Digital Rights Weekly | February 12 - 16

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of February 12 - 16. As a reminder, you can submit your news for
the newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### Team CommUNITY (TCU) ###

1. Apply to the Global Gathering! Size Doubled this Year!!

The 2024 Global Gathering (GG) will take place September 27, 28, and
29 in Estoril, Portugal. This year we are doubling our capacity to
around 1,000 but are expecting a high demand! The gathering brings
together digital rights networks for three days of collaboration,
brainstorming, and rejuvenation.

Deadline: April 15. Apply here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/2024-global-gathering-now-accepting-applications

Do you need a Visa to join it? Review how to start the process! We
also have staff to support you through it!
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Visa_and_Equity_Fund_Support


2. February 22: Online Monitoring in Ghana (Weekly Town Hall Glitter Meetup)

Join us to talk about how the security structure monitors and
intercepts all forms of communication in Ghana, and the use of
surveillance tools to monitor persons of interests, critics, and
political opponents.

https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_22_2024_GM


2. Join The Regional Meetups in March!

The Regional Meetups are virtual gatherings happening every two months
to support each other, and better understand what is happening in our
part of the world. Check out the five we are hosting in March!

March 12 | Asia Meetup:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_12_2024,_Asia_Meetup

March 14 | Digital rights in Francophone Africa and MENA Meetup:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_14_2024,_Digital_Rights_in_Francophone_Africa_and_MENA_Meetup

March 20 | MENA Meetup:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_20_2024,_MENA_Meetup

March 20 | LATAM Meetup:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=20_de_Marzo,_2024_LATAM

March 21 | Africa Meetup:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_21_2024,_Africa_Meetup

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###


1. Electronic Frontier Foundation: Privacy is Far From Dead

This feeling of despair thinking that privacy is dead is sometimes
called “privacy nihilism.” Those of us who care the most about privacy
are probably more likely to get it, because we know how tough the
fight is. We could go on about this feeling, because sometimes we at
EFF have it, too. But the important thing to get across is that this
feeling is valid, but it’s also not accurate.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/02/privacy-isnt-dead-far-it


2. Web3 Grant Funding Opportunities

LeastAuthority has identified more than 150 funding opportunities
since they began researching them in October 2023 for the Web3 space,
known for its innovation and community driven approaches. The space
has witnessed a significant shift in its approach to funding and
supporting projects in recent years.

https://leastauthority.com/blog/the-current-outlook-on-web3-grant-funding/


3. Deadline Extended - The RFP for the User Experience & Discovery Lab

OTF has launched a Request for Proposals for the User Experience &
Discovery Lab, the next evolution of their Secure Usability and
Accessibility Lab. They’re on the lookout for new Lab partners who
could offer user experience support to internet freedom-enhancing
tools. Deadline: Extended to Friday February 23. Apply via email to:
uxdlab-rfp at opentech.fund

https://www.opentech.fund/news/request-for-proposals-user-experience-discovery-lab/


4. Call for Applications: Postdoctoral Fellowship - Center on Digital
Culture and Society

The Center on Digital Culture and Society at the University of
Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication invites applications
to fill one postdoctoral fellowship position for the 2024-2025
academic year. Applications are welcomed from scholars who have
received their Ph.D. or equivalent degrees in or after May 2021. The
one-year fellowship runs from August 2024 until August 2025. Deadline:
March 15.

https://www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/news/call-applications-postdoctoral-fellowship-center-digital-culture-and-society


5. UN: Open Letter Warning Against Human Rights Risks of Cybercrime Convention

Following the conclusion of the final scheduled session of the Ad Hoc
Committee negotiating an international convention on cybercrime,
ARTICLE 19 remains deeply concerned about a number of critical flaws
in the latest draft text of the convention and its continuing
incompatibility with international standards on freedom of expression.
ARTICLE 19 joined a coalition of organizations in an open letter
urging governments to consider withholding support for the treaty in
its current incarnation.

https://www.article19.org/resources/un-open-letter-warning-against-human-rights-risks-of-cybercrime-convention/


6. Amnesty International: Election-day Internet Shutdown in Pakistan
is a Reckless Attack on People’s Rights

Pakistani authorities have already imposed multiple shutdowns that
violated the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,
including of opposition leaders and parties, during this election
cycle.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/pakistan-election-day-internet-shutdown-is-a-reckless-attack-on-peoples-rights/


