Digital Rights Weekly | January 29 - February 2

Thu Feb 1 19:19:58 CET 2024

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of January 29 - February 2. As a reminder, you can submit your
news for the newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### Team CommUNITY (TCU) ###

1. The 2024 Global Gathering Application is Now Open!  Apply Now!

We are now accepting applications for the 2024 Global Gathering (GG),
which will take place September 27, 28, and 29 in Estoril, Portugal!!
This year we are doubling our capacity to 900 to 1,000 participants,
and officially launching our Equity Fund. The event brings together
digital rights networks from around the world for three days of
collaboration building, knowledge sharing, brainstorming, and
rejuvenation.

Apply as soon as you can! We expect a high demand this year:

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/2024-global-gathering-now-accepting-applications

2. Next GM: February 8 - The Social Networking Glitter Meetup

The Social Networking Glitter Meetup is a space to connect with others
in the community. Join us to talk about whatever you want: a project
that you are working on, an event that caught your attention, general
questions about the experience of working in the digital rights field,
your insights on the latest big tech nonsense, and even your
vacations. We will be happy to hear from you! February 8 at 9am EST /
2pm UTC on the TCU’s Mattermost:

https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_8_2024_GM

2. Check Out Our New Digital Rights Primer

Interested in learning more about the Digital Rights field and
community? Take a look at our new primer which gives recommendations
of how to get more involved in the field. It gives a growing list of
challenges & issues, a sample of organizations and projects leading,
and an overview of the profiles and different backgrounds in the
community, and a summary of the space's history.

https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Digital_Rights_Primer

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Mini-Grants Open Call for Open Data Day 2024

Open Knowledge are excited to announce the launch of the Open Data Day
2024 Mini-Grants Application to support organizations hosting open
data events and activities across the world! The first call is for the
general community, and the second is specifically for activities
related to open mapping. The deadline for both applications is
February 5, 2024:

https://blog.okfn.org/2024/01/24/open-data-day-2024-mini-grants-open-call/

2. Opportunities at the Regional Internet Registry for Europe, Middle
East, and Central Asia

Apply for the Opportunities at the Regional Internet Registry for
Europe, Middle East, and Central Asia (RIPE) fellowship! Its purpose
is to support successful candidates in their professional or academic
career development, allow them to participate in policy discussions,
and to network with industry peers and others at the event.
Application deadline: Sunday, 25 February 2024.

https://www.ripe.net/community/ripe-fellowship/

RIPE also has funding to present your research! The RIPE Academic
Cooperation Initiative connects academia with the RIPE community. It
allows academics to share and develop their research by collaborating
with leading technical figures in the Internet world.

https://www.ripe.net/community/raci/

Make sure to check out their meetings happening in Athens in April and
in Krakow in May!

https://ripe.net/see-12/cfp
https://ripe88.ripe.net/cfp

3. NGI Has Three Funds You Can Apply To: Zero Review, Zero Commons
Fund, and Zero Core

NGI Zero Review is a three-year support programme offering various
targeted services to free and open source projects within the Next
Generation Internet initiative. NGI Zero Commons Fund aims to help
deliver, mature and scale new internet commons across the whole
technology spectrum. Zero Core is a grant programme with a focus on
modernizing the internet. Next deadline: April 1st 2024 12:00 CET:

https://nlnet.nl/propose/

4. 7amleh Launches the “Digital Security” Platform!

Check out 7amleh’s educational guidance platform designed in the
Arabic language, to constitute a source of specialized educational and
training guides in the field of digital security.  The beneficiaries
include civil society organizations, human rights organizations,
activists, journalists, and the general public.

https://dsc.7amleh.org

5. Reports from Our Community

New Spyware Attacks Exposed: Civil Society Targeted in Jordan

A joint investigation by Access Now, the Citizen Lab, and local
partners reveals the widespread use of Israeli-owned NSO Group’s
Pegasus spyware in Jordan. At least 35 journalists, activists, human
rights lawyers, and civil society members have been targeted with
Pegasus between 2019 and 2023.

https://www.accessnow.org/publication/between-a-hack-and-a-hard-place-how-pegasus-spyware-crushes-civic-space-in-jordan/

