Digital Rights Weekly | October 21 - 25

Mon Oct 28 14:20:10 CET 2024

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of October 21 - 25. 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 and November!

Oct. 31 | Learn More About Amnezia Software Suite (Glitter Meetup)
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=October_31_2024_GM

Nov. 7 | The Social Networking Glitter Meetup
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=November_7_2024_GM

Nov. 21 | What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter Meetup)
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=November_21_2024_GM

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### Digital Rights in the Community ###

1. eQualitie's Breakout Program

Breakout Program is a $250,000 USD seed funding initiative launched by
eQualitie to support innovations in digital communication that can
withstand network shutdowns and censorship of global connectivity.
They are particularly interested in solutions that are open source,
and can be quickly scaled in various network, software and user
environments. They are looking to support 2 - 5 initiatives under this
program, with a 3 - 6 months duration. Deadline to apply: November 17,
2024.

https://splintercon.net/breakout/

2. Call for Applications: Residential Institute on Frontiers & Frames
for a New Digitality 2025

Apply to the residential institute on ‘Frontiers and Frames for a New
Digitality, organized by the School of Digital Justice, IT for Change
and supported by the Fair, Green and Global Alliance. It will take
place for 5 days in March 2025 (date and time to be confirmed).
Deadline to apply: November 30, 2024.

https://itforchange.net/call-for-applications-residential-institute-on-frontiers-and-frames-for-a-new-digitality-2025

3. Digital Impact Alliance Fellowship

The Digital Impact Alliance Fellowship Program is for mid-career
researchers and practitioners to explore questions on digital public
infrastructure and data governance. Fellows complete their research
over 6-8 months and are supported with a stipend. Applications
reviewed on a rolling basis:

https://dial.global/apply-to-our-fellows-program/

4. Digispace Africa is Looking for Volunteers

Digispace is a women-led non-profit organization that seeks to build
the capacity of media personnel and human rights defenders through
offering digital literacy training, online safety, and prevention of
online harassment. They are looking for volunteers to support their
work. Sign up here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScC__3AMJhF5qP-jWKGfEvfEP-4ASQ0EA-qlcVFNBLgZsF03w/viewform

Digispace Africa’s website: https://digispaceafrica.org

5. Harvard Tech Fellows for WECode 2025

The Harvard Women Engineers Code (WECode) Conference team is hosting
their annual college women in technology conference in-person on
February 15-16, 2025 at Harvard University. Selected people will
receive exclusive perks, including a free ticket to the largest
student-run women in technology conference in the world, networking
opportunities, and access to community resources. Deadline to apply:
November 3, 2024.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UGMoHqmwx7xMCMIqkdeLsS75xS-gEI0P870OJUDDt9M/edit?tab=t.0

6. The Festival of Innovation and Social Technology

The Festival of Innovation and Social Technology (FITS) is a free
event in Latin America that brings together a range of stakeholders
including activists, NGOs, and cultural representatives with the aim
of promoting the exchange of knowledge and tools to address social and
environmental challenges, improving project management and
sustainability. It will be held in person on November 7, 2024 in
Mexico, and virtually for global participants. Read more and register:

https://www.fits.ong

7. Virtual School of Internet Governance

The Virtual School of Internet Governance (VSIG) is a free
multi-module course dedicated to the key pillars of Internet
Governance. This round is starting on January 14, 2025  and will run
till April 1, 2025. Register here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxElbmLzzGNUpUuoW3jDieHkNZpvO35hhDDlH9-Ia8jwKNww/viewform

8. Tabla: Digital Security Platform for Sudan

The Digital Rights Lab in Sudan has launched (Tabla), the first
digital security platform, built on the local context in Sudan and
aimed at providing protection and advice to journalists, activists and
politicians in Sudan. They invite people to visit the platform and
learn about the best practices that ensure avoiding digital
violations.

https://tabla.drightslab.org/

9. Statement on Global Encryption Day 2024

A number of digital rights groups wrote a statement targeting the
public and private sectors to reject efforts to undermine encryption
and instead pursue policies that enhance, strengthen, and promote use
of strong encryption to protect people everywhere. Strong encryption
is a critical technology that helps keep people, their information,
and communications private and secure. It underpins online trust,
protects members of vulnerable communities, and safeguards the data of
governments, businesses, and citizens from criminals and other
malicious actors.

