Digital Rights Weekly | August 26 - 30

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of August 26 - 30. As a reminder, you can submit your news for
the newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

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### Team CommUNITY (TCU) ###

1. Digital Rights Town Halls Are Coming Back in September!

Sept. 5 | Is There HOPE for Phone Privacy? CalyxOS and Privacy-Focused
FLOSS Phone Solutions
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=September_5_2024_GM

Sept. 12 | The Digital Rights Monopoly: Discussing Gamification as a
Tool for Digital Literacy
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=September_12_2024_GM

Sept. 19 | What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World?
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=September_19_2024_GM


2. Sept 12: RSVP for Outline Community Hub Kick-Off

Join the September 12 kick-off meetup for the Outline Community Hub
and let us know how the hub can better support you! If you are joining
the Global Gathering, share what conversations and training you want
to see at the Outline Village @ GG. RSVP now:

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

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###


1. Webinar: "Technology at the US-Mexico Border: What Communities Need to Know"

Join Amnesty on September 11 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time for a
discussion on how technology, including artificial intelligence, is
transforming the landscape of the US-Mexico border, and how it's
altering the experience of people seeking asylum, border communities,
and others. The webinar will also cover how communities can protect
themselves. Simultaneous interpretation in English and Spanish will be
offered. RSVP soon:

https://amnesty-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_s0gGw2UaS-iApFzdq2iwrw#/registration


2. Freedom of the Press Foundation Advice Column: “Ask a Security Trainer”

Are you a journalist with a digital security question? Share it with
Freedom of the Press Foundation in the following link for their new
digital security advice column! They’ll try to feature your question
in the column and also feature questions that they receive frequently
from journalists in their regular newsroom digital security trainings.

https://freedom.press/training/team/dst-advice-column/


3. Maduro Must #KeepItOn in Times of Protest & Unrest

As people in Venezuela protested to contest the outcome of the 2024
general elections which declared Maduro as winner, authorities in
Venezuela have resorted to shutting down the internet, censoring any
dissenting opinions, and other digital repression tactics to silence,
intimidate, and target critics. Numerous organizations and members of
the #KeepItOnCoalition are demanding that the Nicolás Maduro regime
stop imposing internet shutdowns and blocking essential communications
platforms in Venezuela.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/maduro-keepiton-during-protest-and-unrest/


4. According to Greatfire, VPNs Are Getting Slower in China

Over the past few months several popular VPNs have become less
reliable in China. GreatFire tracking tools shows that, over the past
60 days, eight of the ten VPNs they track have become more sluggish in
China. Expressvpn, one of the biggest providers, has been running 41%
slower than in the previous 60 days. Astrill has been running 11%
slower over the same period.

https://cc.greatfire.org/en

https://www.economist.com/china/2024/08/22/why-are-vpns-getting-slower-in-china
(need to sign in to read)



5. Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Arrested

French judicial authorities extended the detention of the Russian-born
founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, after his arrest at a Paris airport
over alleged offenses related to the messaging app.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/25/telegram-app-founder-pavel-durov-to-appear-in-court-after-arrest-in-paris

Access Now’s statement on Durov’s detention outlines some of
Telegram’s failures in meeting digital security and safety standards.
However, the statement insists that French authorities should strictly
adhere to the rule of law, procedural safeguards, and human rights
standards.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/access-now-statement-on-detention-of-telegram-ceo-pavel-durov/

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### Community Resources ###

1. Seven Layers: Persian Podcast on Digital Rights

The latest episode of Seven Layers, a Persian digital rights podcast,
delves into how increasing cyberattacks in the last two years are
putting Iranians at risk, how users’ collected data is used and
misused, and the responsibility private companies and platforms have
to protect users.

https://www.radiofarda.com/a/33085738.html

Make sure to check out this article that explains the history of
censorship in Iran, and why Iranians are dreading the government’s
plan to create a ‘national internet,” a domestic network cut off from
the real internet.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202408218106


2. Analysis: Is Telegram Really an Encrypted Messaging App?

Cryptographer and professor, Matthew Green, explains why Telegram
fails to meet the stronger definition of an encrypted app.

https://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2024/08/25/telegram-is-not-really-an-encrypted-messaging-app/


3. Tech Giants Criticized for Silencing Pro-Palestinian Narratives

The censorship of pro-Palestinian voices on social media is more than
just a localized issue; it is part of a broader problem concerning the
role of digital platforms in regulating speech and shaping public
discourse.

https://globalvoices.org/2024/08/28/tech-giants-criticized-for-silencing-pro-palestinian-narratives/


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

1. Israel is Buying Google Ads to Discredit the UN’s Top Palestine Aid Agency

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA) - the UN’s top Gaza aid agency -  is calling out Israel’s
strategy of promoting misinformation online via Google search and
video advertisements. This is after UNRWA discovered a months-long
online ad campaign to discredit and defund UNRWA, which was paid by
the Israeli Government Advertising Agency. Several current and former
Google employees told WIRED that the anti-UNRWA campaign is just one
of a volley of ads that Israel has orchestrated in recent months,
which have drawn complaints both inside and outside of the country.

https://www.wired.com/story/israel-unrwa-usa-hamas-google-search-ads/

Meanwhile, from March 3 to April 4, 2024, the Pew Research Centre
conducted a poll examining the views of adults living in Israel on
social media. In their summary of findings they note that since
October Israeli authorities have detained dozens of Arab citizens over
their social media posts related to the war. Many others have faced
disciplinary measures at work or school for things they shared online.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/08/26/many-israelis-say-social-media-content-about-the-israel-hamas-war-should-be-censored/


2. Learn Strategies Used by Gatoes to Become the Largest Food Delivery
App in the Internet Shutdown Capital of the World.

