Digital Rights Weekly | March 18 - 22

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of March 18 - 22. As a reminder, you can submit your news for the
newsletter here: https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### Team CommUNITY (TCU) ###

1. Less Than a Month Left to Apply to Secure your 2024 Global Gathering Ticket!

The Global Gathering will take place September 27, 28, and 29 in
Estoril, Portugal, with capacity this year increased to around 1,000
folks.

Apply to secure your ticket before April 15.
https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/2024-global-gathering-now-accepting-applications

Do you need a Visa to join? Review how we can support you:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Visa_and_Equity_Fund_Support

Would you like to start to plan your trip?
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Planning_Your_Trip


2. March 28: The Social Networking Glitter Meetup (Glitter Meetup)

Join the Social Networking Glitter Meetup: a space to connect with
others in the digital rights community! Let’s talk about a project
that you are working on, an event that caught your attention, general
questions about the experience of working in this field, and even your
vacations. We will be happy to hear from you!

https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_28_2024_GM

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Women in Digital Economy Fund

Submit an application to the Women in Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF),
which provides grants and technical support to scale up existing
solutions that have made measurable progress toward closing the gender
digital divide in their contexts and contribute to transformative
approaches to digital inclusion. Support includes funding ranging from
$500,000 – $1,500,000. Awardees will also benefit from tailored
technical assistance covering program design, implementation, and
evaluation. Round one funding is open through May 6, 2024.

https://widef.global/funding/


2. Mozilla Announces Call for Entries for The 2nd Annual Rise25 in
Dublin, Ireland

Do you know an innovator making a difference with AI? Nominate them
for Rise25 before March 29, 2024. Categories include Advocates
(guiding AI towards a responsible future; Builders (developing AI
through ethical innovation). Artists (reimaging AI’s creative
potential); Change Agents (advancing DEI goals); and Entrepreneurs
(fueling AI’s evolution with visionary ventures). 25 people will be
selected and recognized!

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/rise25/nominate/

Read an interview with one of the past winners, a professor at Cornell
University, whose research is creating change and impact on digital
rights.

https://blog.mozilla.org/en/internet-culture/dr-j-nathan-matias-digital-rights-science-cornell-university/


3. Launching The Iranian Archive to Support Future Accountability Efforts

Mnemonic launched the Iranian Archive as a project forensically
preserving 1.3 million pieces of open source digital information
related to the violent crackdowns against civilians during the
protests in Islamic Republic of Iran in 2022. The Iranian Archive aims
to collect, preserve, process, and verify digital evidence to support
accountability proceedings and investigations related to events in
Iran. Due to security concerns, the platform hosting preserved
information is only accessible by request.

https://mnemonic.org/en/news/launching-the-iranian-archive-to-support-future-accountability-efforts


4. New Webinar Series from 7amleh - Palestinian Digital Rights Study Group!

7amleh, The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, is
introducing a new webinar series. In the series’ first iteration, join
the discussion about the recent congressional efforts to ban TikTok or
force the sale to non-Chinese ownership. 7amleh will convene
Palestinian and Digital Rights advocates to discuss potential
ramifications for this action, what this means for freedom of
expression and social media broadly, and help us understand TikTok’s
role during this time of global solidarity for Palestinian rights.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_N9cOrMEVQs-ntgeWUgtpjg#/registration


5. Applications for The DWeb Fellowship 2024 are Now Open

The DWeb Fellowship is now accepting applications! They are looking
for individuals that are both imaging and building a better web,
including projects like community mesh networks, internet
circumvention tools, or curating an exhibition on data ownership.
Fellows will receive funding to cover costs of travel and food,
accommodation and registration to Camp Navarro. Deadline is April 1.

https://dwebcamp.org/fellowships/


6. Reports from Our Community

a) Webinar & Research Report Launch on Digital Privacy in Hong Kong,
South Korea & Taiwan

The Open Culture Foundation conducted research delving into how civil
society actors in East Asia devise advocacy strategies to address
emerging privacy risks stemming from the implementation and governance
of digital technologies by the state. Tune into the report’s launch
and respective webinar on March 28, 2024 and join the gathering with
19 CSOs and activists from Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

https://engagemedia.org/events/drapac-series-7-digital-privacy/


b) Report on Digital Rights in Indonesia: The Election Collateral Damage

Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) released a new
report on the 2023 Situation Report on Digital Rights in Indonesia.
The report aims to answer one key question: How did the 2024 General
Election impact digital rights in 2023? SAFEnet’s monitoring
throughout 2023 found that the 2024 General Election has served to
worsen violations of digital rights in Indonesia across four
categories: internet access, freedom of expression, digital security,
and online gender-based violence.

