-during-exams-the-impact-on-society-and-economy-in-the-mena-region/

5. Internet Advocates Team Up To Challenge Algorithmic Benefits Systems

The Benefits Tech Advocacy Hub is a newly launched community of
battle-tested advocates who fight algorithm-based and
technology-enabled cuts to public benefits and foster collective
efforts to promote public benefits systems that meet people’s basic
needs. The Hub aims to give advocates tools to fight harmful tech and
force greater transparency so that harm can be identified, prevented,
or reduced earlier in the technology’s lifecycle.

https://www.btah.org/

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### Digital Rights Resources ###

1. Course on Information & Elections in the Digital Era at the Knight Center

While the digital era has presented opportunities for enhancing
freedom of expression, social media also poses new challenges.  The
spread of disinformation and misinformation online, intimidation and
harassment (particularly against women), hate speech, and
micro-targeting can undermine electoral and governance processes.
During this five-week massive open online course, which will be held
from September 19 to October 23, students will explore the diverse
malpractices, strategies and techniques, which electoral stakeholders
face online. If you’re interested, follow the steps to register:

https://journalismcourses.org/course/information-and-elections-in-the-digital-era/

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

1. How Chevron Fuels Climate Disinformation

As the closures of newspapers leave Americans struggling for
information, Chevron has swooped in to serve up a mixture of local
news and propaganda. It has also created openings for companies and
political groups to swoop in, serving up a mixture of local news and
propaganda, with the latest being Chevron, in Texas’ news starved (and
oil-rich) Permian Basin.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/sep/12/chevron-newspaper-local-news-permian-proud-site

2. How the Fed Coordinate with Facebook on Censorship

The Editorial Board at the Wall Street Journal released a report on
the Newly released emails that show tech sites working with public
officials, often solicitously.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-feds-coordinate-with-facebook-twitter-white-house-social-media-emails-covid-instagram-11662761613
(paywall)

3. Anti-Hacking Copyright Law Scrutinized in Free Speech Challenge

A decades-old law that criminalizes hacking through digital security
measures to access copyrighted work like music, movies, and software
is facing a constitutional challenge by security researchers who argue
it’s an impediment to free speech. Attorneys say the case—scheduled
for oral argument Monday in a Washington, D.C., federal appeals
court—could have important implications for the “right-to-repair”
movement, which supports allowing well-intention hackers to tinker
with rightfully purchased devices and software without fear of legal
consequences.

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/anti-hacking-copyright-law-scrutinized-in-free-speech-challenge

4. EU Urged to Reject ‘Weak’ Amazon Offer to End Antitrust Probe

A series of commitments offered by Amazon in the EU, where regulators
are investigating competition concerns linked to its use of
third-party data, has been dubbed “weak, vague and full of loopholes”
in a critical submission signed by a dozen civil society and digital
rights groups, non-governmental organizations and trade unions. The
submission, which was made public this week, goes on to urge the
bloc’s regulators to reject Amazon’s proposals and press on with a
full antitrust investigation of the two-sided marketplace.
https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/12/amazon-eu-antitrust-probe-weak-offer/

5. Speech Censorship Mounts in Algeria with Controversial New Journalism Law

The Algerian government has announced a new controversial draft to
regulate journalism in the country, as rights groups warn of a
deterioration in freedom of speech in the North African state.

https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/algeria-reveals-new-journalism-law-censorship-mounts

6. Mass Firing at UAE Newspaper Raises Question of Censorship

The story about high fuel prices was safe, editors agreed, even under
the strict press laws of the United Arab Emirates. Instead, it
unleashed a firestorm at Al Roeya newspaper in Dubai. Within days, top
editors were interrogated. Within weeks, dozens of employees were
fired and the print paper declared dissolved.

