Digital Rights Weekly | October 16 - 20

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of October 16 - 20. As a reminder, you can submit your news for
the newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### Team CommUNITY (TCU) ###

1. 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

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Bread&Net Postponed

After careful consideration of the unfolding political situation in
Palestine and Southern Lebanon, Beirut’s Bread&Net will be postponed
until April 2024. This decision considers the accessibility to all
their speakers and participants and recognizes the need for a safe and
secure space.

https://twitter.com/breadandnet/status/1713920707426656557?t=Ag0Y1M64DJthhmJyVeQ2NA&s=19


2. Organizations Call for Tech Companies to Respect Palestinian
Digital Rights in Times of Crisis

A collective of human rights and civil society organizations urges
tech companies to immediately take strict measures to protect their
users from harm.

https://7amleh.org/2023/10/13/7amleh-center-along-with-civil-organizations-release-a-statement-calling-tech-companies-to-respect-palestinian-digital-rights-in-times-of-crisis


3. Europe: Tackling Content About Gaza & Israel Must Respect Rule of Law

Global civil society organizations have written to European
Commissioner Thierry Breton to respect due process when enforcing the
Digital Service Act in the context of the armed conflict.

https://www.article19.org/resources/europe-tackling-content-gaza-israel-must-respect-rule-of-law/


4. Green Screen Catalyst Fund Is Open!

The Green Screen Catalyst Fund's call for proposals on the
intersection of climate justice and digital rights is now open.
Individuals and organizations worldwide can apply for 10.000 USD -
40.000 USD to work on projects at this intersection. Deadline:
November 15, 2023.

https://greenscreen.network/en/catalyst-fund/


5. Digital Freedom Fund Will Accept Applications in November

Apply for grants supporting strategic litigation to advance digital
rights in Europe. Call for applications period: mid-November 2023 to
14 February 2024.

https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/


6. Leadership Summit Portugal on October 27:

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:

https://www.leadershipsummitportugal.com/bilhetes


7. Press Freedom Group Warns Israel Against Banning Al-Jazeera

Israel approved new emergency regulations this week that could pave
the way for censoring Al Jazeera. The Committee to Protect Journalists
called it to refrain from banning it: “Plurality of media voices is
essential in order to hold power to account, especially in times of
war."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2023/10/18/israel-al-jazeera-committee-to-protect-journalists-threat-censor/


8. Reports from Our Community!

a) Digitization of Identities: Efforts, Experiences, and Effects

Check out the new pilot study, conducted in Nepal by Body&Data, which
examines the promotion and the use of biometric digital identity
systems as a universal solution for legal identification and access to
services. Their findings reveal significant disparities between the
promises and realities of using biometric digital identity systems.

English Version:
https://bodyanddata.org/digitization-of-identities-efforts-experiences-and-effects/

Nepali Version: https://bodyanddata.org/digitization-of-identities-nep2/


b) Amnesty International Brief on Technology and Inequality

The briefing outlines how human rights organizations and governments
should be increasingly concerned with the use of digitized systems
across several sectors, including migration, labor, and criminal
justice, as drivers of structural inequality.

https://amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Amnesty-Tech-and-Inequality-Report-Digitally-Divided.pdf


c) Bellingcat Report About Hamas Attacks, Israel Bombs Gaza and Online
Misinformation

Misinformation has been spreading rapidly online ever since Hamas
launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7. Bellingcat found
one case where a widely shared video was said to show something false,
while actually revealing important information about an airstrike.