https://www.globalencryption.org/2024/10/global-encryption-day-2024-statement/

10. US Removes Sandvine from Trade Restriction List After Corporate
Reforms Despite Poor Human Rights Record

The US removed Sandvine from a trade restriction list after the
networking equipment company made changes to its corporate governance
and business practices to protect human rights. However, Sandvine was
added to the Entity List in February 2024 for supplying deep packet
inspection technology to governments that facilitated mass web
monitoring, censorship, and the targeting of human rights activists
and politicians. Access Now urges the U.S. government to ensure
continued scrutiny of Sandvine’s practices in close consultation with
civil society, and urges Sandvine to publicly demonstrate its
commitment to human rights.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/sandvine-removed-from-u-s-entity-list-access-now-urges-continued-scrutiny/

11. Reports from Our Community

Unveiling Repression & State Surveillance in Venezuela

Over the past decade, the Venezuelan government constructed a
framework of surveillance and repression, which has been repeatedly
denounced by civil society and digital rights defenders in the
country. This apparatus is built on a foundation of restricted access
to information, censorship, harassment of journalists, and the closure
of media outlets.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/09/unveiling-venezuelas-repression-legacy-state-surveillance-and-control

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### Community Resources ###

1. Malaysia: What Do We Need to Know About Social Media Licensing?

The Malaysian government recently announced that social media
companies would be required to obtain licenses under the
Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998. The new regulatory
framework comes into force on 1 January 2025. ARTICLE 19 and the
Centre for Independent Journalism answers some questions about social
licensing specific to Malaysia’s context, and general increase in
regulations and the government’s new licensing programme.

https://www.article19.org/resources/malaysia-what-do-we-need-to-know-about-social-media-licensing/

2. The Real Actors Behind AI Deep Fakes Backing Dictatorships

Listen to the case of one actor and model who explains how he became
the unwitting participant in a deep fake video for an authoritarian
regime.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/video/2024/oct/16/have-i-done-something-dreadful-the-real-actors-behind-ai-deepfakes-backing-dictatorships-video

3. Reading Your Mind: The Future of Brain Privacy

Brain-reading devices anyone can buy on the Internet can decipher your
moods, your focus, and in the not so distant future, maybe even the
words you are thinking.

https://www.context.news/digital-rights/video/reading-your-mind-the-future-of-brain-privacy

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

1. China Cracks Down on ‘Uncivilized’ Online Puns Used to Discuss
Sensitive Topics

China’s internet regulators launched a campaign cracking down on puns
and homophones, one of the last remaining ways for citizens to safely
discuss sensitive subjects without recriminations or censorship. The
“clear and bright” campaign is targeting “irregular and uncivilized”
language online, particularly jokes, memes, and wordplay.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/23/china-meme-online-pun-crackdown-rules

2. Meta’s Israel Policy Chief Tried to Suppress Pro-Palestinian Instagram Posts

A former senior Israeli government official now working as Meta’s
Israel policy chief personally pushed for the censorship of Instagram
accounts belonging to Students for Justice in Palestine — a group that
has played a leading role in organizing campus protests against
Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.

https://theintercept.com/2024/10/21/instagram-israel-palestine-censorship-sjp/

3. The UK Considers New Smartphone Bans for Children

The UK parliament is considering restrictions on how young people use
smartphones. A new bill proposes both banning phones in schools and
raising the age at which children can consent to social media
companies using their data.

https://www.wired.com/story/uk-considers-new-smartphone-bans-for-children/

4. Norway to Increase Minimum Age Limit on Social Media to 15 to
Protect Children

Norway is set to enforce a strict minimum age limit on social media to
age 15, up from age 13. The government has pledged to introduce more
safeguards to prevent children from getting around the age
restrictions – including amending the Personal Data Act so that social
media users must be 15 years old to agree that the platform can handle
their personal data, and developing an age verification barrier for
social media.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/23/norway-to-increase-minimum-age-limit-on-social-media-to-15-to-protect-children

5. Claude AI Tool: Carries Out Jobs Such as Filing Forms & Booking Trip

Claude AI, an artificial intelligence startup backed by Amazon and
Google, says it has created an AI agent that can carry out tasks on
the computer such as moving a mouse cursor and typing text. In demos,
seen by the Financial Times and Wired, the AI agent planned and
created a calendar appointment for a trip to view the sunrise in San
Francisco and built a simple website to promote itself.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/23/claude-ai-anthropic-computer-tasks-form-filling-booking-trips

6. Liquid AI Is Redesigning the Neural Network

Liquid AI, a startup coming out of MIT, revealed new AI models based
on a novel type of “liquid” neural network that has the potential to
be more efficient, less power-hungry, and more transparent than the
ones that underpin everything, like chatbots or image generators.
Liquid AI’s new models include one for detecting fraud in financial
transactions, another for controlling self-driving cars, and a third
for analyzing genetic data.

