Digital Rights Weekly | August 28 - September 1

Fri Sep 1 02:17:41 CEST 2023

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of August 28 - September 1. As a reminder, you can submit your
news for the newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### Team CommUNITY (TCU) ###

1. Take a look at our Digital Rights Regional Briefs of July!

These are the last briefs from the 2022-2023 community leads cohort.
We are deeply thankful for their work strengthening our community
building. During this time, the regional community leads from Africa,
Asia, Latin America, and the MENA region have organized the regional
meetups, invited and prepared the participation of great guests for
the Glitter Meetups, and have written these amazing digital rights
monthly briefs. Thank you so much for your incredible contribution!

This month you can find information on loan apps in Mexico, a
comparative evaluation of cybercrime laws in the MENA region, updates
about digital security training in Sub-Saharan Africa, plus plenty of
job opportunities in the Asian digital rights space.

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/regionalbriefsjuly2023

2. 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 next  workshop:

October 3, Imposter Syndrome in Activism: How Do We Cope?:
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/wellbeingmonthly4

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

Find out how we are approaching the 2023 Global Gathering (GG) to
address real challenges that impact safety and security of
participants. This year’s edition in Portugal is part of a 3-year
vision to grow the GG in a sustainable way. The event is less than two
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

4. Glitter Meetups Season Break: They Will Resume on October 5!

We had our last Glitter Meetup for the season on July 13. We will
resume on October 5, so stay tuned. We want to take the opportunity to
thank all our featured guests and Team CommUNITY's staff who have made
Glitter Meetups amazing, glittertastic spaces for our community!

_________________________________________________

### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Course in Digital Kinship: Redefining Relationality in the Digital Age

“Digital Kinship: Redefining Relationality in the Digital Age” is an
immersive, nine-week online course exploring our evolving identities,
systems and relationships in a world profoundly shaped by digital
technology. Set against a backdrop of seismic societal shifts and
rooted in Afro-diasporic and Global South perspectives, the program
brings together eleven trailblazing experts from diverse fields. The
course begins on October 3rd, 2023, and delves into the complex
tapestry of power dynamics, artificial intelligence, and human
connection.

Digital-kinship.com

2. Muslim Counterpublics Lab’s Narrative Power Fellowship

Muslim Counterpublics Lab’s inaugural Muslim Narrative Power
Fellowship will be a five-month program starting this November that
guides emerging and mid-level Muslim writers on the theory and
practice of narrative-shifting and narrative power building. Find out
more and apply here:

https://www.muslimcounterpublicslab.org/fellowship

3. Harnessing AI for Truth: ICFJ Invites Innovators to Combat Disinformation

Attention journalists, technologists, and product specialists
worldwide! The International Center for Journalists LEAP Innovation
Lab is excited to announce its 2023 Solutions Challenge, a 12-week
program focused on using AI to combat disinformation. With the support
of experienced coaches, participants will develop products and
processes that use AI to amplify the truth. Participants will have a
chance to receive a development grant at the end of the program. The
program will start on September 18. Application deadline: September 3,
2023. To learn more and to apply:

https://www.icfj.org/news/harnessing-ai-truth-icfj-invites-innovators-combat-disinformation

______________________________________________

### Digital Rights Resources ###

1. Reflections from a Workshop: Unpacking Funder Influence Over
Digital Rights Nonprofits

At Rightscon 2023, practitioners discussed the complex role of
autonomy, dependence, and accountability in funder–grantee
relationships. This post starts with unpacking the problem:

https://www.openglobalrights.org/unpacking-funder-influence-digital-rights-nonprofits/

2. Podcast: Riding for Deliveroo

When the gig economy hit cities across the world in the early 2010s,
gig companies promised flexible working hours to their “contractors”
and on-demand ease to their customers. In reality, the companies and
their algorithms have induced a monumental change in patterns of work
and consumption, recomposing commercial districts in pursuit of more
efficient last-mile delivery and invisibilising deeply exploitative
and often criminally underpaid labor practices.

In a bid to understand this new form of “algorithmic management”,
researcher Callum Cant took a job riding for Deliveroo, a food
delivery startup that was founded in the UK. This first conversation
involves a discussion of the “workers’ inquiry” methodology and class
composition analysis that inspired Callum Cant’s research:

https://failedarchitecture.com/podcast/riding-for-deliveroo-w-callum-cant/

_________________________________________________

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

1. Nepal: Revise Cybersecurity Policy to Avoid Further Internet Fragmentation

Earlier this month, Nepal’s cabinet approved a new National Cyber
Security Policy, which is so far only available in Nepali. While an
earlier draft version in 2021 had been shared for limited public
consultation, the recently-approved policy introduces new provisions
that raise serious concern for internet freedom.

https://www.article19.org/resources/nepal-revise-cybersecurity-policy-to-avoid-further-internet-fragmentation/

2. Namibian Researchers Call on Ministry to Protect Digital Rights

Technology policy researcher says it is important to create regulatory
frameworks that guide the protection of rights in the digital space.

https://www.namibian.com.na/researchers-call-on-ministry-to-protect-digital-rights/

3. Poorest Get Short End of Stick in Serbia's New Digital Welfare System

Thousands of low-income Serbians’ benefits have stopped since the
government rolled out its Social Card system in 2022 – hailing it as a
way to make welfare fairer and tackle fraud.

