Digital Rights Weekly | October 9 - 13

Fri Oct 13 05:18:38 CEST 2023

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the week
of October 9 - 13. As a reminder, you can submit your news for the
newsletter here: https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### Team CommUNITY (TCU) ###

1. Global Gathering 2023 Recap & Team CommUNITY’s Future Plans

Check out the learnings from our 2023 Global Gathering, and TCU’s plans for
next year.  This year’s “alpha” event was an experiment and part of a
three-year vision to grow the event in a sustainable way that prioritizes
the safety of our community.

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/global-gathering-2023-recap-and-team-communitys-future-plans

2. November 21, "Getting to Know our Stress & Anxiety":

RSVP for the next "The Wellbeing Monthly", a monthly free virtual
educational workshop series led by diverse mental health professionals.

https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/wellbeingmonthly5

_________________________________________________

### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. 7amleh Center Documents Rise in Hate Speech and Incitement in Hebrew and
Urges the Public to Report Cases of Incitement

The Arab Center had monitored and documented hundreds of cases of digital
rights violations through the "7or" platform. These violations include
cases of hate speech and incitement to violence in Hebrew, deletion of
Palestinian content, as well as the restriction of accounts advocating for
Palestinian rights.

https://7amleh.org/2023/10/08/7amleh-center-documents-rise-in-hate-speech-and-incitement-in-hebrew-and-urges-the-public-to-report-cases-of-incitement

They have detected more than 19,000 cases of hate speech and inciting
content in Hebrew language on X (formerly Twitter)

https://7amleh.org/2023/10/12/7amleh-documents-19-000-violent-tweets-in-hebrew-on-x

Meanwhile, the Bellingcat Investigation Team is reporting that
misinformation has been spreading rapidly online since October 7

https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2023/10/11/hamas-attacks-israel-bombs-gaza-and-misinformation-surges-online/

2. Call for Applications Critical Design Lab Community Fellow - Labs for
Liberation

The Critical Design Lab at Vanderbilt University, directed by Dr. Aimi
Hamraie, is seeking two Community Fellows to work on a collaborative
project, Labs for Liberation. Qualified candidates are activists, artists,
designers, cultural workers, access workers, and community scholars who do
not necessarily have a formal academic affiliation. Deadline: December 1,
2023. Read more here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15ue8P5UDn6n6KL2zB6J5txxdnPBvJ5b9otgczsg9fVI/edit

3. Association for Progressive Communications Women's Rights Programme
Calls for Research Proposals

The Association for Progressive Communications Women's Rights Programme
(APC WRP) invites you or your organization to submit a research proposal as
part of the Feminist Internet Research Network (FIRN). The FIRN project
understands that the making of a feminist internet is critical to bring
about transformation in gendered structures of power that exist online and
on-ground. Deadline: 2 November 2023.

https://www.apc.org/en/news/feminist-internet-research-network-call-research-proposals-1

4. Leadership Summit in Portugal

Get ready for Leadership Summit Portugal, an inspiring and transformative
event focused on bringing together leaders, professionals, and enthusiasts
to discuss leadership. Technology is one of the main topics of this
edition, which will be attended by Sebastian Sunday, IA specialized
philosopher, and António Gameiro Marques, General Director of the
Portuguese Cybersecurity Centre.

https://www.leadershipsummitportugal.com/

5. Are you interested in developing innovative solutions to increase the
free flow of information in North Korea?

Join the NK Information Technology Incubator (NKITI) project! They will be
providing you with the necessary resources and expert mentorship to help
your project get on the right track.

Apply here:
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeD7ZUkcKBGcI0kFydec_iI0tBZYqfHK78LbKfmOHF-ILvRIw/viewform?usp=sf_link>

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeD7ZUkcKBGcI0kFydec_iI0tBZYqfHK78LbKfmOHF-ILvRIw/viewform?usp=sf_link

6. Reflecting on Digital Detox Days

>From July to August 2023, Ubunteam, a west African non profit organization
and funded by Tactical Tech, hosted 3 major training sessions named Digital
Detox Days in Côte d'Ivoire. These training series aimed at empowering
local communities in important topics like Digital Security,
mis/disinformation tackling and digital wellbeing. Read the review of the
event here:

https://x.com/ubunteam/status/1701201058968584671?s=46

7. The Engine Room hace una Llamada Comunitaria Para Sostener un Ecosistema
de Información Saludable y Robusto en América Latina y El Caribe

