Digital Rights Weekly | March 25 - 29

Thu Mar 28 20:25:29 CET 2024

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of March 25 - 29. As a reminder, you can submit your news for the
newsletter here: https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### Team CommUNITY (TCU) ###

1. Less Than 3 Weeks to Apply for the 2024 Global Gathering!

The 2024 Global Gathering will take place September 27, 28, and 29 in
Estoril, Portugal. Did you know that we have increased capacity to
around 1,000 folks this year? Apply for your gathering ticket before
April 15!

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

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

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

2. April 4: What Is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World?
(Glitter Meetup)

Join the April 4 conversation to both share and learn about how
digital rights issues are showing in different contexts around the
world. Connect to other digital rights defenders, and share updates
about your work, ideas, or anything else you want to bring to the
technology and human rights table!

https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_4_2024_GM

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Liberaforms in Barcelona on April 4: Tool that Create Forms
Respecting Privacy

In this session of the Node DWeb, learn about Liberaforms, a free
software tool designed and developed as a community, free and ethical
infrastructure that allows you to create and manage forms that respect
the digital rights of the people who use them. Happening on April 4 in
Canodrom, Barcelona at 18:00-19:30.

https://canodrom.barcelona

2. Oversight Board Says Meta “Disproportionately Restricts Free
Expression” With its Ban on Arabic Term “Shaheed”

The Oversight Board published a policy advisory opinion in response to
Meta’s request on whether the company should continue to remove all
content using the Arabic term “shaheed” to refer to individuals
designated under Meta’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals
policy. Meta owns social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram
and the Board found that the company’s blanket ban of the term should
end as it unnecessarily suppresses the speech of millions of users. It
also fails to account for the word’s variety of meanings, which is
used by many communities across cultures, religions, and languages. A
2021 study commissioned by Meta concluded that the company’s approach
had an "adverse human rights impact" on Palestinians and other
Arabic-speaking users of its services. The Oversight board, while
funded by Meta, operates independently.

https://www.oversightboard.com/news/950390256664030-oversight-board-publishes-policy-advisory-opinion-on-referring-to-designated-dangerous-individuals-as-shaheed/

Access Now welcomes the long-awaited Oversight Board’s policy advisory opinion:

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/oversight-board-meta-shaheed/

3. Reporters Without Borders Calls on Turkish Government to Amend
Internet Law After Highest Court Rules That It Violates Right to
Information

The Turkish Constitutional Court has overturned several judicial
decisions censoring journalistic content. They deemed that Article 9
of the current Internet law constitutes a violation of press freedom -
The article allows for censoring any online content indefinitely,
including news media stories on public interest issues such as
corruption. Reporters Without Borders is urging the Turkish government
to comply with the high court’s injunction by reforming the
controversial legislation.

https://rsf.org/en/rsf-calls-turkish-government-amend-internet-law-after-highest-court-rules-it-violates-right

4. EU: Platforms’ Election Risk Mitigation Measures Must Put Human Rights First

ARTICLE 19 and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) jointly
submitted a response to a consultation process by the European
Commission for input to their “Guidelines for Providers of Very Large
Online Platforms and Very Large Online Search Engines on the
Mitigation of Systemic Risks for Electoral Processes”. In the
submission, they make several key recommendations that promote a
human-rights-based approach and emphasize the need to focus on the
risks stemming from the platforms’ own systems and processes.

https://www.article19.org/resources/eu-platforms-election-risk-mitigation-measures-must-put-rights-first/

5. Reports from Our Community

a) The Human Rights Costs of Data Localization Around the World

Data localization, in which companies are mandated to store personal
data on local servers, is a growing policy area. But particularly in
contexts with poor rule of law, such requirements can allow
authorities to access people’s data more easily, creating a fertile
ground for human rights abuses. Four civil society experts weigh in on
why data localization is becoming an increasingly common policy and
what this means for people’s rights.

https://www.techpolicy.press/the-human-rights-costs-of-data-localization-around-the-world/

b) Southern Africa Digital Rights Issue #3: The Challenges of
Biometric & Digital Identity Systems

Across the African continent, biometric data collection systems are
being implemented at an increasing pace. And yet, there is no or slow
roll-out of measures to ensure that such biometric data collection and
processing systems are secure or actually benefit the societies which
are being implemented.

https://africaninternetrights.org/en/node/2599

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### Digital Rights Community Resources ###

1. New Toolkit from Advocacy Assembly: Measuring the Economic Costs of
Internet Shutdowns

This toolkit from Advocacy Assembly is a practical guide for measuring
economic losses across diverse sectors caused by internet shutdowns.
It facilitates access to some tools, provides an insight into the
methodologies they use and highlights their main features and
limitations.

