Digital Rights Weekly | January 30 - February 3

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of January 30 - February 3. As a reminder, you can submit your
news for the newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter


### TCU Updates ###

1. Enroll in TCU’s Psychosocial Circles by March 2

Make sure to signup for Team CommUNITY Spring psychosocial CIrcles by
March 2! The Spring Circles include two Activist Fatigue Circles, and
1 Diaspora support Circles, which provide digital rights defenders
with the opportunity to process experiences and emotions, while
learning adaptive coping mechanisms. The circles will be run by mental
health professionals and run from March 13 to June 12. They are open
to all digital rights defenders and are free of charge.

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/psychosocial-circles-spring-2023


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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Notes from from January 23rd Glitter Meetup

Read more from the conversation with Distributed Denial of Secrets
(DDoSecrets), a group publishing large datasets which come from either
leaks or hacks. Most of DDoSEcrets' datasets are available to the
public for download via peer-to-peer decentralized torrents. Join the
Glitter Meetup, our weekly town hall of the Internet Freedom community
at the IF Square on the TCU Mattermost at 9am EST / 2pm UTC

https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=January_26_2023_GM


2. DRIF23: Building a Sustainable Internet for All

Paradigm Initiative has opened registrations for the Digital Rights
and Inclusion Forum (DRIF), which will be held in Nairobi on April 12
to 14, 2023. DRIF23 will be held in person and live-streamed on
Paradigm Initiative’s YouTube Channel. Register here:

https://whova.com/portal/registration/draif_202304/


3. Webinar on Micus Curiae Interventions in Freedom of Expression Cases

UNESCO and Media Defence are hosting a webinar about UNESCO’s guide on
amicus curiae interventions in freedom of expression cases. The
webinar will be held on February 9, 2023 at 2:00pm GMT. The UNESCO
guide aims to provide practical information and guidance to civil
society organisations who consider intervening in cases before
national or international courts as a so-called ‘amicus curiae’ or
‘third party intervener’. The guide focuses on cases concerning
freedom of expression and the safety of journalists. Read more and
register here:

https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GYT4O4TpR-GyqIFfX6g7mg


4. Doctoral Colloquium Call on Fairness, Accountability & Transparency

To all the PhD students and researchers working on fairness,
accountability and transparency (or related topics) in relation to
socio-technical systems: ACM FAccT 2023 Doctoral Colloquium Call for
Applications is out. Deadline: February 24, 2023.

 https://facctconference.org/2023/callfordc.html


5. Applications open to DFRLab Online Trainings

The DFRLab is now accepting applications to join the 360/Digital
Sherlocks Spring 2023 cohort.360/Digital Sherlocks program, is an
ongoing series of free, online trainings dedicated to students,
members of civil society, journalists, and academics committed to
monitoring and protecting the information environment in their
respective regions. Deadline: February 15, 2023. Apply here:

https://form.jotform.com/230184119181046


6. Datávoros Analizó Aplicaciones del Gobierno Mexicano y #mpresas

Chequea en datavoros.org qué tipo de datos de sus usuarios recolectan
las aplicaciones de empresas y  gobierno de México. Además, entérarte
si protegen o no tu información recolectada #Datávoros @socialtic

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UMxjpCK0Q6SGU2wTnNMrzBo-VGoI4DXL?usp=share_link

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### Digital Rights Resources ###

1. EDRi: The Future is Now

Check out the new series of sci-fi, utopian stories that illustrate
some of the obstacles people face when engaging with technology, how
people can be part of the solution; and what our collective futures
could look like. These stories help us reimagine and reinforce healthy
alternatives to the current systems – a future in which people, the
planet and technology connect to build a people-centered, democratic
society. Together with broader systemic changes, and all of the
vectors of change that EDRi mobilises, these stories can contribute to
supporting real change. Read the stories here:

https://edri.org/what-we-do/the-future-is-now/


2. Under Surveillance: Testimony from a Global South Migrant in Tunisia

On 2 June 2022, three police officers in civilian clothes knocked on
the door of a migrant in Tunis, and asked her to follow them to the
local police station without providing any reason. Upon her arrival at
the station, her Indian passport and the temporary residence permit
(carte de séjour provisoire) were taken away. She was informed that
the subject of her summons was a tweet she had published the day
before.