The Engine Room comenzó un nuevo proyecto destinado a contribuir a un
ecosistema de información saludable y robusto en América Latina y el
Caribe. Para darle inicio están realizando una llamada comunitaria para el
26 de octubre, donde conversarán sobre los desafíos que enfrenta la
sociedad civil en el ecosistema de la información en América Latina y las
oportunidades que ven para la acción colectiva. En la llamada, les
acompañarán Nathaly Espitia y Maria Juliana (Universidad Icesi, Cali.
Colombia) del Colectivo Noís Radio, Júlia Rocha de Artigo 19 y Ramiro
Alvarez Ugarte de CELE, quienes compartirán aprendizajes y conocimientos
sobre su trabajo en la región.

https://www.theengineroom.org/llamada-comunitaria-sostener-ecosistema-de-informacion-saludable/

8. Reports from Our Community:

a) Global: ‘Predator Files’ spyware scandal reveals brazen targeting of
civil society, politicians and officials

Amnesty International’s Security Lab has been investigating the use of the
powerful and highly invasive Predator spyware and its link to the Intellexa
alliance for some time. Shocking spyware attacks have been attempted
against civil society, journalists, politicians and academics in the
European Union (EU), USA and Asia. Between February and June 2023, social
media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook were used to publicly
target at least 50 accounts belonging to 27 individuals and 23 institutions.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/global-predator-files-spyware-scandal-reveals-brazen-targeting-of-civil-society-politicians-and-officials/

b) Digital Border Governance: A Human Rights Based Approach

As we navigate these evolving dynamics, it becomes paramount to address the
potential harms the use of digital technologies poses to human rights,
while also harnessing the opportunities they offer to facilitate safe and
dignified migration. This collaborative study, conducted by the UN Human
Rights Office and the University of Essex, analyzes the human rights
implications of specific border technologies.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2023/10/digital-technologies-borders-threat-people-move

c) Girls & Mobile 2023 Report

Girl Effect spoke to more than 10,000 young people and their parents from 9
countries and used a combination of research methods. They leveraged Girl
Effect’s network of girls and trained Technology Enabled Girl Ambassadors
(TEGAs) to go into communities and gather new insights, stories, and
experiences from youth to better understand the barriers they face when
coming online. Review their findings on the link below:

https://girleffect.org/girls-and-mobile/

_________________________________________________

### Digital Rights Resources ###

1. The Digital Identity Toolkit

This toolkit aims to help digital rights activists working on digital
identification systems to navigate the complexities of the topic in an
easier way, as well as to provide them with language that might help get
them started in campaigning, advocating, educating, and mobilizing around
digital ID systems. The toolkit works as a “choose your own adventure” game
where the player selects a Persona to start with and then navigates through
the System, Harm, and Mitigation stages based on the person’s
circumstances. Learn more about the toolkit on the following link:

https://www.accessnow.org/guide/digital-id-toolkit/

2. Protecting Your Digital Rights During Search And Seizure: Insights From
Radhika Roy

In light of the recent raids on homes of journalists, Internet Freedom’s
Foundation’s Radhika Roy explains how strong passwords, encryption, & court
orders matter in safeguarding your rights amidst searches & seizures.

https://www.medianama.com/2023/10/223-digital-rights-during-search-and-seizure-radhika-roy/

_________________________________________________

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

1. Palestinians Experiencing Complete Blackout As Israel Cuts Electricity,
Fuel, and Social Media Companies Suppress Information

Over two million residents in Gaza are facing an imminent threat of a
complete blackout to the outside world after Israel cut fuel and
electricity supplies and bombed the two primary telecommunication
companies. Palestinians fear that the total blockade aims to prevent
residents from telling the world what they are experiencing and witnessing.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-without-fuel-internet-disconnect-gaza-world

Internet access in the Gaza Strip has been severely affected by power cuts
and infrastructure damage, according to groups that track online
connectivity. As of Monday, eight of the primary internet service providers
serving the Gaza Strip had little to no connectivity.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-strip-experiencing-internet-outages-electricity-cuts-bombings-rcna119564

Meanwhile, TikTok and Instagram have come after a news site dedicated to
providing coverage on Palestine and Israel. (Note, TCU has received reports
from individuals stating that their account on Instagram has been frozen
when trying to post solidarity content with Palestine).

https://theintercept.com/2023/10/11/tiktok-instagram-israel-palestine/

In the midst of this, misinformation continues to spread, even on
respectable newsites. Here’s a look at some of the inaccurate material
circulating online.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/11/world/middleeast/israel-attacks-video-disinformation.html

