Digital Rights Weekly | June 24 - 28

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of June 24 - 28. 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. Join the Upcoming Regional Digital Rights Meetups in July!

Asia Regional Meetup | July 17
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_17_2024,_Asia_Meetup

Francophone Africa and MENA Meetup | July 17
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Julliet_17_2024,_Digital_Rights_in_Francophone_Africa_and_MENA_Meetup

Latin America Regional Meetup | July 24
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=24_de_Julio,_2024_LATAM

MENA Regional Meetup | July 24
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_24_2024,_MENA_Meetup

Africa Regional Meetup | July 25
ttps://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_25_2024,_Africa_Meetup


2. The Digital Rights Weekly Town Halls on Mattermost, also known as
Glitter Meetups. Next up:

July 4: The Social Networking Glitter Meetup
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_4_2024_GM

July 11: Community Networks Guide
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_11_2024_GM

July 18: What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World?
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_18_2024_GM

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### Digital Rights in the Community ##

1. Urgent Action Fund Rapid Response Grants

Check out the Fondo de Acción Urgente, the feminist fund for Latin
America and the Caribbean that supports women, trans and non-binary
people in the protection of their human rights. Through their Rapid
Response Grants program, they aim to contribute to the sustainability
of activists and their movements, with rapid and flexible financing in
situations of risk and opportunity.

https://fondoaccionurgente.org.co/es/que-hacemos/apoyos-de-respuesta-rapida/


2. Partial Enforcement of India’s Telecom Act — a Total Eclipse of
Digital Rights

The Indian government is beginning to enforce the new
Telecommunications Act 2023, which threatens people’s rights to access
the Internet and communicate using secure channels. The Act gives
government powers to intercept or detain any messages and break
end-to-end encryption, so it ends up creating an overarching
communications surveillance framework. Access Now urges the Indian
government to amend India’s Telecom Act and consult with civil society
and experts before framing rules to implement the Act to safeguard
people’s rights to privacy and free speech.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/india-telecom-act-2023-enforcement/


3. Reports from Our Community

a) State of Surveillance: How the Russian State Carries Out Digital Surveillance

The Russian digital rights organization RKS Global released a study
providing a brief analytical overview of how the Russian state employs
surveillance technologies in Russia. The study focuses on parts of
Russia’s legislation and law enforcement in the field of digital
surveillance, as well as law enforcement agencies and public
authorities position on this issue.

https://rks.global/en/surveillance-state-research/


b) Current Cybersecurity Capacities & Digital Rights in Montenegro

According to a new report by the Balkan Investigative Reporting
Network (BIRN), Montenegro’s legislative framework on cybersecurity
has evolved, but the country’s institutional capacity for
implementation remains underdeveloped. This is because enforcement
authorities face financial constraints, limited human resources and a
lack of comprehensive training. Read BIRN’s full report for some more
context on Montenegro’s state of cybersecurity and digital rights:

https://balkaninsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cyber-security-capacities-and-digital-rights-in-Montenegro.pdf


c) The Iranian Internet & the Women, Life, Freedom Movement

A new report discusses Iran’s National Information Network (NIN), a
system designed to control and surveil internet usage. The NIN was
used to suppress the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement. The report
highlights the government’s efforts to enforce political, social, and
moral rules online, especially regarding women, and the impact of
sanctions on internet access.

https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/international/21296.pdf


d) The Myanmar Junta’s Partners in Digital Surveillance & Censorship

The Myanmar military junta used Chinese equipment, technology and
support in its efforts to ramp up internet censorship and
surveillance, putting lives at risk and further impeding the Myanmar
people’s access to information and free expression.

https://www.justiceformyanmar.org/stories/the-myanmar-juntas-partners-in-digital-surveillance-and-censorship


e) Isolation by Design: Censorship in Apple’s App Store in China &
Human Rights Implications

This report, developed under the Engaging Tech for Internet Freedom
(ETIF) project, goes into the intricate landscape of app censorship
within Apple's App Store in China. The report identifies and analyzes
patterns of app removals targeting content that the Chinese government
deems sensitive. One finding is that 60 of the world’s top 100 apps in
China Apple App stores are either unavailable or inaccessible in
China, and as of March 2023, 11,026 out of a total of 40,049 apps were
unavailable in the China Apple Stores.

https://appcensorship.org/files/Isolation-By-Design.pdf


f) Smart Homes Privacy Checker

Surfsharks’ recent study "Smart Home Privacy Checker" showed that 1 in
10 smart home apps collects data for the purpose of user tracking,
while Amazon and Google have developed the most data-hungry smart home
device apps, used by millions daily.

https://surfshark.com/research/smart-homes

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### Community Resources ###

1. Workbook in the AI Ethics & Governance in Practice Programme: AI
Accountability in Practice

Check out this workbook that addresses the challenges of public sector
accountability by exploring AI accountability as an end-to-end process
across the AI workflow. The workbook provides an overview of the
components and types of accountability, discusses actions needed to
embed accountability across the project workflow, including
transparency regimes, and template frameworks and logs.

https://www.turing.ac.uk/news/publications/ai-ethics-and-governance-practice-ai-accountability-practice

The full workbook series -- which includes eight modules -- is
designed to equip the public sector with tools, training and support
to carry out projects using the latest practices in responsible and
trustworthy AI innovation. Explore the platform here:

https://aiethics.turing.ac.uk/

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

1. Internet Blackout in Kenya in the Wake of Major Protests

There has been a major internet disruption in Kenya following a wave
of demonstrations across the country. Police violently cracked down on
citizens taking to the streets to protest a government bill to hike
taxes despite tough economic times and widespread corruption.
Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition strongly condemned the ongoing
disruption of internet access and increased crackdown on the people of
Kenya amid protests.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/kenya-protests-internet-shutdown/