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

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### Digital Rights Resources ###

1. Advanced Guide on Verifying Video Content:

Researchers and journalists often need to verify user-generated video
content from social networks and file sharing platforms, such as
YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Review the following guide with methods
that help to verify most content:

https://gijn.org/advanced-guide-on-verifying-video-content/


2. The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association Guide To Help Newsrooms

The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association issued guidance to
help newsrooms more accurately and critically cover issues related to
Israel and Palestine. They expect these recommendations to evolve as
events unfold.

https://www.ameja.org/resources/Documents/Palestine%20Israel%20Reporting%20Guide%2010-07-23%20(1).pdf

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

1. Gaza’s Disappearing Internet, Visualized

Over two million people in the Gaza Strip face complete isolation from
the world, with internet and power access shrinking as Israel
continues to retaliate against Hamas atrocities.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/13/middleeast/gaza-internet-outage-map-visuals-dg/index.html


2. X Removes Thousands of Israel-Hamas Misinformation Accounts and
Posts Amid EU Demand

The EU's digital rights chief gave X (formerly Twitter) 24 hours to
outline how the platform would meet the bloc's new digital rules. The
social media platform X has removed hundreds of Hamas-linked accounts
and taken down or labeled thousands of pieces of content.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/10/12/elon-musks-x-removes-thousands-of-israel-hamas-misinformation-accounts-and-posts-amid-eu-d


3. How Pro-Palestinian Voices on Social Media Avoid Gaza Censorship &
Shadow Bans

Palestinian coverage of Gaza has been silenced and censored on social
media, but now pro-Palestinian accounts have found new ways to fight
back.

https://www.newarab.com/features/palestinian-instagram-avoids-gaza-censorship-and-shadow-bans


4. Instagram Censored Image of Gaza Hospital Bombing, Claims It’s Too Sexual

In responses to users who tried to post an alleged picture of the Gaza
hospital bombing, Instagram and Facebook said it violated guidelines
for sexual content or nudity.

https://theintercept.com/2023/10/18/gaza-hospital-instagram-facebook-censored/
 (firewall)

Instagram Inserted ‘Terrorist’ Into Palestinian Bio Translations And
‘Sincerely Apologizes’:

https://www.404media.co/instagram-palestinian-arabic-bio-translation/


5. Protest Targets Media Censorship of Palestinian Resistance

There have also been on the ground action against censorship,
including Philadelphia and the UK.

https://www.workers.org/2023/10/73988/

Pro-Palestinian activists in the UK defy censorship and free speech crackdown.

https://www.newarab.com/features/uk-protesters-defy-censorship-highlight-israeli-apartheid


6. How Social Media Abdicated Responsibility for the News

The Israel-Hamas war has displayed with fresh urgency the perils of
relying on our feeds for updates about events unfolding in real time.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/how-social-media-abdicated-responsibility-for-the-news


7. VPN Users in Tanzania Will Soon Be Forced to Reveal What They Do Online

Digital rights advocates from the Tanzania Digital Right Coalition
(TCRC) have voiced their concerns on how such a rule would negatively
impact Tanzanians' rights to privacy, freedom of speech, and access to
information.

https://www.techradar.com/computing/cyber-security/vpn-users-in-tanzania-will-soon-be-forced-to-reveal-what-they-do-online


8. India Uses Widespread Internet Blackouts to Mask Domestic Turmoil

Between 2016 and this May, India accounted for more than half of all
the shutdowns recorded worldwide by an international coalition of more
than 300 digital rights groups led by Access Now.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/18/india-internet-blackouts/


9. Universal Music, BandLab Technologies Team Up To Protect Artist
Rights Amid Rising AI Use

The deal marks the latest move by the label in the music industry,
which is grappling with songs created by generative AI — a technology
that makes it easy for internet users to mimic artists' voices, often
without their consent.

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/universal-music-bandlab-team-up-protect-artist-rights-amid-rising-ai-use-2023-10-18/


10. A Look Into Uganda’s Digital Services Tax

In July 2023, the Ugandan parliament passed a digital services tax.
The Income Tax Amendment Act 2023 imposes a 5 percent levy on the
income earned in Uganda on digital services provided by non-resident
companies such as Meta and Netflix.

https://globalvoices.org/2023/10/17/a-look-into-ugandas-digital-services-tax/


11. They Supported Airstrike Victims in Myanmar, Then They Were Doxed
and Arrested

In April, Myanmar's military junta launched one of its deadliest air
strikes—killing more than 160 people. Pro-junta Telegram channels
systematically doxed people who showed support for the victims on
social media.