The newspaper’s publisher, Abu Dhabi-based International Media
Investments, or IMI, said Al Roeya’s closure stems only from its
transformation into a new Arabic language business outlet with CNN.
However, eight people with direct knowledge of the newspaper’s mass
firings told The Associated Press that the layoffs came in the
immediate aftermath of the article on the UAE’s gas prices.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/mass-firing-at-uae-newspaper-raises-question-of-censorship/2022/09/13/21829aac-332a-11ed-a0d6-415299bfebd5_story.html

7. Anti-Censorship Tool Lets Russians Read Blocked News.
The project, called Samizdat Online, makes blocked websites visible to
people and does not need any technical knowledge to use. Samizdat
Online syndicates banned news sites by hosting them on uncensored
domains—allowing people to access independent reporting.
https://www.wired.com/story/russia-internet-censorship-samizdat-online/

8. Artist Uses AI Surveillance Cameras To Identify “Influencers” and
Expose Horrors of High-Tech Surveillance

Dries Depoorter's "The Follower" project combines AI, open access
cameras, and influencers to show behind the scenes of viral
shots—without them knowing. Depoorter recorded weeks of footage from
open access cameras, which observe public spaces, and which frequently
have live streams available online for anyone to access, that were
trained on famous landmarks. After collecting the recordings,
Depoorter trained software to scan through the footage and find
influencers with more than 100,000 followers, and match them with the
photo they took in front of the landmark, according to a video
launched Monday for the project’s first results.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5vj79/artist-uses-ai-surveillance-cameras-to-identify-influencers-posing-for-instagram

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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

Racism and Technology Center
Deadline: October 31, 2022
https://racismandtechnology.center/2022/09/03/do-you-want-to-work-on-anti-racism-and-technology/

Safety Net Fund
Deadline: Ongoing
https://wphfund.org/whrds-safety-net/

Mentoreo de IT Women
Deadline: September 25, 2022
https://www.lacnic.net/4882/1/lacnic/programa-de-mentoreo-de-it-women

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/

Open Briefing’s Responsive Assistance
Deadline: Rolling Basis
https://www.openbriefing.org/support/referral/

Open Tech Fund | Secure Usability and Accessibility Lab
Deadline: Rolling
https://www.opentech.fund/labs/sua-lab/
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### Global Events Calendar ###

TecnoRizoma
August 17 - October 22
Online
https://tinyurl.com/TecnoRizomaCentroamerica

Code for All Summit 2022
September 19 - 22
Online
https://codeforall.org/summit-2022/

Lingua Cafe
September 21
10am EDT /  2pm UTC
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/lingua_cafe_11

Latin America Meetup
September 21
6:30pm EDT / 10:30pm UTC
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/21_de_Septiembre,_2022_LATAM

Glitter Meetup: Palestine under a digital panopticon: what can we do?
September 22
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/September_22_2022_GM

Sex Work Therapist Training
September 22 - 23
2pm - 6pm CET
The European Sex Worker’s Rights Alliance
https://forms.gle/NLzGUg1ovKUQjyTQ6

Africa Meetup
September 28
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/September_28_2022,_Africa_Meetup

MENA Meetup
September 28
11am EDT / 3pm UTC
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/September_28_2022,_MENA_Meetup

Digital Quality of Life Index 2022
October 2
2pm UTC
https://surfshark.zoomtv.lt/registration

"Understanding the Internet"
October 4
17:00–18:30 CEST
https://ripe85.ripe.net/programme/parallel-events/student-event/

Digital Health Week
October, 10 - 16
https://digitalhealthweek.co/

RIPE 85
October 24 - October 28
Hybrid: Belgrade & Online
https://ripe85.ripe.net/

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

### 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

✎ Multiple Positions | Wikimedia
https://wikimediafoundation.org/about/jobs/

✎ Front-End Web Development Contractor | Freedom of the Press Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/d922b4755us

✎ Office Manager | The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
+ Amsterdam, Netherlands
https://www.occrp.org/en/occrp-jobs/office-manager

✎ Web Developer | The Calyx Institute
+ Brooklyn, NY, USA
https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit-job/42dd8155cea94291a5bdc305133e5e20-web-developer-the-calyx-institute-brooklyn

✎ Shipping and Fulfillment Coordinator | The Calyx Institute
+ Brooklyn, NY, USA
https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit-job/42dd8155cea94291a5bdc305133e5e20-web-developer-the-calyx-institute-brooklyn

✎ Latin America Engagement Coordinator | The Organized Crime and
Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
+ Latin America
https://www.occrp.org/en/occrp-jobs/latin-america-engagement-coordinator

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_________________________________________________

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(((Hugs & light)))

--
Team CommUNITY at ARTICLE 19
www.digitalrights.community
Organizers of the Internet Freedom Festival
PGP: 2E1D CC33 A362 0BD6 236E  540A F60A 89AD 6FF9 7A2F
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