Digital Rights Weekly | July 3 - 7

Thu Jul 6 20:38:50 CEST 2023

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of July 3 - 7. As a reminder, you can submit your news for the
newsletter here: https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### Team CommUNITY (TCU) ###

1. Check out our Digital Rights Regional Briefs of June!!

Our Community Leads from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and MENA, bring
critical information about digital justice issues around the globe,
current opportunities for digital rights defenders, community news,
regional developments, and more! This month, in Africa, you will
navigate the histories, presents and futures of technology’s
connectivity paradoxes. We are also exploring questions and solutions
for inclusivity and anti-casteism in the digital rights movements in
Asia. From Latin America, you will read what the Colombian digital
rights organization, Karisma, recommends for the delivery apps’
algorithms in order to improve platforms workers’ well-being. The MENA
brief delves into AI and how it is unfolding in the region’s various
surveillance systems. Check all this and more on the link below:

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/regionalbriefsjune2023

2. How we are Approaching Safety, Security and Challenges for the
Global Gathering

Find out how we are approaching the 2023 Global Gathering to address
real challenges that impact safety and security of participants. This
year’s edition is part of a  3-year vision to grow the GG in a
sustainable way. The event is less than three months away, and will be
used to collectively brainstorm not just how the GG will evolve, but
also the standards we want to see in our field of practice.

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/2023-global-gathering-how-we-are-approaching-safety-security-and-challenges

3. RSVP for “The Wellbeing Monthly” series: Once a month join a
psychosocial educational workshop designed for digital rights
defenders!

Join "The Wellbeing Monthly", a monthly virtual educational workshop
series led by diverse mental health professionals. The online series
will run from June to December and are free of charge, and  focus on
psychoeducation and coping mechanisms on diverse topics including
anxiety and fear, guilt and survivors guilt, defeat and hopelessness,
trauma, and burnout and stress. Each month we will be announcing new
speakers, so check regularly! RVSP for the July and August workshops:

July 18, “Survivor Guilt, Regret Rumination, and How to Cope with them
as an Activist”:
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/wellbeingmonthly2

August 8, "Responding to Defeat and Creating Communities of Hope":
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/wellbeingmonthly3

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. NewNode Messenger now Available

Email registration is now available for the NewNode messenger on
Android devices! Users can now register without providing their
personal phone number. NewNode is a peer to peer messaging app that
keeps working during internet outages, natural disasters, and
government blocks. Read more about it on their website:
https://www.newnode.com/blog/connect-on-your-terms-newnode-unveils-email-registration-feature?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=email_registration

Try it out by downloading the newest version of the app here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.newnode.messenger.

2. ARTICLE19: Some Good & Bad Decisions Coming Out of the European
Court of Human Rights

Groundbreaking Ruling on Facial Recognition

ARTICLE 19 welcomes the European Court of Human Rights’ decision in a
case concerning the use of facial recognition against protesters in
Russia. The Court found that using facial recognition to locate and
arrest a protester while he was traveling on the Moscow underground
violated his right to freedom of expression and privacy.

https://www.article19.org/resources/european-court-of-human-rights-groundbreaking-ruling-on-facial-recognition/

A blow to integrity of media archives

ARTICLE 19 is disappointed with the decision by the Grand Chamber of
the European Court of Human Rights (the European Court) in the ‘right
to be forgotten’ case concerning media archives. In the case
concerning the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, the Court found the media
outlet could be required to anonymise legitimate information in its
media archives.

https://www.article19.org/resources/european-court-of-human-rights-a-blow-to-integrity-of-media-archives/

3. Online Safety Bill: Civil Society Organization Urge UK to Protect
Global Digital Security & Safeguard Private Communication

Over 80 national and international civil society organizations,
academics and cyber experts representing a wide range of perspectives
including digital human rights and technology wrote a letter raising
concerns about the serious threat to the security of private and
encrypted messaging posed by the UK’s proposed Online Safety Bill
(OSB). Read the full letter here:

https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/online-safety-bill-civil-society-organisations-urge-uk-protect-global-digital-security-and

