Digital Rights Weekly | April 7 - 11

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the 
week of April 7 - 11. As a reminder, you can submit your news for the 
newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter

What is in this issue:


Team CommUNITY
Community News
NEW Job Opportunities
Community Resources
Digital Rights in the Wider World
Statements from our Community
Events Calendar
Grants, Fellowships, & Awards

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### Team CommUNITY (TCU News) ###
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1. Applications for the 2025 Global Gathering Are Now Open!

Global Gathering applications are now open! The convening will take 
place on September 8-10 in Portugal. Join hundreds of defenders for 
three days of collaboration around the most pressing tech-related issues 
impacting human rights, civil society, and journalists at local, 
regional, and global levels. This year we are offering organizations 
more space to host their own events or programming. Reach out to us to 
learn more. Apply here:

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/2025-global-gathering-application


2. RSVP for TCU’s Community Knowledge Share Webinars!

The Community Knowledge Share workshops are designed to deepen your 
knowledge and skills in specific areas and connect you with others 
interested in the same topics. RSVP using the links below:

April 16 | Tech, Policy & Support: SMEX's Work in Action
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_16_2025,_MENA_Meetup

April 30 | Digital Rights Organizational Analysis: Lessons from Gambia
RSVP: 
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/lessons_from_gambia_april_2025


3. JOSA: Getting to Know Their Work on Open Technology and Privacy in Jordan

The Jordan Open Source Association (JOSA) works toward a better Jordan 
through openness in technology, believing that the Internet should 
remain open and accessible to everyone. We spoke with their Senior 
Program Officer in Internet Freedom, Haitham Dahboor, and their Program 
Officer in Digital Social Innovation and Research, Yara Alrafie, to 
learn more about their projects, Aman Raqami and Nuha, as well as the 
key digital rights challenges in Jordan.

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/community-series-josa


4. Upcoming Digital Rights Town Halls and the LATAM Regional Meetup:

April 17 | The Social Networking Glitter Meetup
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_17_2025_GM

April 23 | Digital Rights LATAM Meetup
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=23_de_Abril,_2025_LATAM

May 1 | What Is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=May_1_2025_GM

May 8 | DRAPAC VPN Project Protects Human Rights Defenders From 
Censorship And Surveillance (Glitter Meetup)
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=May_8_2025_GM

May 15 | The Social Networking Glitter Meetup
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=May_15_2025_GM

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### Community News ###
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1. Virtual Learning Session on Self-hosting WordPress

EngageMedia is organizing an interactive virtual learning session on 
self-hosting WordPress, part of EM's Human Rights Tech learning series. 
In this 90-minute session, you’ll learn how to set up and manage your 
own WordPress website. When? This is happening virtually on April 14, 
2025 at 2 PM Bangkok time (UTC+7).

https://engagemedia.org/2025/human-rights-tech-learning-session-self-hosting-wordpress/


2. Fundraising Request for the CYPLP

Children and Young People Living for Peace (CYPLP), a registered NGO in 
Nigeria is taking part in a fundraising challenge for the full month of 
April. Every donation they receive after reaching their initial $500 
goal will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the New Africa Fund, up to a 
maximum of $5,000. The deadline for contributions is April 30th, 2025. 
Donations are tax-deductible for US donors. Contributions in all 
currencies are welcome.

To donate, please visit: 
https://give-usa.keela.co/children-and-young-people-living-for-peace-donate-page/

To read more about the Children and Young People Living for Peace (CYPLP)
www.cyplp.net.ng
and the New Africa Fund
www.newafricafund.org


3. Call for Proposals | India Foss 2025

IndiaFOSS is an annual Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) conference, 
organised by the FOSS United community. Whether you are a seasoned 
developer, an aspiring enthusiast, or someone with a passion for 
technology, IndiaFOSS invites you to be part of this community. Read 
more and consider submitting a proposal for the conference. Deadline to 
submit: June 7, 2025.

https://fossunited.org/indiafoss/2025


4. Launch of the DRAPAC VPN Bot

EngageMedia is introducing the DRAPAC VPN Bot, a simple and secure way 
to get VPN access via Telegram and WhatsApp. Part of the DRAPAC VPN 
Project, this tool provides free VPN support to human rights defenders 
in the Asia-Pacific region, helping them bypass censorship and avoid 
digital surveillance.