2. EU's Thierry Breton Gives Elon Musk 24-hour Ultimatum to Deal with
Israel-Hamas Misinformation on X

The EU's digital rights chief warned the owner of X, formerly Twitter, that
war misinformation flooding the site was a potential breach of EU law. The
struggle to identify reliable sources for news about the war was
exacerbated over the weekend by Musk, who posted the names of two accounts
he said were "good" for "following the war in real-time". Journalists and X
users also pointed out that both accounts had previously shared a fake
AI-generated image of an explosion at the Pentagon, and that one of them
had posted numerous antisemitic comments in recent months. Musk later
deleted his post.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/10/11/eus-thierry-breton-gives-elon-musk-24-hour-ultimatum-to-deal-with-israel-hamas-misinformat

3. Israel’s Failure to Stop the Hamas Attack Shows the Danger of Too Much
Surveillance

The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet.
It’s also one of the most heavily locked down, surveilled, and suppressed.
Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel shows the limits of even the most advanced
and invasive surveillance dragnets as full-scale war erupts.

https://www.wired.com/story/israel-hamas-war-surveillance/

4. Need to Regulate Digital Spheres and Boost Protection Regimes with
Children at Higher Risk of Severe Rights Violations

UN Official States that Increased internet connectivity helps realize
children’s rights, but sophisticated technologies pose risk of abuse and
sexual exploitation.

https://reliefweb.int/report/world/children-higher-risk-severe-rights-violations-third-committee-emphasizes-need-regulate-digital-spheres-boost-protection-regimes

5. The UN Risks Normalizing Internet Censorship

The United Nations' top internet governance body will allegedly host its
next two annual meetings in countries known for repressive internet
policies and human rights abuses: Saudi Arabia and Russia. The UN has yet
to formally announce the host countries for the meetings.

https://www.wired.com/story/united-nations-igf-saudi-arabia-russia/

6. Vietnam Cites Child Safety in Calls for Greater Social Media Censorship
Used to Stifle Dissent

Vietnamese authorities announced last week the results of a monthslong
investigation into TikTok, finding that the social media platform’s
censorship processes failed to filter out content that violates Vietnamese
laws.

https://time.com/6322914/vietnam-tiktok-social-media-censorship-child-safety/

7. A Curious Censorship Issue at the Guantanamo Court

A prisoner’s PTSD was discussed in open court, and was central to a ruling
that he was unfit for trial. National security censors redacted it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/07/us/politics/censorship-guantanamo-court.html

8. This Week in Internet Shutdowns:

a) Clashes Reported in Libya's Benghazi Amid Communications Blackout

Telecoms in Libya's second-largest city, Benghazi, have been cut since
Friday, with authorities blaming a broken cable but the U.N. Libya mission
saying it comes amid armed clashes between the main military force and a
smaller group.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/clashes-reported-libyas-benghazi-amid-communications-blackout-2023-10-09/

b) Across Africa, Journalists Increasingly Must Navigate Internet Shutdowns

Limiting internet access hinders the ability of journalists to reach their
audiences, as many news outlets exist predominantly online. While some
African governments claim that these restrictions help maintain security
and combat the spread of mis- and disinformation, journalists say these
shutdowns are in fact meant to restrict the flow of information.

https://ijnet.org/en/story/across-africa-journalists-increasingly-must-navigate-internet-shutdowns

9. Iran’s Internet Freedom Under Siege: A Global Perspective

In an era where the internet’s influence continues to grow, and the fight
for digital liberties intensifies, the case of Iran serves as a stark
reminder of the challenges and consequences that come with navigating the
complex terrain of internet freedom in the modern world.

https://irannewsupdate.com/news/society/irans-internet-freedom-under-siege-a-global-perspective/

10. Californians can scrub personal info sold to advertisers with
first-in-US law

The Delete Act will enable residents to request all data brokers in the
state remove their information.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/oct/10/california-delete-act-signed-newsom

11. Hollywood’s Victory Can Help Everyday People Profit from Their Data

The agreement between the Hollywood studios and the Writers Guild
establishes a precedent for the protection of human creativity in an era of
artificial intelligence (AI). In addition, it might just provide a
foundation for an entirely transformed data economy, one that recognizes
individual rights to our personal digital identities.

