Digital Rights Weekly | November 25 - 29

Mon Dec 2 09:19:18 CET 2024

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of November 25 - 29. 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. Resilience Technologies: Getting to Know their Work in Advancing
Cybersecurity for CSOs the African Way

Resilience Technologies is a Sub-Saharan African organization
committed to enhancing digital security and resilience for African
civil society initiatives and at-risk communities. We spoke with their
executive director, Elizabeth Kolade, to learn more about their
pioneering Spyware Fellowship program in the region and their tool,
Zeroth Cloud, which detects and addresses threats before they can
develop into attacks.

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/community-series-resilience-technologies

2. Give Us Your Feedback to Improve This Newsletter!

You can leave comments and suggestions anonymously on how we can make
this service more valuable to you using the following Riseup Pad link:

https://pad.riseup.net/p/TCUFeedback-keep

3. Join the Last TCU Events Until 2025!

Dec. 5 | What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World?
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=December_5_2024_GM

Dec. 12 | Goodbye! Until 2025
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=December_12_2024_GM

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. IDREAM Call For Applications: Capacity Building for Human Right
Defenders in Exile

The Center for Victim’s of Torture’s IDREAM project seeks applications
from exiled Human Rights Defenders and organizations to join a global
capacity development project. The project will provide training and
networking on advocacy efforts, psychosocial resilience and
well-being, in addition to physical and digital security. Deadline: 31
December 2024.

https://www.cvt.org/what-we-do/movement-building/building-resilience/idream/idream-call-for-applications/

2. CTRL + SPEAK: A Human Rights Magazine for Human Rights Friendly
Schools in Kenya

CTRL+Speak magazine aims to empower children and young people to
understand and advocate for their rights in the digital space. It
highlights the importance of digital rights, which are human rights
applied to the internet, and explores the challenges faced by children
and young people in accessing and using the internet safely.

https://www.amnestykenya.org/ctrl-speak/

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### Community Resources  ###

1. Show Episode: Using Tech to Bypass Censorship

This DW episode discusses autocratic crack down on information access
- and ways to circumvent censorship. The show also covers police use
of AI to track down criminals, and also asks if tech has become the
“ultimate tour guide”.

https://www.dw.com/en/using-tech-to-bypass-censorship/video-70857232

2. Commentaries on the Digital Rights Landscape

a) Online Content is a Commodity: The Information Value Chain as a
Framework for Tackling Disinformation

The information value chain has three stages: production,
distribution, and consumption. By seeing disinformation as a
commodity, we can better identify and address the underlying
motivations of its producers, distributors, and consumers.
Disinformation may have been neglecting the demand side of
disinformation.

https://www.techpolicy.press/online-content-is-a-commodity-the-information-value-chain-as-a-framework-for-tackling-disinformation/

b) On the Coming Merger of Tech & State Power

There is deep concern about what's coming: what many see on the
horizon is an unprecedented fusion of Silicon Valley's power with
state authority that could reshape how we govern technology globally..

https://www.techpolicy.press/on-the-coming-merger-of-tech-and-state-power/

c) Authoritarians Expand Restrictions on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

To access the internet, users in unfree countries rely on
circumvention tools that repressive rulers target, and increasingly
so. Democratic governments and technology companies can do more to
keep the internet accessible.

https://freedomhouse.org/article/another-door-closes-authoritarians-expand-restrictions-virtual-private-networks

d) Privacy or Peril? Unpacking Cameroon’s New Data Protection Bill

While Cameroon’s Data Protection Bill is commendable, it raises
questions about its potential to safeguard human rights, protect
digital freedoms, and avoid misuse in the context of limited press
freedom and political dissent.

https://paradigmhq.org/privacy-or-peril-unpacking-cameroons-new-data-protection-bill/

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

1. DG8 Leaders Ask for More Funding of Censorship Circumvention

The DG8, representatives from eight international public service media
organizations, met in Australia to address the growing threat of
online censorship and strategize collaborative solutions. One of the
important topics that the members discussed is the importance of
increasing funding and research for tools that can circumvent
censorship.

https://corporate.dw.com/en/dg8-leaders-call-for-more-funding-of-censorship-circumvention-tools/a-70846017

2. Pakistan Tests Secret China-like ‘Firewall’ to Tighten Online Surveillance

Pakistan’s government has deployed Chinese technology to build what
some senior officials familiar with the project are calling a national
internet “firewall”. This firewall will allow authorities to monitor
online traffic and regulate the use of popular apps with more control.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/26/pakistan-tests-china-like-digital-firewall-to-tighten-online-surveillance

Pakistani authorities appear to have blocked access to the social
media platform Bluesky. For many local users, Bluesky emerged as an
alternative to the recently banned X and other platforms closely
monitored by the government.