6. Some Statements from Our Community!

a) EFF and Access Now's Submission to U.N. Expert on Anti-LGBTQ+ Repression

EFF and Access Now have submitted information addressing digital
rights and SOGI issues across the globe as part of the United Nations
Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination
based on sexual orientation and gender identity report to the U.N.
Human Rights Council:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/eff-and-access-now-submission-un-expert-anti-lgbtq-repression

b) Mexico: Our record on Accountability for Big Tech Companies Speaks for Itself

ARTICLE 19 stands in solidarity with our colleagues in Mexico in the
face of false allegations propagated by Ulrich Richter Morales, a
lawyer suing Google.

https://www.article19.org/resources/mexico-our-record-on-accountability-for-big-tech-companies-speaks-for-itself/

c) Council of Europe: AI Convention Must Not Contain Rights Carve-Outs

ARTICLE 19 joined a coalition of civil society organizations calling
for the first AI treaty, the Council of Europe’s Convention on AI, to
equally cover the public and private sectors and to reject blanket
exemptions regarding national security.

https://www.article19.org/resources/eu-ai-convention-must-not-contain-rights-carve-outs/

d) EFF’s Copyright Week

EFF took part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions
supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every
day this past week, various groups took on different elements of
copyright law and policy, addressing what's at stake and what we need
to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation.

https://www.eff.org/copyrightweek

One example topic is site blocking: more than a decade later,
site-blocking Is still censorship.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/more-decade-later-site-blocking-still-censorship

________________________________________________

### Digital Rights Community Resources ###

1. Los Cursos de la Shutdown Academy Siguen Disponibles En Línea,
Gratuitos y Autónomos.

Estos cursos han sido diseñados por personas expertas que forman parte
de la gran comunidad global de la libertad de internet y los derechos
digitales. Con ellos podrás aprender lo más básico sobre los apagones
de Internet, cómo medirlos, prevenirlos, prepararse para cuando
ocurran y también mitigar sus efectos.

https://advocacyassembly.org/es

2. Update on APC’s Internet Shutdown Game

APC has launched the creative commons instructions of the Internet
Shutdown game that was played at the Feira last year. The hope is
these game instructions can help others organize an engaging and
informative training activity that sheds light on the various methods
of internet shutdowns and ways to counteract them.

https://shutdowngame.apc.org/

3. Instant Coffee’s Episode on Digital Rights and Big Tech in MENA

What kinds of obstacles are people in the MENA facing with regards to
access to technological opportunity and concerns around digital rights
abuses? How are they tied to global challenges? Take a listen!

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/digital-rights-and-big-tech-in-mena/id1569784689

________________________________________________

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

1. Attacks, Arrests, Threats, Censorship: The High Risks of Reporting
The Israel-Gaza War

Since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, journalists and media
across the region have faced a hostile environment that has made
reporting on the war exceptionally challenging.

https://cpj.org/2024/01/attacks-arrests-threats-censorship-the-high-risks-of-reporting-the-israel-hamas-war/

2. 'You Have Blood On Your Hands,' Senator Tells Mark Zuckerberg for
Failing Kids Online

Top tech CEOs were being grilled in Washington by lawmakers, who said
the companies have failed to protect children from being subjected to
sexual abuse and exploitation on their websites. The executives
include Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, which owns Facebook and
Instagram, X's Linda Yaccarino and TikTok's Shou Zi Chew, among
others.

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/31/1228062503/mark-zuckerberg-linda-yaccarino-tech-ceos-washington-kids-safety

Check out the key moments and headlines here:

https://nyti.ms/47X0xsn

3. Digging into the Reality of Shutdowns in the Americas: An Insidious Threat

In a new special issue from IFEX, Laura Vidal looks into internet
shutdowns and the complexities of this practice in Latin America.

https://ifex.org/digging-into-the-reality-of-shutdowns-in-the-americas-an-insidious-threat/

4. Albania’s ‘Digital Revolution’ Raises New Data Privacy Concerns

In moving public administration services online, Albania’s government
has created a new data privacy headache for the majority of Albanians
who lack the digital skills necessary to access ‘e-Albania’ by
themselves.

https://balkaninsight.com/2024/01/26/albanias-digital-revolution-raises-new-data-privacy-concerns/

5. China’s Censorship Dragnet Targets Critics of the Economy

As Beijing struggles with a slumping stock market and a collapsing
real estate sector, commentary and even financial analysis it deems
negative are blocked.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/31/business/china-censorship-economy-markets.html

6. A Growing Number of Women Activists Confront Technology and
Gender-Based Violence

The digital revolution has also created significant risks, including
online abuse against women and girls, worsening already existing
deeply rooted gender biases, especially in crises and conflict
settings.