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/myanmar-doxxing-airstrike


12. How Ads on Your Phone Can Aid Government Surveillance

Federal agencies buy bulk data, collected from ads you might never
see, that can yield valuable information about you.

https://www.wsj.com/tech/cybersecurity/how-ads-on-your-phone-can-aid-government-surveillance-943bde04


13. It Will Take More Than Robots to Manage the Robots

We need a wider range of voices to address the responsibility
platforms play in protecting the health of our information ecology.

https://time.com/6324817/managing-ai-social-media-disinformation/


14. Will AI Change the Legal Profession?

If there was a court case on whether society should embrace artificial
intelligence (AI) or reject it, there would likely be a hung jury.
No-one, it seems, can decide whether the benefits - such as automating
written tasks, and sifting through vast amounts of information in
seconds - outweigh the problems of biased data, and a lack of accuracy
and accountability.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67121212


15. California Takes Some Big Steps for Digital Rights

California often sets the bar for technology legislation across the
country. This year, the state enacted several laws that strengthen
consumer digital rights.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/10/california-takes-some-big-steps-digital-rights


16. The Internet Could Be So Good, Really

Today’s social platforms are designed for spectacle and
entertainment—but it’s not too late to build a platform that improves
society.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/10/social-media-platforms-business-models-dialogue-network/675655/

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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

Green Web Foundation
Green Web Fellowship
Deadline: October 31, 2023
https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/fellowships/call-for-applications/

The Green Screen
Catalyst Fund
Deadline: November 15, 2023
https://greenscreen.network/en/catalyst-fund/

Digital Freedom Fund
Deadline: February 14, 2024
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/

FOSS United
Deadline: Rolling
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/
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### Events Calendar ###

Encryption Workshop
Human Rights Network Nigeria with Access Now and Internet Society Foundation
October 21, 2023
Lagos, Nigeria and Online
https://bit.ly/HRJNEncryptionWorkshop

Digital Sovereignty Conference
October 24 - 26, 2023
Ljubljana, Slovenia
https://disco.si

Glitter Meetup: Providing Psychosocial Support to Artists in the Digital Field
Team CommUNITY
October 26, 2023
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=October_26_2023_GM

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/

Leadership Summit Portugal
October 26, 2023
https://www.leadershipsummitportugal.com/bilhetes

The Glitterest Glitter Meetup
Team CommUNITY
November 2, 2023
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=November_2_2023_GM

Virtual School on Internet Governance
Jan 22 - April 13, 2024
Online
https://forms.gle/5G8y3NTVMVHwr3MP8

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

✎ Investigative Researcher on Technology and Human Rights | Amnesty
International
+ London, UK and other AI headquarters considered
https://careers.amnesty.org/vacancy/investigative-researcher-on-technology-and-human-rights-3908/3936/description/

✎ Digital Rights Caseworker | Worker Info Exchange
+ Remote
https://www.workerinfoexchange.org/opportunities

✎ Volunteering in Multiple Positions | Digital Rurals Foundation
+ Remote
https://forms.gle/GZh8dVwCduDpNg5i9

✎ Senior Research Specialist | Center for Information Technology
Policy, Princeton University
+ Princeton, NJ, USA
https://research-princeton.icims.com/jobs/17925/senior-research-specialist/job

✎ Human Resources – Manager | eQualitie
+ Quebec, Canada (remote possible)
https://equalit.ie/job-post/human-resources-manager/

✎ Communications & Marketing Lead | eQualitie
+ Remote in Eastern USA and European Timezones
https://equalit.ie/job-post/communications-marketing-lead/

✎ Product Manager, Mobile Apps | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/b4d344a01us

✎ Marketing Consultant/firm for Promotional Campaign of Digital
Peacebuilding Tools | Search for Common Ground
+ Remote
http://jobs.lever.co/sfcg/190a1eb1-5e11-4db0-8e4d-e1340455add0

✎ Communications Specialist | African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF)
+ Remote
https://awdf.simplicant.com/jobs/50451-communications-specialist/detail

✎ Business Development Associate | Re:Coded
+ Remote from Argelia
https://recoded.recruitee.com/o/business-development-associate-algeria

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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### 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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