https://therecord.media/bluesky-access-blocked-pakistan

3. Mexican Female Gig Workers Push to Fix “Sexist” Algorithms

Mexico's women gig workers want new app algorithms to stamp out the
discrimination and violence they risk on the job, some of which
include unwanted sexual come-ons, assault, excessive workloads, naked
customers and violence. The female gig workers are hoping for a wider
government plan to reform labor laws will also address deep-seated
gender imbalance in the booming gig sector.

https://www.context.news/digital-rights/mexican-female-gig-workers-push-to-fix-sexist-algorithms

4. How the Far Right is Weaponizing AI-Generated Content in Europe

This year’s European parliamentary elections witnessed a roll-out of
AI-generated campaigning by the European far right, which has
continued to spread since. These fake AI-generated images are raising
fears around issues like immigration.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/26/far-right-weaponising-ai-generated-content-europe

5. UNESCO Warns: Online Influencers Need ‘Urgent’ Fact-Checking Training

UNESCO, the UN’s educational, scientific and cultural organisation,
warned that social media influencers need “urgent” help to check their
facts before they broadcast to their followers, in order to reduce the
spread of misinformation online. According to UNESCO research,
two-thirds of content creators fail to check the accuracy of their
material, making them and their followers vulnerable to
misinformation.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/nov/26/online-influencers-need-urgent-fact-checking-training-warns-unesco

6. ‘Eshittification’ is Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the Year

The dictionary defined ‘Eshittification’ as follows: “The gradual
deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in
the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and
as a consequence of profit-seeking.”

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/nov/26/enshittification-macquarie-dictionary-word-of-the-year-explained

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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

Digital Freedom Fund
December 2, 2024 and February 17, 2025
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/

NobleReach Scholar Program
Deadline: December 4, 2024
https://noblereach.smapply.us/prog/2025_noblereach_scholars_program_/

IDREAM Call For Applications: Capacity Building for Human Right
Defenders in Exile
Deadline: 31 December 2024
https://www.cvt.org/what-we-do/movement-building/building-resilience/idream/idream-call-for-applications

AI-Cybersecurity Essay Prize Competition
Munich Security Conference (MSC) and Binding Hook
Deadline: 2 January, 2025
https://bindinghook.com/ai-cybersecurity-essay-prize-competition/

The Prototype Fund
Deadline: January 2, 2025
https://new.prototypefund.de/en/

European AI & Society Fund
AI Accountability Grants
Deadline: January 6, 2025
https://europeanaifund.org/funding/

Funding Opportunity for Internet Freedom Programs from U.S. Department of State
Deadline for statements of interest: January 9, 2024
https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor-request-for-statements-of-interest-drl-internet-freedom-annual-program-statement-2/

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

Digital Impact Alliance Fellowship
Deadline: Rolling
https://dial.global/apply-to-our-fellows-program/

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 ###

What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter Meetup)
December 5, 2024
9am EDT / 2pm UTC
Team CommUNITY
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=December_5_2024_GM

Goodbye! Until 2025 (Glitter Meetup)
December 12, 2024
9am EDT / 2pm UTC
Team CommUNITY
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=December_12_2024_GM

2024 Global Voices Summit
December 6 - 7, 2024
Kathmandu, Nepal
https://summit2024.globalvoices.org/

Virtual School of Internet Governance
January 14, 2025 - April 1, 2025
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxElbmLzzGNUpUuoW3jDieHkNZpvO35hhDDlH9-Ia8jwKNww/viewform

FOSDEM
February 1-2, 2025
https://fosdem.org/2025/

RightsCon
February 24 - 27, 2025
Taiwan
https://www.rightscon.org/registration/

Check out a list of our virtual events here:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=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

✎ Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Specialist | EngageMedia
+ Remote in South or Southeast Asia
https://engagemedia.org/job/monitoring-evaluation-learning-specialist/

✎ Finance and Logistics Officer (Indonesia) | EngageMedia
+ Remote in Indonesia
https://engagemedia.org/job/finance-logistics-officer-indonesia/

✎ Product Manager | Signal
+ Remote within USA timezones
https://jobs.lever.co/signal/815b4ad6-e88d-40c1-955f-f653371a2c24

✎ Technology for Liberty Policy Counsel | ACLU Massachusetts
+ Boston, MA, USA
https://www.aclum.org/en/jobs/technology-liberty-policy-counsel

✎ Associate for Communications | The Engine Room
+ Remote
https://www.theengineroom.org/join-our-team-associate-communications/

✎ Wellbeing Coordinator - Civic Defenders Project | Open Briefing
+ Remote, UTC +/- 3 hours
https://www.openbriefing.org/blog/wellbeing-project-manager/

✎ Senior Staff Cyber Security Engineer | Washington Post
+ Washington D.C.
https://washpost.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/washingtonpostcareers/job/DC-Washington-TWP-Headquarters/Senior-Staff-Cyber-Security-Engineer_JR-90274981

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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