Digital Rights Weekly | October 7 - 11

Tue Oct 15 17:41:09 CEST 2024

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of October 7 - 11. 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. Guardian Project: Getting to Know their Work Creating Easy-to-Use,
Secure and Open Source Apps for Mobile Devices

Guardian Project creates easy-to-use secure mobile tech apps,
open-source software libraries, tools, and services used by activists,
journalists, and citizens We spoke with Guardian Project’s Community
Manager about their celebrated tools, such as Clean Insights, Orbot,
and Butter Box, as well as their user-focused approach to development

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/community-series-the-guardian-project

2. Join the Next Digital Rights Town Halls in October!

Oct. 17 | Conexo: Organizational Security and Capacity Building From
the Global South
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=October_17_2024_GM

Oct. 24 | What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World?
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=October_24_2024_GM

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. Outline Manager Meetup: October 30

If you are a current user of Outline Manager, join us on October 30 at
9am EST/1pm UTC to learn about updates and new developments, get your
questions answered by the Jigsaw team, and network with other users of
Outline Manager. This is also a great place for folks new to Outline
Manager to familiarize themselves with the tool. RSVP:

https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/outline_manager_meetup_october_30

2. Funding Opportunity for Programs Supporting Internet Freedom from
U.S. Department of State

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s Internet Freedom
team are calling for Statements of Interest. This funding can support
programs which aim to directly circumvent or defeat Internet
censorship, prevent and remedy online attacks, advocate against
repressive Internet laws and regulations, or research and document key
threats to Internet Freedom programs. Deadline for statements of
interest: January 9, 2024.

https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor-request-for-statements-of-interest-drl-internet-freedom-annual-program-statement-2/

3. Open Tech Fund’s Surge & Sustain Fund

Open Tech Fund (OTF)'s Surge and Sustain Fund has opened for its
annual application period. The fund provides leading circumvention
tools with per-user infrastructure cost reimbursement to allow them to
sustain high user numbers in highly censored countries. Deadline:
October 30, 2024.

https://www.opentech.fund/funds/surge-and-sustain-fund

4. Safeguarding Humanity: Call for Submissions for an Online Symposium

On the occasion of the Human Rights Day on December 10th, Birzeit
University, Al Haq, and the Center for Applied Law are hosting an
online symposium titled “Safeguarding Humanity: The Challenge of
Protecting Rights in the Age of AI Is there a Future for Human Rights
after Gaza?” They are inviting submissions for papers that explore AI
and humane technologies through different lenses, with a particular
focus on empowering people to take action, like weaponizing AI, safety
and security in the age of AI, and others. Please submit your
abstracts to AI4rights at ml.birzeit.edu by October 17, 2024.

https://www.birzeit.edu/sites/default/files/upload/call_for_submissions_-_the_challenge_of_protecting_rights_in_the_era_of_ai.pdf

5. Register now for #FOISummit24

Registration is now open for the 2024 National Freedom of Information
(FOI) Summit. The full-day event will be online via Zoom events on
November 14, focusing on the use and impact of artificial intelligence
within the public records realm. If you cannot attend live, you can
access session recordings for six months after the event. Register:

https://events.zoom.us/ev/AhNWJtT0aB9J2PqW8223D1MdQyHLVv_htGiazOGDG_c4gu0Xwhnq~AtuLiuUXYboEBbUl1pDBbalRAUOEWKW3vjcbJI355aNDHhqhsXh0PlxbqA

6. Digital Rights Amid the War in Lebanon: What You Need to Know

Amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon, Israel is exploiting
civilian means of communication to intimidate people. The digital
rights organization SMEX observed various tactics used by the Israeli
occupation’s army to spread panic and promote its messages across
social media platforms and other channels, including text messages,
sponsored ads, messages through WhatsApp.

https://smex.org/digital-rights-amid-the-war-on-lebanon-what-you-need-to-know/

7. U.S. CBP releases records on controversial CBP One app after Access
Now’s lawsuit

After nearly two years of waiting for a response to a FOIA request
done by Access Now, and after a lawsuit against the agency, the U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) publicly released almost 3000
pages regarding the CBP One application. The use of CBP One has been
widely criticized, among other reasons, for requiring migrants to make
an appointment through the app before they can present themselves at a
port of entry on the southern US border, which conditions access to
asylum The FOIA request sought how the app has been used for automated
decision-making, profiling, and recording of migrants, refugees, and
asylum seekers.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/us-cbp-records-on-cbp-one-app-en/

8. Five Years for Fundamental Rights: Access Now’s Vision for an EU
Digital Rights Agenda

Access Now’s work aims to defend and extend the digital rights of
people and communities at risk around the world. In the European Union
(EU), their team works towards a vision of a just, fair, and
sustainable society, where every person is treated equally and with
care. Check out their invitation to EU policymakers and what they
suggest for them to focus on as the EU’s new 2024-2029 mandate begins.