https://mega.nz/file/skVBwQQL#yPYVShJLSYM3OHO4gRZ3ZcU9aAGYNBMxO0vP0Cd_XRs


c) Preliminary Report on Emerging Trends: Regulation of Platform Work in Brazil

Last year, Brazil’s Federal Government announced the Working Group for
Applications, in Brasília, with a proposal to regulate the activities
of providing services, transporting goods, transporting people and
other activities carried out through technological platforms. Data
Privacy Brasil produced a new report providing a brief introduction to
this platform work in Brazil, exposing the size and importance of the
Brazilian platform market. The report presents some early trends in
the regulation of platform work, the details of the Working Group, and
includes potential avenues for legal reform.

https://www.dataprivacybr.org/en/emerging-trends-in-the-regulation-of-platform-work-in-brazil-a-preliminary-report/

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### Digital Rights Community Resources ###

1. Podcast | Digital Rights in Iran

The Filterban project, renowned for its expertise in technology and
Iran's internet infrastructure, now produces a Podcast in
collaboration with Radio Farda (Radio Free Europe/Liberty), a source
of news and analysis. This podcast is the first podcast published on
Digital rights in Farsi and the first episode delves into Starlink's
satellite internet presence in Iran. They explore the ongoing dispute
between Iran and Starlink at the International Telecommunication
Union, the future of this technology in Iran, and the security risks
associated with its use within the nation.

https://castbox.fm/app/castbox/player/id6025773/id681009904


2. Saudi Authorities Monopolize Media and Advertising Discourse “by Law”

Saudi Arabia has been keen on “spreading progressive discourse” in an
effort to improve its image. However, the monarchy still considers
expressing certain opinions a crime in several circumstances. What
started with a series of laws regulating freedom of expression, from
the Personal Data Protection Law that could violate the right to
privacy and increase censorship, to controlling what is written on
Wikipedia about Saudi Arabia, anyone working in the media and press
sector faces a risk that could lead to imprisonment or even execution.
Review this article to learn what other laws Saudi uses to limit
freedom of expression:

https://smex.org/saudi-authorities-monopolize-media-and-advertising-discourse-by-law/


3. When Your Tech Tools Just Aren't Working For You Anymore

The Engine Room shares thoughts inspiring more organisations to
nurture a culture of adaptability within their digital infrastructure,
which is fundamental for social justice organizations. Maybe your
tools are not working for you anymore and its okay to adapt!

https://www.theengineroom.org/library/what-to-do-when-your-tech-tools-just-arent-working-for-you-any-more/


4. Personal Data Rights in the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will go through the
UK's Parliament this week. The Bill proposes changes to the country’s
General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR), which sets out rules
and principles for organizations using personal data. The Equality and
Human Rights Commission outlined the main headlines to know about this
bill in their policy brief, including the changes it would have to
individual data rights.

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre/blogs/personal-data-rights-data-protection-and-digital-information-bill

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

1. Pakistan's WhatsApp Death Sentence Case Spotlights Blasphemy Law

Right groups are concerned about Pakistan's use of strict blasphemy
laws to crack down on social media, after a 22 year old was given a
death sentence because of images he shared on WhatsApp. Right groups
also shared that blasphemy laws are often used to intimidate religious
minorities and settle personal scores - warning that artificial
intelligence tools can be used to create deep fakes to entrap people.

https://www.context.news/digital-rights/pakistans-whatsapp-death-sentence-case-spotlights-blasphemy-law


2. Pakistan: Information Minister Acknowledges X Suspension

Last week, Pakistan’s Federal Information Minister acknowledged the
prolonged suspension of X in Pakistan, backtracking on his earlier
statement that the platform was accessible.

https://digitalrightsmonitor.pk/pakistan-information-minister-acknowledges-x-suspension/


3. Number of African Nations Hit by Major Internet Outages Due to
Undersea Cable Failures

Major internet disruption has been reported in various countries
across Africa this past week due to undersea cable failures.
Widespread outages were reported in countries including South Africa,
Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Ghana and Burkina Faso. Since
then, services have largely been restored in Liberia and South Africa.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68569022


4. Africa’s Push to Regulate Artificial Intelligence Starts Now

The African Union -made up of 55 member nations- is preparing an
ambitious Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy that envisions an
Africa-centric path for the development and regulation of this
technology. But debates on when AI regulation is warranted and
concerns about stifling innovation could pose a roadblock, while a
lack of AI infrastructure could hold back the technology’s adoption.

https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/03/15/1089844/africa-ai-artificial-intelligence-regulation-au-policy/


5. Apps Like Grinder Brings Considerable Risk to LGBTQ+ in Bosnia and
Serbia, as more Individuals Experience Physical Attacks

Apps like
Grinder carry considerable risks for the LGBTQ+ community in Bosnia
and Serbia, who have been targeted, and exposed to physical violence,
abuse, sexual harassment, theft and more.