https://nawaat.org/2023/01/25/under-surveillance-testimony-from-a-global-south-migrant-in-tunisia/


3. Tech has an Innate Problem with Bullshitters. But We Don’t Need to
Let Them Win

Chasing network effects, tech entrepreneurs have even more incentive
to talk up their product than their counterparts in other industries.
How do we tell fact from fiction?

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/science-and-technology/tech-has-an-innate-problem-with-bullshitters-but-we-dont-need-to-let-them-win

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

1. Ola Bini Declared Innocent

Swedish software developer and digital rights activist Ola Bini was
acquitted of charges for hacking a computer. The activist was
acquitted unanimously by a tribunal of three judges after delivering a
nearly 4.5-hour-long statement. Bini has faced persecution from the
Ecuadorian state since 2019, and the legal proceedings against him
have been marred by irregularities.

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/02/01/digital-rights-activist-ola-bini-declared-innocent-by-ecuadorian-court/


2. UK Tribunal Found “Very Serious Failings” by MI5 Breaching the
Right to Privacy

In a landmark ruling, the UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal found “very
serious failings” by MI5 breaching the right to privacy from at least
2016, and that successive Home Secretaries didn't enquire into &
resolve this rule breaking, despite the red flags.  After a three year
legal battle, Privacy International and Liberty uncovered
long-standing concealment of unlawful conduct and massive
over-retention of data by MI5. This conduct was tolerated by the Home
Secretary who issued warrants unlawfully despite knowing about signs
of MI5’s breaches. Read more about this ruling:

https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5028/qa-our-challenge-liberty-against-mi5-and-home-secretary-2023


3. France Under Fire Over Fast-Track Plan for AI Surveillance at Paris Olympics

The French government is fast-tracking special legislation for the
2024 Paris Olympics that would allow the use of video surveillance
assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) systems.Ministers have argued
that certain exceptional security measures are needed to ensure the
smooth running of the events that will attract 13 million spectators,
but rights groups have warned France is seeking to use the Games as a
pretext to extend police surveillance powers, which could then become
permanent.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/31/france-paris-olympics-ai-video-surveillance-law


4. Pakistan “Degrades” Wikipedia, Warns of Complete Block Over
“Sacrilegious” Content

Pakistan has “degraded” Wikipedia in the country for 48 hours for not
removing “sacrilegious contents” and warned of fully blocking the site
if the online encyclopedia fails to comply with the directions.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/01/pakistan-degrades-wikipedia-warns-of-complete-block-over-sacrilegious-content/?guccounter=1


5. How US Police Use Digital Data to Prosecute Abortions

Warrants for digital data are routine in police investigations, which
makes sense, given how much time we spend online. Technology giants
have for years responded to valid court orders for specific
information sought by law enforcement, though some companies have done
more to fight for our privacy than others. The case in Nebraska is not
the first in which police have used digital data to prosecute an
abortion, and it won’t be the last.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/27/digital-data-roe-wade-reproductive-privacy/


6. How Surveillance Tech Helped Protect Power - and the Drug Trade --
In Honduras

Dozens of interviews with current and former law enforcement
officials, technical experts, activists and lawyers, and an extensive
review of documents and court filings obtained through Honduras'
public information access law offer a detailed (if still incomplete)
picture of the digital surveillance apparatus that dominated Honduras
during the Hernández administration. What follows is the story of what
happens when surveillance companies sell their products to a
government known to be carrying out widescale human rights abuses
against its people and of the potential reform to this abusive digital
surveillance apparatus as it heads into year two of Xiomara Castro’s
administration.