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/4247405-how-hollywoods-victory-can-help-everyday-people-profit-from-their-data/

_________________________________________________

### 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

Internet Society

Youth Ambassador Program

Deadline: October 20, 2023

https://www.internetsociety.org/policy-programs/youth-ambassadors/

Green Web Foundation

Green Web Fellowship

Deadline: October 31, 2023

https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/fellowships/call-for-applications/

FOSS United

https://fossunited.org/grants

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 ###

Virtual School on Internet Governance

September 4 - November 25, 2023

Online

https://www.virtualsig.org/2023/05/30/vsig-registration-now-open/

Mozilla In-Person Event: Reclaim The Internet Exhibition

October 12 - 16, 2023

Berlin, Germany

https://reimagine.mozilla.org/en

Digital Sovereignty Conference

October 24 - 26, 2023

Ljubljana, Slovenia

https://disco.si

Llamada Comunitaria en América Latina y el Caribe

The Engine Room

October 26, 2023

Online

https://www.theengineroom.org/llamada-comunitaria-sostener-ecosistema-de-informacion-saludable/

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

✎ Managing Director 2023 | Integrity Institute

+ Remote

https://boards.greenhouse.io/integrityinstitute/jobs/4085423007

✎ Tech Outreach & Development Coordinator | Syria Justice and
Accountability Centre

+ Remote

https://syriaaccountability.org/outreach-development-coordinator/

✎ Project Manager | The Tor Project

+ Remote

https://www.careers-page.com/tor-project/job/L859RXYR

✎ Developer for App Censorship Monitoring Websites | GreatFire

+ Remote

https://applecensorship.com/news/we-are-hiring-developer-for-app-censorship-monitoring-websites

✎ Policy Analyst | Information Technology Innovation Foundation

+ Remote

https://datainnovation.org/about/jobs-and-internships/?gnk=job&gni=8a7887a18ab5134e018add9e93252f87

✎ Lead Community Tech Manager | Wikimedia Foundation

+ Remote

https://boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/5390848?gh_src=1bee818a1us

✎ Full Stack Web Developer | Syria Justice and Accountability Center

+ Remote/Washington DC

https://syriaaccountability.org/full-stack-web-developer/

✎ Facebook Ads Specialist (Freelance) - Part Time | Accelerate Change

+ Remote

https://acceleratechangenetwork.freshteam.com/jobs/Ib6eC7WDIWEG/facebook-ads-specialist-freelance-part-time-remote

✎ Director, Technology and Human Rights | Human Rights Watch

+ Multiple Locations Considered

https://boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightswatch/jobs/6930445002

✎ Indo-Pacific Program Officer | Internews

+ Remote

https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf04/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=INTERNEWS&cws=38&rid=2119

✎ Site Reliability Engineer III, Observability | Wikimedia Foundation

+ Remote

https://grnh.se/04dd58881us

✎ Senior Data Scientist, Community Growth | Wikimedia Foundation

+ Remote

https://boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/5380701?gh_src=07f5dd1d1us

✎ Deputy Project Director | IREX

+ Remote

https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1065INRE/JobBoard/86f30819-0126-446a-84bb-cf37a5e878c1/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=390f6fa4-3f34-47a3-b4d8-49f07c1cc010

✎ Director, Technology and Human Rights | Human Rights Watch

+ Multiple Locations Considered

https://boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightswatch/jobs/6930445002

✎ Technical Consultancy on CBP One mobile app | Amnesty International

+ Mexico

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/amnist%C3%ADa-internacional-am%C3%A9ricas_terms-of-reference-call-for-consultancy-activity-7109967809064914944--4sW

✎ Technologist | Centre for Internet and Society

+ India

https://cis-india.org/jobs/call-for-applications-technologist

✎ Web Developer | Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

+ Remote (UTC to UTC+4)

https://www.occrp.org/en/occrp-jobs/web-developer

✎ Information Security Manager, Information and Media Practice | IREX

+ Remote

https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1065INRE/JobBoard/86f30819-0126-446a-84bb-cf37a5e878c1/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=540f4f5e-e8b6-4558-b544-ccd81be4247e

✎ Deputy Project Director, Information and Media Practice | IREX

+ Remote

https://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1065INRE/JobBoard/86f30819-0126-446a-84bb-cf37a5e878c1/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=390f6fa4-3f34-47a3-b4d8-49f07c1cc010

✎ People Operations Associate | Wikimedia Foundation

+ Remote

https://boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/5369904?gh_src=1c9e27121us

✎ Lead Counsel (Content Compliance & Strategic Litigation) | Wikimedia
Foundation

+ Remote

https://boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/5231626?gh_src=6fe3ccbe1us

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

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You can now submit your news for the Digital Rights weekly directly.

To post your job opportunities, submit your opportunities to our Job Board.

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

You can now submit your news for the Digital Rights weekly directly.
To post your job opportunities, submit your opportunities to our Job Board.
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