https://balkaninsight.com/2024/03/20/dating-app-attacks-in-bosnia-serbia-spread-fear-among-lgbt-people/


6. Genocide in The Digital Age: What Role do Social Media Companies Play?

While states primarily bear this duty under the Genocide Convention,
social media companies should certainly take note. The UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) makes it clear that
companies should respect human rights, identify and mitigate harm, and
remedy abuses wherever they operate. Such responsibilities become
particularly heightened in situations of armed conflicts as companies
risk “being complicit in gross human rights abuses committed by other
actors.”

https://www.apc.org/en/blog/genocide-digital-age-what-role-do-social-media-companies-play


7. Explainer: “Why the TikTok Ban in the US is a Terrible Idea”

Some believe that TikTok is a tool of the Chinese Communist Party
intent on harvesting the personal data of everyone in the United
States. This belief drove at least some votes when the U.S. House of
Representatives voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill that would de
facto ban TikTok. The problem is, this legislation is built on
misconceptions about how TikTok operates. It also does nothing to
protect people’s privacy or blunt the widespread manipulation users
face across platforms, including those owned and headquartered in the
United States.

https://www.freepress.net/blog/why-tiktok-ban-terrible-idea


8. Opinion: The US House’s Move Against TikTok Goes Too Far - and Not Far Enough

The controversial House bill on TikTok technically is not a ban, but
neither is it smart legislation. The bill manages to do too much,
raising constitutional issues. It also does too little, leaving the
social media landscape a toxic waste dump of disinformation, privacy
obliteration, hate speech and child predation.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/17/house-tiktok-ban-regulation/

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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

DWeb Fellowship
Deadline: April 1, 2024
https://dwebcamp.org/fellowships/

Supporting Digital Security in Ukraine and Moldova
Deadline: April 10, 2024
https://www.state.gov/drl-strengthening-resilience-for-digital-security-providers-and-capacity-for-civil-society-in-ukraine-and-moldova/

U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Spyware misuse in Europe and Eurasia
Deadline: April 15, 2024
https://www.state.gov/drl-improving-remedy-accountability-and-deterrence-for-the-repressive-misuse-of-spyware-in-europe-and-eurasia/

Women in Digital Economy Fund
Deadline: May 6, 2024
https://widef.global/funding/

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

What does US Congressional Efforts to Ban TikTok mean for Palestinian
Digital Rights
7amleh
5:30pm UTC
March 28, 2024
Online
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_N9cOrMEVQs-ntgeWUgtpjg#/registration

Webinar & Research Report Launch on Digital Privacy in Hong Kong,
South Korea & Taiwan
Open Culture Foundation
1pm UTC +7
March 28, 2024
https://engagemedia.org/events/drapac-series-7-digital-privacy/

The Social Networking Glitter Meetup
Team CommUNITY
March 28, 2024
9am EDT/ 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=March_28_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

✎ System Administrator | The Tor Project, Inc.
+ Remote
https://www.torproject.org/about/jobs/system-administrator/

✎ Technology Consultancy | Children's Rights in the Digital Space |
Save the Children
+ Remote
https://reliefweb.int/job/4047382/technology-consultant-childrens-rights-digital-space

✎ Front End Developer | Mnemonic
+ Remote or Berlin, Germany
https://mnemonic.org/en/about/jobs/front-end-developer-1

✎ IT Coordinator | Arena for Journalism in Europe
+ Remote
https://journalismarena.eu/we-are-hiring-it-coordinator-for-journalistic-collaborations-part-time-0-5-fte/

✎ Open-Source Researcher Palestine Archive | Mnemonic
+ Remote or
Berlin, Germany
https://mnemonic.org/en/about/jobs/open-source-researcher-palestinian-archive

✎ Programme Manager Ukrainian Archive | Mnemonic
+ Remote or Berlin,
Germany
https://mnemonic.org/en/about/jobs/programme-manager-for-the-ukrainian-archive

✎ HR & Office Manager | Bits of Freedom
+ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
https://www.bitsoffreedom.nl/2024/03/19/vacature-we-zoeken-een-hr-office-manager/

✎ Donation Processing Specialist (Contract) | Wikimedia Foundation
+
Remote
https://grnh.se/133469ec1us

✎ Digital Fundraising Specialist (Contract) | Wikimedia Foundation
+
Remote
https://grnh.se/fb68dd921us

✎ Software Developer (Contractor) | Freedom of the Press Foundation
+
Remote
https://grnh.se/abca6bba5us

✎ Director - People and Culture | Access Now
+ Costa Rica, Belgium,
Germany, and New York Preferred
https://accessnow.bamboohr.com/careers/204?source=aWQ9MjA%3D

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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for like-minded organizations and people.

(((Hugs & light)))

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Team CommUNITY at ARTICLE 19
www.digitalrights.community
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