https://www.dailysabah.com/business/economy/poorest-get-short-end-of-stick-in-serbias-new-digital-welfare-system

4. There’s a Cop In My Pocket: Policymakers Need to Stop Advocating
Surveillance by Default

Encryption, cybersecurity, and technology policies, like the RESTRICT
and EARN-IT Acts, with nonexistent tradeoffs address symptoms, not
problems, and they do it badly.

https://www.cfr.org/blog/theres-cop-my-pocket-policymakers-need-stop-advocating-surveillance-default

5. Navigating the Boundaries of Free Speech: Nigeria’s Twitter Ban

Governments worldwide are faced with the challenge of striking a
balance between safeguarding citizens’ rights and ensuring national
security. A clear example of this situation occurred when the
government of Nigeria officially banned Twitter in 2021.

https://globalvoices.org/2023/08/28/navigating-the-boundaries-of-free-speech-nigerias-twitter-ban/

6. NSA Orders Employees to Spy on the World “With Dignity and Respect”

A digital rights advocate said: “This is like the CIA putting out a
statement saying that going forward they’ll only waterboard people
with dignity and respect.”

https://theintercept.com/2023/08/25/nsa-spy-dignity-respect/

7. Digital Persecution: Surveillance in Queer Digital Spaces

While digital spaces have often been a haven for queer communities and
movements in the MENA region, governments are increasingly
compromising these spaces through entrapment, blackmail, arrests, and
persecution.

https://timep.org/2023/08/25/digital-persecution-surveillance-in-queer-digital-spaces/

8. No Perfect Solution to Platform Profiling Under Digital Services Act

The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) sets out rules to increase
advertising transparency and to give users more insight and control
over their content recommendations. Many of the DSA’s requirements for
the largest online platforms and search engines took effect on August
25, and compliance-related announcements from the designated services
are already rolling in.

https://techpolicy.press/no-perfect-solution-to-platform-profiling-under-digital-services-act/

9. Estonia Plans To Increase Electronic Surveillance On Border With Russia

Estonia is planning to increase electronic surveillance along the
Narva River, which forms the northern part of its border with Russia.
The board of the Estonian Police and Border Guard said the project
involves the installation of six digital cameras and radar
checkpoints, expanding the number of monitoring points to 15.

https://www.rferl.org/a/estonia-surveillance-russia-border/32561834.html

_________________________________________________

### 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

LEAP Innovation Lab
2023 Solution’s Challenge
Deadline: September 18, 2023
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LT2Zn_eZ_BoVU4kYbW46EZUGuZrR8oUVS29tckTGZoY/edit

Muslim Counterpublics Lab
Muslim Narrative Power Fellowship
September 22, 2023
https://www.muslimcounterpublicslab.org/fellowship

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 ###

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

DWeb+CoolabCamp
September 7-10, 2023
Brazil
https://dwebcamp.coolab.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

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

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

✎ Deputy Executive Director | WITNESS Inc
+ Remote
http://www.missiontalent.com/openings/witness-ded/

✎ Group Product Manager, Contributors | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/4d19deaa1us

✎ Senior Data Engineer | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/2fb4fc3d1us

✎ Senior Policy Analyst, Data Use & Privacy | Open Technology
Institute, New America
+ Washington, DC, USA
http://newamerica.applytojob.com/apply/rO8MNRjp2E/

✎ Chief of Party | Internews
+  Remote in Costa Rica
https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf04/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=INTERNEWS&cws=38&rid=2112

✎ Activity Director for a MDM project in The Americas | Internews
+  Washington, DC, USA
https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf04/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=INTERNEWS&cws=38&rid=2112

✎  Digital Security Helpline Manager (MENA) | Access Now
+  Tunis, Tunisia
http://accessnow.bamboohr.com/careers/195?source=aWQ9MjA%3D

✎  Fairness Specialist | Eticas
+  Remote (EU based)
http://eticastech.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Intranet/EW3ehrDG0FhKlgsZkNtGwh4Bq6Q6sOjlYBdJL6eB7JlzlQ?e=gnrI39

✎  Global (non-USA) Business Development Lead | Eticas
+  Remote (EU based)
http://eticastech.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Intranet/Ee0izdjvOwJFkN_AuZyKl2cBmMBoeK6AT2ZXiuotXcqdGg?e=T3ckzJ

✎  Senior Business Development Manager (USA) | Eticas
+  Remote in USA
http://eticastech.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Intranet/EaT4I7RzdetAmlrOg2-fWeMBjH0OD9u3aSUStmEzaO4FyQ?e=cdUijq

✎  Digital Librarian | Data Privacy Brasil
+  Remote
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMPSCtJPv--AiYzfFQ97N-DiJUttl-JaWuwEActOHYc5Sv9Q/viewform

✎  Policy Counsel | OTI and Wireless Future Project, New America
+  Washington, DC, USA
http://newamerica.applytojob.com/apply/nOTqxgCETZ/

✎  Policy Analyst | OTI and Wireless Future Project, New America
+  Washington, DC, USA
http://newamerica.applytojob.com/apply/nOTqxgCETZ/

✎  Director of Engineering, Developer Experience | Wikimedia Foundation
+  Remote
https://grnh.se/41aec0771us

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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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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