https://www.accessnow.org/publication/our-vision-for-an-eu-digital-rights-agenda/

9. Reports from Our Community

a) Red Lines for AI: Resisting Surveillance & Reclaiming Privacy

A growing number of states and private companies are deploying
advanced AI tools to monitor, track, and surveil people. ARTICLE’s
latest report looks into how AI is being used against the public for
surveillance purposes and why stronger regulations to protect human
rights are needed. The report aims to support civil society with the
tools they need to ensure that AI technologies respect human rights.

https://www.article19.org/ai-technologies-where-do-we-draw-the-line/

b) Moderating Maghrebi Arabic Content on Social Media

The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) released a report
outlining the limitations of social media companies’ content
moderation efficacy concerning Maghrebi Arabic. The report emphasizes
the need for greater sensitivity to regional, cultural, and linguistic
differences in content moderation processes, as well as increased
diversity among natural language processing teams, to ensure more
accurate and fair content oversight across US-based social media
platforms.

https://cdt.org/insights/moderating-maghrebi-arabic-content-on-social-media/

c) Rights First: Principles for Digital Platforms Regulation

Australia’s weak laws that allow big tech platforms to regulate
themselves are not working. Digital platforms will never fix the
problem without government intervention because they profit from
amplifying misinformation and hate speech on their services. Check out
this report from the Human Rights Law Centre outlining principles for
digital platforms regulation.

https://www.hrlc.org.au/reports-news-commentary/rights-first

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### Community Resources ###

1. Guide for Digital Security for Human Rights Defenders in Sub-Saharan Africa

In response to growing digital threats to human rights defenders
worldwide, HURIDOCS developed a comprehensive guide to help protect
the integrity of defenders’ data and tools. This resource provides
essential tips on securing your phone, computer, and physical space,
offering practical steps to enhance your digital security in specific
contexts. The guidelines are available in English, French and Spanish.

https://huridocs.org/2024/10/otf-and-huridocs-advancing-digital-security-for-human-rights-defenders-in-sub-saharan-africa/

2. What’s Digital Sovereignty? Lessons from Brazil to the World:
Implications, Risks, & Global Insights

This blog post, based on the findings of a research project developed
in partnership between CEPI FGV Direito SP and ISOC Brazil, explores
the multifaceted nature of digital sovereignty, its implications in
the Brazilian context, and the broader insights that can be drawn for
other regions and actors.

https://www.isocfoundation.org/2024/10/whats-digital-sovereignty-lessons-from-brazil-to-the-world-implications-risks-and-global-insights/

3. Dossier on the Future of Global Digital Governance

The Heinrich Boell Stiftung launched a dossier on Global Digital
Governance. In a paper and series of articles, experts examine how
global institutions are adapting to the challenges and potential of
digital technologies. The authors provide a framework for how the
network society can bring green values to global governance debates in
order to address hard power dynamics and contribute to a free,
inclusive, sustainable and just global digital world. This dossier
will be updated in the coming months.

https://us.boell.org/en/future-global-digital-governance

4. Advice column: Are password managers ‘putting all my eggs in one basket?’
In Freedom of the Press Foundation’s new advice column, Davis Erin
Anderson tackles a question they often get in their journalist
security trainings: If I use a password manager, am I “putting all my
eggs in one basket?” Read the response:

https://freedom.press/training/blog/advice-column-4/?mtm_campaign=digisecdigest-newsletter20241009

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

1. In Venezuela, AI News Anchors Have Been Used to Protect Journalists

Journalists view the use of artificial intelligence could be viewed as
a looming threat to journalists’ livelihoods. In Venezuela, where
showing one’s face on a news report can be a risk, AI avatars have
been used to protect journalists.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/18/americas/venezuela-retweets-ai-news-maduro-intl-latam/index.html

2. Facebook and Instagram Restrict the Use of the Red Triangle Emoji
Over Hamas Association

Meta is restricting the use of the upside-down red triangle emoji, a
reference to Hamas combat operations that has become a broader symbol
of Palestinian resistance, on its Facebook and Instagram, and WhatsApp
platforms, according to internal content moderation materials reviewed
by The Intercept.

https://theintercept.com/2024/10/02/meta-facebook-instagram-red-triangle-emoji/

3. Egypt Fails to Release Prominent Activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah Beyond
His Five-Year Sentence

Alaa Abdel Fattah, the British-Egyptian writer, blogger, and software
developer, should have been released on September 29 after serving an
unjust five-year prison sentence. Instead, Egyptian authorities have
kept him imprisoned, refusing to count over two years he spent in
pretrial detention toward his time served. After spending most of the
last decade behind bars, authorities told his lawyer he won’t reunite
with his family until 2027.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/10/03/egypt-should-release-prominent-activist-alaa-abdel-fattah