4. New Reports from Our Community

a) ARTICLE 19: Launch of the Global Expression Report 2023

The Global Expression Report examines trends in our right to freedom
of expression and information – globally, regionally, and nationally.
The report is unique in that it provides a concrete measure and
quantifiable perspective on expression: from posting online to
protesting, investigating, and accessing the information needed to
keep leaders accountable. Its metric tracks freedom of expression
across 161 countries via 25 indicators to create a score between 0 and
100 for every country:

https://www.globalexpressionreport.org/

b) Shouting Into the Void: Why Reporting Abuse to Social Media
Platforms is So Hard & How to Fix It

PEN America and Meedan joined forces to publish a new paper: Shouting
into the Void. For people facing threats, slurs, and other abusive
tactics on social media platforms, reporting that content is one of
the only means of defending themselves, protecting their community,
and seeking accountability. For platforms, user reporting is a
critical part of the larger content moderation process. Shouting into
the Void maps out concrete, actionable recommendations for how social
media companies can revamp reporting to make it more user-friendly,
more effective, and less retraumatizing.

https://pen.org/report/shouting-into-the-void/

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### Digital Rights Resources ###

1. NetLoss Calculator

Want to know how much a recent Internet shutdown in your country cost
the economy? Or, curious to understand the impact of an anticipated
Internet shutdown? Use the Internet Society Pulse NetLoss Calculator
to find out more:

https://pulse.internetsociety.org/netloss

2. Who’s Funding AI & Society Work in Europe? A Landscape Review

This landscape review undertaken by the European AI & Society Fund
aims to understand how to engage more philanthropic organizations in
supporting the field:

https://europeanaifund.org/newspublications/whos-funding-ai-society-work-in-europe-a-landscape-review/

3.  Op-Ed: Encryption Protects Our Rights, Privacy is Not a Crime

End-to-end encryption is currently under attack by prosecutors and
legislators in France, the EU, the UK and the US. We are asked to
choose, as a society: do we accept a future in which our private mail
and communication can be intercepted anytime, in which we are treated
as potential suspects?

https://edri.org/our-work/encryption-protects-our-rights-privacy-is-not-a-crime/

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

1. ‘Journalists are not Legitimate Targets’: Pegasus Hacks Amidst a War

Spyware use during the Armenia-Azerbaijan war indicates new threats to
independent journalists covering conflict.

https://ipi.media/journalists-are-not-legitimate-targets-pegasus-hacks-amidst-a-war/

2. African Union (AU) Takes Steps on Application of International Law
in Cyberspace

The AU Member States have initiated a cooperative endeavor to
formulate a CAP on the topic at hand. In this regard, the Common
African Position is still going through consultations among Member
States and experts.

https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20230630/african-union-takes-significant-steps-towards-establishing-common-african

3. India, an Aspiring Digital Superpower, Keeps Shutting Down the Internet
Connectivity blackouts are damaging to millions of Indians reliant on
digital services.

https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/07/05/india-an-aspiring-digital-superpower-keeps-shutting-down-the-internet
(paywall)

There are numerous consequences of these chronic shutdowns, including
the inability to contact family inside and outside India. This is one
story of Canadians failing to contact family due to these shutdowns.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/manipur-internet-shutdowns-1.6895758

In July 2022, Twitter took the Indian government to court over its
orders to block certain accounts and tweets. Last week the Karnataka
High Court dismissed Twitter's case and imposed a fine of around
$61,000 on the company for not complying with the contested orders for
over a year. The verdict has left many digital rights experts worried.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66083645

4. Turkey: Pro-government Journalist had Access Blocked to 400 Pieces
of Online Content in 2 Months

A report from Free Web Turkey revealed that a staunchly pro-government
journalist who is also a board member of Turkish state broadcaster TRT
has over the past two months had access blocked to almost 400 pieces
of online content about her marriage.

Turkish courts, which are criticized for acting on orders from
President Erdoğan and his government, are quick to ban online content
that includes criticism or accusations against the government or
pro-government figures.

https://www.turkishminute.com/2023/07/03/progovt-journalist-has-access-blocked-to-400-pieces-of-online-content-in-2-months-report/

5. Netherlands: Twitter Not Suited for Emergency Communications

Dutch politicians and a prominent online group said that Twitter is
not the right place to seek information during an emergency, following
an incident in which citizens were directed to the platform for
updates during a large storm.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/twitter-not-suited-emergency-communications-dutch-say-after-storm-2023-07-05/