Gatoes was founded in 2020 during a months-long internet restriction
imposed by the Indian government. It is now the largest food delivery
app in Jammu and Kashmir. Part of their success was designing for
Internet disruptions: they build an app that works perfectly at 2G
internet speed, and are incredibly hands-on with user education and
support. Currently, they are working on a separate delivery app that
can run offline.

https://restofworld.org/2024/gatoes-kashmir-internet-shutdowns-startups/


3. Turkiye Banned Instagram for Nine Days in August

In August 2024, Turkey imposed a sudden and controversial ban on
Instagram, one of the country’s most widely used social media
platforms. New agencies have linked the ban to Instagram’s
restrictions on content in support of Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent
Hamas leader who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Tehran.

https://smex.org/why-did-turkiye-ban-instagram-for-nine-days/


4. UN Cybercrime Convention is A Risk to Human Rights & Global Privacy

The UN Convention on Cybercrime raised significant alarm within the
global human rights community. These concerns escalated further when,
on August 8th, UN Member States unanimously adopted the convention,
following unsuccessful last-minute efforts to remove central human
rights protections. In part, while presented as a global milestone, it
dangerously weakens human rights by offering broad criminal offense
definitions and expansive surveillance powers, both domestically and
across borders.


https://www.justsecurity.org/98738/cybercrime-convention-human-rights/

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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://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Fundraising_Opportunities

Public Interest Technology Fund
Deadline: Rolling
https://pitg.network/fund/

Digital Rights Fund for WANA Region
Deadline: Rolling
SMEX
https://smex.org/digital-rights-fund/

FOSS United
Deadline: Rolling
https://fossunited.org/grants

Open Tech Fund
Deadline: Rolling
https://apply.opentech.fund

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 Feminist Activism
Deadline: Rolling Basis
https://urgentactionfund.org /

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

Apoyos de Respuesta Rápida
Fondo Acción Urgente
Deadline: Rolling
https://fondoaccionurgente.org.co/es/que-hacemos/apoyos-de-respuesta-rapida

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

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### Events Calendar ###

Escuela Virtual de Gobernanza de Internet (Español)
2 de agosto - 25 de septiembre, 2024
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdK-10SQo99_xoTX_dAKe1kyw-wbSmVj5ol02SuHxi6YigH1Q/viewform

Digital Security Clinic for Filmmakers
Field of Vision and Freedom of the Press Foundation
August 13, 20, 27, and September 3, 2024
https://fieldofvision.org/news-and-resources/digital-security-clinic-2024

Training in Psychological First Aid
Vita-Activa.Org
August 30, 2024
12pm EST
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtf-iuqjgiEt1f4TXA4pqfaqpGbUY-k8Sx

Is There HOPE for Phone Privacy? CalyxOS and Privacy-Focused FLOSS
Phone Solutions (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
September 5, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=September_5_2024_GM

The Future of Work: Making AI Work for the Many
Registration deadline: 26 August 26, 2024
September 9, 2024
15:00-17:00 CEST 9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=m1hzOUCetU6ADrC2OD0WIWbZ2GcbgkFFlRVuw8Im5JpUNUxZUFBGRE1XSllFSTlZMFo5NzBJVlZBWS4u

Technology at the US-Mexico Border: What Communities Need to Know (Webinar)
Amnesty
September 11
1:30pm ET
https://amnesty-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_s0gGw2UaS-iApFzdq2iwrw#/registration

Outline Community Hub Kick-Off Meetup
Jigsaw, Team CommUNITY
September 12
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/outline_community_hub_kick_off_meetup

The Digital Rights Monopoly: Discussing Gamification as a Tool for
Digital Literacy (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
September 12, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=September_12_2024_GM

What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
September 19, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=September_19_2024_GM

FIFAfrica24
September 25-27, 2024
Dakar, Senegal
https://internetfreedom.africa/now-open-call-for-session-proposals-and-travel-support-applications/

4D European Conference
Fundacio Cat & XNet
October 9th, 2024
Barcelona, Spain
https://4d.cat/en/conference/

Digital Investigation Residency
Tactical Tech
November 18-22, 2024
Berlin, Germany
Deadline to apply: August 30, 2024.
https://exposingtheinvisible.org/en/news/call-investigation-institute-2024/

13th Edition of RightsCon
Access Now
February 24-27, 2025
February 2025
East Asia and online
https://www.rightscon.org/registration/

Check out a list of our virtual events here:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=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 Site Reliability Engineer, Data Engineering at Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote (review the countries where they are able to hire)
https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/6192707?gh_src=cb1835fd1us

✎ Senior Software Engineer, Wikimedia Enterprise
+ Remote (review the list of countries where they are able to hire)
https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/6193300?gh_src=7159c2861us

✎ Information Management Officer to support Community Voices Sudan at Internews
+ Remote (GMT +2/+3 hours are preferred)
https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf04/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=INTERNEWS&cws=38&rid=2294

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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### 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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