7. From Hashtags to Hush-Tags: The Tug of War Over Social Media in
Conflict Zones

The removal of victims' online content in conflict zones such as Gaza
and Syria plays in favor of regimes committing atrocities. Social
media platforms are not passive bystanders in this censorship.Check
out this piece by Noura Alijizawi, Senior Researcher at Citizen Lab.

https://timep.org/2024/02/08/from-hashtags-to-hush-tags-the-tug-of-war-over-social-media-in-conflict-zones/

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### Digital Rights Community Resources ###

1. Gaza Link Initiative: Help People in Gaza Stay Connected - eSIM Guide

If you know people in Gaza, you can use eSim to help them get
connected through their phone via a QR code. An eSIM is an
industry-standard digital SIM that allows you to activate a cellular
plan without having to use a physical SIM card. Check out GazaLink for
instructions:

https://www.gazalink.net/esim


2. Elon Musk Will Bring Internet to Israel, Parts of Gaza After
Agreeing to Series of Measures

Elon Musk’s satellite internet service,Starlink, won a license to
operate in Israel and parts of the Gaza Strip after agreeing to a
series of measures, including preventing Hamas from gaining access.
The Israeli communications ministry said that the service will be
available to some authorities in Israel and have approved it for use
at a field hospital run by the United Arab Emirates in southern Gaza.
Digital advocates state, however, that this does not guarantee
connectivity for Palestinians in Gaza. As Access Now and others have
reported, since October 9 Israel has been severing connectivity
through a combination of shutdowns.

https://fortune.com/2024/02/14/elon-musk-starlink-israel-gaza-internet/

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/how-israel-is-shutting-down-the-internet-in-gaza/


3. Some Tips Against the Charming Kitten Stamp, Iran’s Cyber Espionage Unit

SMEX discovered the stamp of “Charming Kitten,” a cyber espionage unit
run by the Iranian government. In this blog post they share a recent
case study of how a renowned journalist was targeted, and tips on how
to stay safe.

https://smex.org/it-takes-one-click/

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

1. Senegal Cuts Internet Again Amid Widening Crackdown on Dissent

Senegal cut mobile internet access on Tuesday ahead of a banned march
against the postponement of a presidential election, and rights groups
accused the authorities of using overly repressive tactics to stifle
widespread opposition to the delay.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ahead-planned-march-over-vote-delay-senegal-suspends-internet-access-2024-02-13/


2. Zimbabwe: Digital rights Activists Fear Misuse of Surveillance
Cameras in Bulawayo

Authorities in Zimbabwe’s second largest city of Bulawayo will roll
out CCTV cameras this month to monitor pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Digital rights activists and experts worry that the footage will be
used by the country’s authoritarian regime to monitor civilians and
clamp down on any dissent.

https://www.theafricareport.com/336723/zimbabwe-digital-rights-activists-fear-misuse-of-surveillance-cameras-in-bulawayo/
(paywall)


3. 2023 Global Internet Restrictions Data

Surfshark's Research Hub has published the global internet
restrictions data from 2023. There was a 15% decrease in the number of
new restrictions compared to 2022 (76% versus 89%). However, the tally
of countries implementing new internet restrictions rose in 2023, with
36 countries as opposed to 32 in the previous year. As a result, a
greater number of individuals were impacted by new restrictions in
2023, reaching a total of 2.5 billion.

https://surfshark.com/research/study/internet-shutdowns-2023


4. Amazon’s Ring to Stop Letting Police Request Doorbell Video From Users

Amazon.com Inc.’s Ring home doorbell unit says it will stop letting
police departments request footage from users’ video doorbells and
surveillance cameras, retreating from a practice that was criticized
by civil liberties groups and some elected officials.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-24/amazon-s-ring-to-stop-letting-police-request-video-from-users

Read the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) commentary on this victory.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/ring-announces-it-will-no-longer-facilitate-police-requests-footage-users


5. Meta Considering Increased Censorship of the Word “Zionist”

Meta is contemplating stricter rules around discussing Israeli
nationalism on its platforms, a major policy change that could stifle
criticism and free expression about the war in Gaza and beyond, five
civil society sources who were briefed on the potential change told
The Intercept.