4. Meta ‘Supreme Court’ expands with European center to handle TikTok
& YouTube cases

Meta’s Oversight Board is establishing a new appeals center to address
content disputes from European social media users across multiple
platforms. Set to launch later this year, Appeals Centre Europe will
operate under the Digital Services Act. Funded by a one-time $15
million grant from the Meta Oversight Board’s trust, the center will
handle appeals from Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok users challenging
content moderation decisions. While its rulings will be nonbinding,
the center aims to collect data that could inform future decisions.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/10/08/meta-oversight-board-appeals-centre-europe/

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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

Palestinian Journalist Fellowship
Priority Deadline: October 16, 2024
Final Deadline: November 27, 2024
https://logicmag.io/palestinian-journalist-fellowship/

Open Tech Fund’s Surge & Sustain Fund
Deadline: October 30, 2024
https://www.opentech.fund/funds/surge-and-sustain-fund

Funding Opportunity for Internet Freedom Programs from U.S. Department of State
Deadline for statements of interest: January 9, 2024
https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor-request-for-statements-of-interest-drl-internet-freedom-annual-program-statement-2/

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

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

Open Tech Fund
Deadline: Rolling
https://apply.opentech.fund

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/

__________________________________________

### Events Calendar ###

Conexo: Organizational Security and Capacity Building From the Global
South (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
October 17, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=October_17_2024_GM

What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
October 24, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=October_24_2024_GM

Outline Managers Meetup
Jigsaw, Team CommUNITY
October 30, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/outline_manager_meetup_october_30

2024 National Freedom of Information (FOI) Summit
November 14, 2024
Online
https://events.zoom.us/ev/AhNWJtT0aB9J2PqW8223D1MdQyHLVv_htGiazOGDG_c4gu0Xwhnq~AtuLiuUXYboEBbUl1pDBbalRAUOEWKW3vjcbJI355aNDHhqhsXh0PlxbqA

Digital Investigation Residency
Tactical Tech
November 18-22, 2024
Berlin, Germany
Deadline to apply: August 30, 2024.
https://exposingtheinvisible.org/en/news/call-investigation-institute-2024/

South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance Youth School 2024
Deadline to apply: September 30, 2024
November 25-26, 2024
Belgrade, Serbia
https://seedig.net/youth-school/

13th Edition of RightsCon
Access Now
February 24-27, 2025
February 2025
East Asia and online
https://www.rightscon.org/registration/

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

✎ Backend Developer | OONI
+ Remote
https://ooni.org/post/2024-job-opening-ooni-backend-developer/

✎ Digital Security Trainer | Freedom of the Press Foundation
+ New York City, or Remote U.S.
https://freedom.press/careers/job/?gh_jid=4484792005

✎ Media Publications Officer | Front Line Defenders
+ Dublin
https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/sites/default/files/media_publications_officer_jd_final.pdf

✎ Business and Human Rights Campaigner | Access Now
+ Hybrid in multiple locations
https://accessnow.bamboohr.com/careers/218

✎ Project manager – community networks | eQualitie
+ Remote
https://equalit.ie/job-post/project-manager-community-networks/

✎ DevOps – decentralized and federated networks | eQualitie
+ Remote
https://equalit.ie/job-post/devops-decentralized-and-federated-networks/

✎ Group Technical Product Manager – eQSuite | eQualitie
+ Remote
https://equalit.ie/job-post/group-technical-product-manager-eqsuite/

✎ Outreach and Social Media Manager | eQualitie
+ Remote
https://equalit.ie/job-post/outreach-and-social-media-manager/

✎ Gender Policy Consultant | Association for Progressive Communications
+ Remote
https://www.apc.org/en/news/call-consultants-support-gender-integration-policy-and-regulation-community-centred

✎ Desktop Application Developer | eQualitie
+ Remote (Preferred EDT +/- 3h)
https://equalit.ie/job-post/desktop-application-developer-for-the-decentralized-web/

✎ Product Manager | ASL19
+ Remote
https://asl19.org/en/join-us/product-manager-2024

✎ Project Officer - Grants and Contracts (MENA) | Digital Defenders Partnership
+ Remote
https://www.digitaldefenders.org/project-officer-grants-and-contracts-for-middle-east-and-north-africa-mena/

✎ Business Development and Marketing Associate | Helpful Places
+ Canada, Remote
https://www1.communitech.ca/companies/helpful-places-2/jobs/40957800-business-development-and-marketing-associate-for-social-impact-start-up-in-responsible-tech

✎ Product Manager | Dalberg Data Insights
+ Europe, Remote
https://join.augmentimpact.ai/apply/16

✎ Product Manager | Dalberg Data Insights
+ Nairobi, Kenya
https://join.augmentimpact.ai/apply/15

✎ Senior Director, Global Internet & Technology Initiatives | Internews
+ Washington, DC or Remote in USA
https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf04/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=INTERNEWS&cws=38&rid=2232

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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They can sign up here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

### 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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