6. Cracking Down on Dissent, Russia Seeds a Surveillance Supply
Chain

Russia is incubating a cottage industry of new digital surveillance
tools to suppress domestic opposition to the war in Ukraine. The tech
may also be sold overseas.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/03/technology/russia-ukraine-surveillance-tech.html

7. US Judge Bars Biden Officials from Contacting Social Media Firms

Judge says government overstepped in its efforts to address false
claims about COVID-19 vaccines and the 2020 election.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/4/us-judge-bars-biden-officials-from-contacting-social-media-firms

8. UN Human Rights Council Panel Discussion highlights importance of
digital, media and information literacy
Human Rights Council hears that digital, media and information
literacy programmes should be considered an integral part of education
efforts given their importance for the exercise of rights in the
digital age.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/news/2023/07/human-rights-council-hears-digital-media-and-information-literacy-programmes-should-be

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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 Rights & Inclusion Learning Lab
Paradigm Initiative
Deadline: July 12, 2023
https://paradigmhq.org/call-for-applications-digital-rights-and-inclusion-learning-lab-drill-fellowship-2023/

Strategic Litigation to Advance Digital Rights in Europe Support
Digital Freedom Fund
Deadline: July 20, 2023
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/

European Artificial Intelligence & Society Fund
Ecosystem Grants Programme
Deadline: July 31, 2023
https://europeanaifund.org/newspublications/our-ecosystem-grants-programme-is-now-open/

The CYRILLA Collaborative: Call For Proposals
Deadline: July 31, 2023
https://smex.org/the-cyrilla-collaborative-call-for-proposals/

Lacuna Fund
Deadline: Multiple Depending on Topic
https://lacunafund.org/apply/

Digital Rights Research Grant
PrivacyCo
Deadline: Rolling
https://www.top10vpn.com/research-grant/

Sovereign Tech Fund
Deadline: Rolling
https://sovereigntechfund.de/en/applications/

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/

Urgent Action Fund - Asia & Pacific
Deadline: Rolling
https://www.uafanp.org/our_grants

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

### Events Calendar ###

(Glitter Meetup) How to Tame the Algorithm - Recommendations to
Improve the Wellbeing and Context of Delivery App Workers
Team CommUNITY
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
July 13, 2023
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_13_2023_GM

(The Wellbeing Monthly) Survivor Guilt, Regret Rumination and How to
Cope with them as an Activist
Team CommUNITY
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
July 18, 2023
Online
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/wellbeingmonthly2

(Lingua Cafe) Found in Translation: Lingua Cafe Chats
Team CommUNITY
11am EDT / 3pm UTC
July 19, 2023
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Lingua_Cafe,_July_19,_2023

LATAM Monthly Meetup
Team CommUNITY
6:30pm EDT / 10:30pm UTC
July 26, 2023
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=26_de_Julio,_2023_LATAM

Africa Monthly Meetup
Team CommUNITY
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
July 27, 2023
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_27_2023,_Africa_Meetup

Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute
July 31 - August 11, 2023
Oxford, USA
http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/oxford-media-policy-summer-institute-2023/

(The Wellbeing Monthly) Responding to Defeat and Creating Communities of Hope
Team CommUNITY
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
August 8, 2023
Online
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/wellbeingmonthly3

Freedom Not Fear
September 1- 4, 2023
Brussels
https://freedomnotfear.org

Virtual School on Internet Governance
September 4 - November 25, 2023
Online
https://www.virtualsig.org/2023/05/30/vsig-registration-now-open/

The Global Gathering
Team CommUNITY
September 15 - 17, 2023
Portugal
https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/announcing-team-communitys-global-gathering

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 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

✎  Digital Rights and Inclusion Learning Lab (DRILL) Fellowship |
Paradigm Initiative
+  Remote in Africa Region
https://paradigmhq.org/call-for-applications-digital-rights-and-inclusion-learning-lab-drill-fellowship-2023/

✎  Head of Algorithmic Auditing | Eticas
+  Remote
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3653480183

✎  Research Manager | Wikimedia Foundation
+  Remote
https://grnh.se/1e3ca4391us

✎  Systems Administrator | Riseup Networks
+  Remote
https://riseup.net/labor

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

### Know someone that wants to subscribe to our newsletter? ###

They can sign up here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### Want 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 Global Gathering
PGP: 2E1D CC33 A362 0BD6 236E  540A F60A 89AD 6FF9 7A2F

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