“I think it may actually harm the fight against antisemitism,” said
the head of a Palestinian digital rights group briefed on the
potential change.

https://theintercept.com/2024/02/08/facebook-instagram-censor-zionist-israel/


6. A Backroom Deal Looms Over a High-Stakes US Surveillance Fight

Top US congressional lawmakers are meeting in private to discuss the
future of a widely unpopular surveillance program. Last week, House
members became aware that closed-door discussions were ongoing at the
highest levels concerning the latest pro-privacy reforms to gain
widespread legislative support. Public reporting on the discussions,
first disclosed by Politico, set off a firestorm of speculation over
whether another deal may have been quietly struck to prolong a
domestic surveillance program no longer assumed to have the support of
a majority of Congress.

https://www.wired.com/story/section-702-reform-backroom-deal/

_________________________________________________

### 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

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 25, 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

Postdoctoral Fellowship - Center on Digital Culture and Society
University of Pennsylvania
Deadline: March 15
https://www.asc.upenn.edu/news-events/news/call-applications-postdoctoral-fellowship-center-digital-culture-and-society

Female EdTech Fellowship Europe
Deadline: July 22, 2024
https://www.edtech-fellowship.eu/

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

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

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

Asia Meetup
Team CommUNITY
March 12, 2024
8am EDT / 12pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_12_2024,_Asia_Meetup

Digital Rights in Francophone Africa and MENA Meetup
Team CommUNITY
March 14, 2024
9am EDT/ 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_14_2024,_Digital_Rights_in_Francophone_Africa_and_MENA_Meetup

MENA Meetup
Team CommUNITY
March 20, 2024
10am EDT / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_20_2024,_MENA_Meetup

LATAM Meetup
Team CommUNITY
March 20, 2024
5:30pm EDT / 9:30pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=20_de_Marzo,_2024_LATAM

Africa Meetup
Team CommUNITY
March 21, 2024
11am EDT / 3pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_21_2024,_Africa_Meetup

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

✎ Browser Software Engineer | The Tor Project, Inc.
+  Remote
https://www.careers-page.com/tor-project/job/QV74X6X6

✎ Major & Planned Giving Officer | Wikimedia Foundation
+  Remote
https://grnh.se/37af1f031us

✎ Head of Research | Eticas
+  Remote
https://zurl.to/IuDJ?source=CareerSite

✎ Researcher | New_Republic
+  Remote in USA
https://newpublic.org/jobs/contract-researcher-local

✎ Open Source Community Manager | Mozilla
+  Remote in UK, Germany and France
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/careers/position/gh/5675010/

✎ Senior Analyst, Business Continuity | New York Times
+  Hybrid
https://nytimes.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NYT/job/New-York-NY/Senior-Analyst--Business-Continuity_REQ-016092

✎ Deputy Project Director | IREX
+  Remote
http://recruiting.ultipro.com/INT1065INRE/JobBoard/86f30819-0126-446a-84bb-cf37a5e878c1/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=04e03b3c-e77b-49c1-84cb-4c0890f46473

✎ Senior Investigator - Climate Disinformation | Global Witness
+  Hybrid in London, UK
https://www.globalwitness.org/en/jobs/senior-investigator-climate-disinformation/

✎ Investigator - Climate Disinformation | Global Witness
+  Hybrid in London, UK
https://www.globalwitness.org/en/jobs/investigator-climate-disinformation/

✎ 2024 Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute Fellow | University of Oxford
+  Oxford, UK
https://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/oxford-media-policy-summer-institute-2024/

✎ Social Media Video Specialist | The Organized Crime and Corruption
Reporting Project (OCCRP)
+  Hybrid in Netherlands
https://www.occrp.org/en/occrp-jobs/social-media-video-specialist

✎ Consultant (Psychosocial & Mental Health) | Global Partners Digital
+  Remote
https://www.gp-digital.org/news/work-opportunity-gpd-seeks-consultant-to-undertake-a-psychosocial-and-mental-health-needs-assessment-for-project/

✎ Communications Manager | Wikimedia Foundation
+  Remote
https://grnh.se/f9c0aeba1us

✎ Program Manager, USAID and other U.S. Grants | The Organized Crime
and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
+ Washington, DC or area, USA
https://www.occrp.org/en/occrp-jobs/program-manager-usaid-and-other-us-grants

✎ Senior Associate or Associate | Center On Privacy & Technology Georgetown Law
+ Washington DC, USA
https://www.law.georgetown.edu/privacy-technology-center/opportunities/

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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