Why a chat bot? In regions where digital rights are under threat, 
messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp are vital lifelines, even when 
other channels are blocked. The DRAPAC VPN Bot makes it easier for users 
to quickly access VPN support through these platforms, removing 
technical barriers and increasing accessibility.

https://engagemedia.org/2025/drapacvpnbot/


5. Reporting for Rights: The Civic Journalism Coalition

ECNL, EDRi and Lighthouse Reports have launched the Civic Journalist 
Coalition - a space to advocate for digital rights policies at the EU 
level and strengthen investigative reporting. This coalition aims to 
create a structured, long-term space where journalists and digital 
rights defenders can share knowledge, coordinate efforts, and strengthen 
each other’s work.

https://ecnl.org/news/reporting-rights-civic-journalism-coalition


6. Reports from Our Community

a) Philippines: Left to Their Own Devices

Amnesty International’s youth-led report reveals that online harassment 
by the Philippine authorities, including the practice of “red-tagging” 
or labelling individuals as communists, creates a climate of fear that 
is deterring young human rights defenders from engaging in activism and 
expressing themselves freely.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa35/9187/2025/en/


b) Beneath the Waves: Addressing Vulnerabilities in Africa’s Undersea 
Digital Infrastructure

Undersea cables, commonly known as submarine cables, play a crucial role 
in Africa’s digital infrastructure. But recent incidents demonstrated 
the vulnerability and fragility of Africa’s internet infrastructure and 
underscored the need for a robust and resilient agenda for this 
foundational digital infrastructure.

https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/03/beneath-the-waves-addressing-vulnerabilities-in-africas-undersea-digital-infrastructure?lang=en

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### NEW Job Opportunities  ###
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✎ Community Officer | The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
+ Princeton, NJ, USA
https://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/careers/community-officer.html

✎ Membership Engagement Lead | Alliance for Feminist Movements
+ Remote
https://www.awid.org/get-involved/vacancy-alliance-feminist-movements-membership-engagement-lead

✎ Senior Communications Officer | The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
+ Princeton, NJ, USA
https://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/careers/senior-communications-officer.html

✎ Writer and Information Management Consultant | The African Climate 
Foundation (ACF)
+ Remote
https://africanclimatefoundation.bamboohr.com/careers/81

✎ Fundraising Officer | EDRi
+ Brussels, Belgium
https://edri.org/take-action/careers/edri-is-looking-for-fundraising-officer-part-time/

✎ Social Media Fellow | New_Public
+ Remote in USA or Canada
https://newpublic.org/jobs/social-media-fellow

✎ Digital Oligarchy Research Consultant | CIVICUS
+ Remote
https://civicus.org/index.php/component/content/article/7593-terms-of-reference-tor-for-a-research-study-on-digital-oligarchy-how-tech-billionaires-are-reshaping-democracy-and-civic-space-and-strategies-for-civil-society-resistance

✎ UX Researcher, Public Spaces Incubator | New_Public
+ Remote in USA or Canada
https://newpublic.org/jobs/UX-researcher-PSI

✎ Communications Officer | 5Rights
+ Hybrid in UK or Belgium
https://5rightsfoundation.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=9c3a5c0b-fb83-4bea-b6e9-e6af9bd32959 


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### Community Resources  ###
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1. In-House Data Harvest: How Social Platforms' AI Ambitions Threaten 
User Rights

This article examines the implications of social media companies 
integrating artificial intelligence (AI) development with their 
extensive user data. It highlights the legal and ethical challenges that 
arise when platforms like Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok utilize 
user-generated content—including posts, comments, and behavioral data—to 
train their AI models.

https://www.techpolicy.press/in-house-data-harvest-how-social-platforms-ai-ambitions-threaten-user-rights/


2. The Brazilian Judge Taking on The Digital Far Right

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes rarely speaks to journalists, 
but agreed to be interviewed by The New Yorker regarding the legal 
response to the spread of election disinformation via social media that 
fueled a violent attack on Brazil’s Congress in January 2023. De Moraes 
has pursued investigations, arrests, and ordered tech platforms to 
remove harmful content.


https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/14/the-brazilian-judge-taking-on-the-digital-far-right

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### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
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1. Myanmar’s Internet Blackout is Costing Lives in Earthquake-hit Area

As Myanmar remains shaken by last week’s devastating earthquake, which 
has claimed more than 3,000 lives, a lack of connectivity is proving to 
be an obstacle to relief and rescue work. In many areas, humanitarian 
actors are unable to assess needs or dispatch aid because digital and 
physical access continue to be blocked — by damage, repression, or both.