https://advocacyassembly.org/en/toolkits/7

2. How to Combat Emerging Global Social Media Manipulation in 2024

This year, billions of people will head to the polls in over 50
countries. Malign actors will continue to exploit new technologies to
delegitimize the voting process and erode democratic values.
Mainstream social media platforms are ripe with election mis- and
disinformation. Civil society, academics, and investors can work
towards open source governance, monitoring, and accountability to
combat information manipulation and protect the electoral process.

https://www.justsecurity.org/93708/social-media-disinformation-2024-elections/

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

1. Meta is Revisiting its Hate Speech Policy on Zionism - Here’s Why
It’s (still) a Bad Idea

Meta is (re)considering how to moderate content involving the term
“Zionist.” However, isolating any political ideology from criticism is
a slippery slope which can restrict online spaces, shut down political
dissent and discourse, and, in the current context, fuel censorship in
times of war. Meta must distinguish between speech that targets ideas
or ideologies, which is protected even when offensive, and speech that
incites hostility, hatred, and discrimination against human beings.

https://www.accessnow.org/meta-hate-speech-policy-on-zionism-is-still-a-bad-idea/

2. Social Media Influencers are India's New Election Campaigners

Politicians like Prime Minister Narendra Modi are turning to social
media stars to spread political messages and campaign ahead of general
elections. They see hyper-local influencers as key to votes, and are
focusing on humanizing politicians. Critics say it blurs lines and can
mask payments.  Also concerning is India’s growing problem of online
misinformation and fake news. India has more than 800 million internet
users and the world's largest takeup of Instagram and YouTube.

https://www.context.news/digital-rights/social-media-influencers-are-indias-new-election-campaigners

3. Call to Limit Internet Use to 3GB a Week Causes Uproar in France

A former French education minister sparked attention this week with a
bold headline on an editorial pushing to "ration the Internet" to 3GB
a week, sparking controversy in France.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/03/21/rationing-internet-to-cut-screen-time-call-to-limit-use-to-3gb-a-week-causes-uproar-in-fra

4. Judge’s Rebuke of Elon Musk’s X Gives Researchers Fresh Hope

District Judge Charles Breyer dismissed a lawsuit by X against online
watchdog group Center for Countering Digital Hate as an attempt to
silence the non-profit group for sounding alarms about hate speech on
the platform. This will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold
influential online platforms accountable, legal experts and advocacy
groups say.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/judges-stern-rebuke-of-elon-musks-x-gives-researchers-fresh-hope/index.html

5. Interview with ProtonVPN: Tech Companies Should Prioritize Citizens
Over Governments

Proton VPN’s Samuele Kaplun talks about why they’re offering free
services in elections to democratically backsliding countries like
Turkey – and why tech companies should value their role as essential
tools of free speech.

https://balkaninsight.com/2024/03/26/samuele-kaplun-tech-companies-should-prioritise-citizens-over-governments/
(paywall)

6. France, Germany and UK Top Countries for “Right to be Forgotten” Requests

EU's General Data Protection Regulation has empowered individuals with
the “right to be forgotten,” enabling people to request the deletion
of personal data or removal from search engine results. In 2022,
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom made up over 50% of all “right
to be forgotten” requests. Social networking websites were the most
commonly featured domains in URLs delisted from Google

https://surfshark.com/research/study/right-to-be-forgotten

The number of requests fell steadily after the introduction of the
legislation in 2015 until the pandemic hit, when in 2020 it rose
dramatically. Now, though, it's on the decline again:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawoollacott/2024/03/27/has-the-right-to-be-forgotten-been-forgotten/?sh=96908931d6ed

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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/

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### Events Calendar ###

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

Glitter Meetup: What Is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World?
April 4, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_4_2024_GM

Node DWeb: Liberaforms session
April 4, 2024
Barcelona, Spain
https://canodrom.barcelona

The Social Networking Glitter Meetup
April 18, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_18_2024_GM

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

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### 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

✎ Administrative Coordinator | Association for Progressive
Communications
+ Remote
https://www.apc.org/en/news/come-work-us-apc-hiring-administrative-coordinator-sustaining-defenders-through-feminist

✎ Senior Frontend Engineer, Abstract Wikipedia | Wikimedia Foundation
+ Remote
https://grnh.se/375710c51us

✎ Investigations Lead | What To Fix
+ Remote
http://drive.google.com/file/d/1CVRh5CAZ9LFSwNpCqOr_krUyUHcFNPP2/view

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
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