https://www.codastory.com/authoritarian-tech/honduras-surveillance-drug-trade/


7. Egyptian State Security Detains Two Egyptians for Digital Content

The two Alexandrian content creators were arrested after a sarcastic
video of them went viral, where Hossam plays the role of a prisoner
during Basma’s visit to him. The prosecution interrogated them about
this video and charged them with joining a terrorist group, committing
the crime of financing terrorism, spreading false news and
information, and using social media accounts to spread false news and
information.

https://afteegypt.org/en/legal-updates-en/legal-news-en/2023/02/01/33427-afteegypt.html


8. Why India Banned the BBC Modi’s Documentary

A BBC documentary focused on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
relationship with the country’s Muslim minority has led New Delhi to
accuse the broadcaster of a “colonial mindset” and threatens to
disrupt U.K.-India ties

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/01/24/bbc-modi-documentary-india-ban-uk-sunak-trade/

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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

Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe
Deadline: February 12, 2023
https://alliance-genderequality.org/

Open Technology Fund
First Deadline: February 20, 2023
https://www.opentech.fund/news/open-technology-fund-announces-free-and-open-source-software-sustainability-fund/

Digital Freedom Fund
Deadline: February 28, 2023
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/

Incident Emergency Fund
Digital Defenders Partnership
Deadline: Rolling Basis
https://www.digitaldefenders.org/incident-emergency-fund/

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

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/

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

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### Events Calendar ###

Webinar: Micus Curiae in Freedom of Expression Cases
UNESCO & Defense Media
February 9, 2023
Online
https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GYT4O4TpR-GyqIFfX6g7mg

Digital Privacy at Texas Legislature
EFF Austin
14 February 2023
Hybrid
https://www.eff.org/event/eff-austin-digital-privacy-texas-legislature

Africa Meetup
8am EST / 1pm UTC
February 23, 2023
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_23_2023,_Africa_Meetup

Glitter Meetup: Perú: The Digital Rights in the Country and in a
Social Demonstration Context
9am EST / 2pm UTC
February 23, 2023
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_23_2023_GM

DRIF23
April 12 to 14
Hybrid/Nairobi
https://whova.com/portal/registration/draif_202304/

RightsCon
Access Now
June 5 - 8, 2023
Hybrid
https://www.rightscon.org/attend/

7th Palestine Digital Activism Forum
7amleh
May 23-25, 2023
TBD
https://7amleh.org/2023/01/24/palestine-digital-activism-forum

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 sent to us 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

✎ Senior Software Engineer - Privacy Edge | Cloudflare
+ Remote in UK
https://boards.greenhouse.io/cloudflare/jobs/4078270?gh_jid=4078270

✎ Senior Software Engineer - Privacy Edge | Cloudflare
+ Remote in Portugal
https://boards.greenhouse.io/cloudflare/jobs/4078269?gh_jid=4078269

✎ Senior Software Engineer - Privacy Edge | Cloudflare
+ Remote in USA
https://boards.greenhouse.io/cloudflare/jobs/4078268?gh_jid=4078268

✎ Senior Program Manager, Journalism and Disinformation | PEN America Foundation
+ New York, NY; Washington, DC; or Los Angeles, CA, USA
https://pen.org/senior-program-manager-journalism-and-disinformation/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=idealist

✎ Director, Growth | PurposeMed
+ Remote in Canada
https://www.purposemed.com/careers/open?gh_jid=4187188005

✎ Lead Public Policy Specialist (North America) | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/3137157b1us

✎ Online Hate and Harassment Researcher (Quantitative) | Anti-Defamation League
+ Remote
https://careers-adl.icims.com/jobs/2032/online-hate-and-harassment-researcher-%28quantitative%29/job

✎ Communications and Advocacy Strategist | IFEX
+ Remote
https://ifex.bamboohr.com/careers/26?source=aWQ9MTM=

If you feel like sending some digital glitter our way, or need further
assistance, feel free to reply to this message.
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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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