https://www.wired.com/story/liquid-ai-redesigning-neural-network/

7. Meet ZachXBT, the Masked Vigilante Tracking Down Billions in Crypto
Scams and Thefts

ZachXBT identified and untangled a $243 million bitcoin theft, a major
crypto heist targeting a single victim. And he has never shown his
face.

https://www.wired.com/story/meet-zachxbt-243-million-crypto-theft/

8. ICE's $2 Million Contract With a Spyware Vendor Is Under White House Review

A $2 million contract that United States Immigration and Customs
Enforcement signed with Israeli commercial spyware vendor Paragon
Solutions has been paused and placed under compliance review.

https://www.wired.com/story/ice-paragon-contract-white-house-review/

9. ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Producer Accuses Musk & Tesla of Circumventing
Copyright with AI Imagery

Alcon Entertainment, a production company behind “Blade Runner 2049,”
is suing Tesla, Elon Musk, and Warner Bros. Digital for what they
claim is an intentional circumvention of its IP rights.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/21/blade-runner-2049-producer-accuses-musk-and-tesla-of-circumventing-copyright-with-ai-imagery/

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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

Harvard Tech Fellows for WECode 2025
Deadline to apply: November 3, 2024.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UGMoHqmwx7xMCMIqkdeLsS75xS-gEI0P870OJUDDt9M/edit?tab=t.0

European AI & Society Fund
AI Act Implementation Grants
Deadline: Rolling, first round November 10, 2024
https://europeanaifund.org/funding/

Breakout Program
eQualitie
Deadline to apply: November 17, 2024
https://splintercon.net/breakout/

Residential Institute on Frontiers & Frames for a New Digitality 2025
School of Digital Justice, IT for Change and Fair, Green and Global Alliance
5 days in March 2025 (date and time to be confirmed)
Deadline: November 30, 2024
https://itforchange.net/call-for-applications-residential-institute-on-frontiers-and-frames-for-a-new-digitality-2025

European AI & Society Fund
AI Accountability Grants
Deadline: January 6, 2025
https://europeanaifund.org/funding/

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

Digital Impact Alliance Fellowship
Deadline: Rolling
https://dial.global/apply-to-our-fellows-program/

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 ###

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

Learn More About Amnezia Software Suite (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
October 31, 2024
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=October_31_2024_GM

The Social Networking Glitter Meetup
Team CommUNITY
November 7, 2024
9am EST / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=November_7_2024_GM

Festival of Innovation and Social Technology
November 7, 2024
Mexico, and virtually for global participants
https://www.fits.ong

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/

Digital Rights LATAM Meetup
Team CommUNITY
November 20, 2024
5:30pm EST / 10:30pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=20_de_Noviembre,_2024_LATAM

What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
November 21, 2024
9am EST / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=November_21_2024_GM

Digital Rights Africa Meetup
Team CommUNITY
November 21, 2024
10am EST / 3pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=November_21_2024,_Africa_Meetup

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/

Virtual School of Internet Governance
January 14, 2025 - April 1, 2025
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxElbmLzzGNUpUuoW3jDieHkNZpvO35hhDDlH9-Ia8jwKNww/viewform

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

✎ Policy and Technology Research Writer | ICANN
+ Not Specified
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V7C-Qdb4LTvcvwNBrS7cM6Yfo-DKrGqC/view

✎ Tor User Support Specialist (Farsi) | The Tor Project
+ Remote
https://www.torproject.org/about/jobs/user-support-farsi-specialist/

✎ Membership Coordinator | Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group
+ Remote
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_LGBT%2B/Hiring

✎ Executive Director | Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group
+ Remote
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_LGBT%2B/Hiring

✎ Program Coordinator | The Coalition for Independent Tech Research
+ Remote
https://independenttechresearch.org/open-positions/

✎ Operations Manager | Localization Lab
+ Remote
https://www.localizationlab.org/careers-operations-manager

✎ Institutional Development for Mexico and Central America | Wingu
+ Ciudad de Mexico
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelDSrpJ8iojlawrGm5Nh2RhQZufzvS-w6d62CKfe3cGvwF4A/viewform

✎ Platform Engagement Coordinator | Access Now
+ Prefered location options, including Berlin, Brussels, New York, San
José CR, Washington, District of Columbia (hybrid)
https://accessnow.bamboohr.com/careers/220

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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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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