https://www.techpolicy.press/a-growing-number-of-women-activists-confront-technology-and-genderbased-violence/

7. General Data Protection Regulation: A Culture of Non-Compliance?

74.4% assume relevant violations at an average company. More than
1,000 privacy professionals, largely working as data protection
officers or internal compliance departments of large companies,
answered our questionnaire. While the survey shows that at least
awareness of privacy issues grew during the last five years, most
companies still don’t comply with the General Data Protection
Regulation.

https://noyb.eu/en/data-protection-day-74-insiders-see-relevant-violations-most-companies

8. US Leaders Must Advance Big Ideas To Protect Our Digital Civil Rights

The United States Congress and the White House have an opportunity to
broaden the privacy reforms we imagine possible, to champion privacy
and civil liberties protections for all.

https://www.techpolicy.press/us-leaders-must-advance-big-ideas-to-protect-our-digital-civil-rights/

9. EU’s Platform Accountability Rules Are Not Having a ‘Brussels
Effect’. Should They?

EU policymakers often tout the Brussels effect — Europe's regulatory
influence and market power around the world — as a force to exert
global change. But as its platform accountability rulebook, the
Digital Services Act, comes into full force, many effects seem
unlikely to spill over outside the bloc.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/01/31/eus-platform-accountability-rules-are-not-having-a-brussels-effect-should-they

10. Universal Music Group Pulled Songs from TikTok

The music giant, home to stars like Taylor Swift and Drake, had
threatened to withdraw licenses for its tracks to the social media
juggernaut if they failed to come to a new agreement.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/01/arts/music/universal-group-tiktok-music.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://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Fundraising_Opportunities

Mini-Grants Open Call
Open Knowledge
Deadline: February 5, 2024
https://blog.okfn.org/2024/01/24/open-data-day-2024-mini-grants-open-call/

Digital Fellowship 2024
Centre for Communication Governance in National Law University Delhi
Deadline: February 7, 2024
https://nludelhi.ac.in/UploadedImages/30e8557f-5981-422a-b046-0b07746e6e3c.pdf

Digital Protection Accompaniment Programme
Digital Defenders Partnership
Deadline: February 15, 2024
https://www.digitaldefenders.org/es/programa-de-acompanamiento-para-la-proteccion-digital-convocatoria-abierta-para-organizaciones-de-america-latina-y-el-caribe/

User Experience & Discovery Lab
Open Tech Fund
Deadline: February 16, 2024
https://www.opentech.fund/news/request-for-proposals-user-experience-discovery-lab/

Information Controls Fellowship Program
Open Technology Fund
Deadline: February 19, 2024 11:59 PM Pacific Time
https://www.opentech.fund/fellowships/icfp/

RIPE Fellowship
RIPE
February 25th, 2024
https://www.ripe.net/community/ripe-fellowship/

Datafication and Democracy Fund
Data Privacy Brasil, the Paradigm Initiative and the Aapti Institute
Deadline: February 29, 2024
https://conteudos.dataprivacy.com.br/datification-and-democracy-fund-ddf

Grant On Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence
The U.S. State Department's Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues
Deadline: March 5, 2024
https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/351666

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

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

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

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

_________________________________________________

### Events Calendar ###

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

Glitter Meetup: The Social Networking Glitter Meetup
Team CommUNITY
February 8, 2024
9am EST / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_8_2024_GM

Glitter Meetup: Digital Security Challenges of Journalists in Myanmar
Team CommUNITY
February 15, 2024
9am EST / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_15_2024_GM

Glitter Meetup: Online Monitoring in Ghana
Team CommUNITY
February 22, 2024
9am EST / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_22_2024_GM

Glitter Meetup: The Social Networking Glitter Meetup
Team CommUNITY
February 29, 2024
9am EST / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_29_2024_GM

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

✎ Grants Consultant | Future of Privacy Forum
+ Remote
https://fpf.org/grants-consultant/

✎ Software Engineer - Moderator Tools | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/f51fadbf1us

✎ Strategic Litigation Intern - Acción por la Justicia Algorítmica | Eticas
+ Remote
https://eticastech.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Intranet/ESFwYGfH-6RDgO8lPJNxZXABT9rR7pE5Af8XQQ5MqvCGNA?e=Zcpedm

✎ Front-End Web Developer (6 month contractor) | Freedom of the Press Foundation
+ Remote
https://freedom.press/jobs/?gh_jid=4360167005

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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