2. Israel Destroyed Much of Gaza’s Internet Infrastructure - A Saudi
Proposal to Rebuild it was Watered Down after Israeli and U.S.
Protests

At the recent United Nations International Telecommunication Union
summit, Saudi Arabia proposed a resolution aimed at rebuilding the
Gaza Strip’s war-ravaged telecommunications infrastructure to return
internet access to millions. However, it was opposed by Israel for
numerous reasons, including that it was a weapon for Hamas.
Ultimately, a watered down version of the resolution was passed under
a secret ballot on June 14, which removed some of its more strident
language about Israel’s responsibility for the destruction of Gaza -
The U.S. delegate at the ITU summit had specifically opposed those
references.

A disconnected Gaza Strips also threatens to add to the war’s already
staggering death toll. The more Israel bombs, the harder it is for
Gazans to know they are about to be bombed.

https://theintercept.com/2024/06/21/israel-gaza-internet-rebuild/


3. Justice Department & Julian Assange Reach Plea Deal That Threatens
Press Freedom

According to court documents, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and
Julian Assange have reached a plea agreement in the DOJ’s long-running
case against the WikiLeaks founder that threatens core press freedom
rights of journalists. Assange is expected to plead guilty to one
count of conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act for obtaining and
publishing classified documents from whistleblower Chelsea Manning in
2010.

https://freedom.press/news/justice-dept-and-julian-assange-reach-plea-deal-in-case-that-threatens-press-freedom/


4. Social Media Platforms are Blocked in Iran. Candidates in This
Week’s Presidential Election are Embracing Them Anyway.

After Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter
crash, the Iranian regime had to schedule an early election to choose
a new president. The regime approved six presidential candidates to
run in the election on June 28. The Iranian leadership and its
approved candidates are using social media to try to engage with
Iranians – despite the fact all major Western social media platforms
have been blocked in the country.

https://theconversation.com/social-media-platforms-are-blocked-in-iran-candidates-in-this-weeks-presidential-election-are-embracing-them-anyway-232717


5. In Minnesota, Police are Using Drones More & Spending More for Them

Police in Minnesota are buying and flying more drones than previous
years. Minnesotan law enforcement flew their drones without a warrant
4,326 times in 2023, racking up a state-wide expense of over $1
million. This marks a 41% increase from 2022.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/06/police-are-using-drones-more-and-spending-more-them

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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 Rights & Commons Initiatives
Deadline: June 28, 2024
https://4d.cat/convocatoria/en/home/

Global Fellowship Program on AI & Market Power
European Artificial Intelligence & Society Fund
Deadline: July 8, 2024
https://europeanaifund.org/newspublications/call-for-proposals-global-fellowship-programme-on-ai-market-power/

Digital Freedom Fund
Grant for strategic litigation to advance digital rights
Deadline: July 15, 2024
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/

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/

Internet Freedom Fund
Deadline: Rolling
Open Tech Fund
https://www.opentech.fund/funds/internet-freedom-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

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 ###

#DataFestAfrica2024
Create-a-thon
Deadline: June 30, 2024
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfX_zyWndL9S_Xk5AAfvqZol-V7AFw4ChxewDWmMqhfA7NUZQ/viewform

Social Networking (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
July 4, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_4_2024_GM

Community Networks Guide (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
July 11, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_11_2024_GM

Digital Rights Asia Meetup
Team CommUNITY
July 17, 2024
8am EDT / 12pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_17_2024,_Asia_Meetup

Digital Rights Francophone Africa and MENA Meetup
Team CommUNITY
July 17, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Julliet_17_2024,_Digital_Rights_in_Francophone_Africa_and_MENA_Meetup

What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
July 18, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_18_2024_GM

Digital Rights MENA Meetup
Team CommUNITY
July 24, 2024
10am EDT / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_24_2024,_MENA_Meetup

Digital Rights LATAM Meetup
Team CommUNITY
July 24, 2024
5:30pm EDT / 9:30pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=24_de_Julio,_2024_LATAM

Butter Box - Life Without Internet Made Smoother (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
July 25, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_25_2024_GM

Digital Rights Africa Meetup
Team CommUNITY
July 25, 2024
11am EDT / 3pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_25_2024,_Africa_Meetup

Escuela Virtual de Gobernanza de Internet (Español)
2 de agosto - 25 de septiembre, 2024
Fecha límite para postular: 28 de julio, 2024
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdK-10SQo99_xoTX_dAKe1kyw-wbSmVj5ol02SuHxi6YigH1Q/viewform

Digital Rights in the Asia-Pacific Assembly
EngageMedia
August 18 & 19, 2024
Taipei, Taiwan
Deadline to apply: June 15, 2024
https://engagemedia.org/2024/drapac24-taipei/

2024 Digital Rights Summer School
August 25 - 31, 2024
Perast, Montenegro
https://www.sharefoundation.info/en/apply-for-the-2024-digital-rights-summer-school/

FIFAfrica24: Call for Session Proposals and Travel Support Applications
September 25-27, 2024
Deadline to apply: June 17, 2024
https://internetfreedom.africa/now-open-call-for-session-proposals-and-travel-support-applications/

13th Edition of RightsCon
Access Now
February 2025
East Asia and online
Deadline to apply: June 2, 2024
https://www.rightscon.org/program/

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

✎ Communications Director | Knight-Georgetown Institute (KGI)
+ Washington, DC, USA
https://kgi.georgetown.edu/work-with-us/374-2/

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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