https://restofworld.org/2025/myanmar-earthquake-internet-shutdown/

https://www.article19.org/resources/myanmar-earthquake-shows-why-freedom-of-expression-must-be-protected/ 



2. Court Rules that Apple’s Encryption Row with UK Should Not be Secret

A judge has sided with a coalition of civil liberties groups and news 
organisations - including the BBC - and ruled a legal row between the UK 
government and Apple over data privacy cannot be held in secret.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgn1lz3v4no


3. Kenya: Meta Can Be Sued in Kenya for Role in Ethiopia Conflict

The Kenya High Court has ruled that Meta can be sued in Kenya over 
allegations that its Facebook platform contributed to ethnic violence in 
Ethiopia by promoting harmful content between 2020 and 2022, paving the 
way for accountability for corporate human rights abuses.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/04/kenya-high-court-has-ruled-that-it-has-jusridiction-over-case-against-meta/


4. Volunteers are Restoring Health and Climate Data Deleted by the Trump 
Administration - for Everyone to Use.

An executive order wiped reams of data from U.S. government websites. 
Volunteers are now working to ensure open access to the censored 
climate, LGBTQ+ and health stats. These include stats gathered by the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), such as the social 
vulnerability index and environmental justice index - measures used to 
quantify the health risks faced by different Americans.

https://www.context.news/digital-rights/volunteers-on-right-side-of-history-fight-trump-data-purge 


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### Statements from Our Community ###


1. Kenya: Withdraw Computer Misuse & Cybercrimes Bill, Protect Freedom 
of Expression

ARTICLE 19 warns that the recently introduced Computer Misuse and 
Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill 2024 contravenes international human rights 
standards. ARTICLE19 calls on the Kenyan Parliament to reject the Bill 
and uphold freedom of expression.

https://www.article19.org/resources/kenya-withdraw-computer-misuse-and-cybercrimes-bill-and-protect-freedom-of-expression/ 



2. #KeepItOn: Authorities in Gabon Must Safeguard Open & Secure Internet 
Access During Elections

Several human rights organizations and members of the #KeepItOn 
coalition — a global network of more than 345 organizations from 106 
countries working to end internet shutdowns — urge the Transitional 
President of the Gabonese Republic to ensure that the internet, social 
media platforms, and all other communication channels remain open, 
secure, and accessible to all before, during, and after the country’s 
upcoming presidential elections taking place on April 12.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/keepiton-authorities-in-gabon-elections/ 



3. Thailand: Authorities Must End Malicious Smear Campaigns & 
Cyberattacks on Civil Society

Amnesty International has called on the Thai authorities to investigate 
and take any necessary measures to end cyberattacks against human rights 
activists. Leaked internal government documents, which were brought to 
light in a recent parliamentary debate, revealed Thai police and 
military units are jointly running a “Cyber Team” which deliberately 
sought to tarnish the reputations and undermine the legitimate work of 
civil society organizations and political opposition members.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/04/thailand-authorities-must-end-malicious-smear-campaigns-and-cyberattacks-on-civil-society/ 


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### Events Calendar ###
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Re-Launching the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool - How to approach 
cybersecurity in turbulent times
The Engine Room
April 15 2025
4 PM UTC
Online
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/oFXYN7YLSYu6HypGSdc27A

Tech, Policy & Support: SMEX's Work in Action
Team CommUNITY
April 16, 2025
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/lessons_from_mena_april_2025

Social Networking Glitter Meetup
Team CommUNITY
April 17, 2025
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_17_2025_GM

Digital Rights LATAM Meetup
Team CommUNITY
April 23, 2025
5:30pm EDT / 9:30pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=23_de_Abril,_2025_LATAM

The Sound of Independence: Building Your Own Music Streaming Service 
(Glitter Meetup with Horizontal)
Team CommUNITY
April 24, 2025
10am EDT / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_24_2025_GM

Digital Rights Organizational Analysis: Lessons from Gambia
Team CommUNITY
April 30, 2025
10am EDT / 2pm UTC
Online
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/lessons_from_gambia_april_2025

What Is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
May 1, 2025
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=May_1_2025_GM

DRAPAC VPN Project Protects Human Rights Defenders From Censorship And 
Surveillance (Glitter Meetup with EngageMedia)
Team CommUNITY
May 8, 2025
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Community_Updates

Defending Your Organization Against Rage Farming
PWorld
May 15, 2025
Online
https://edri.org/take-action/events/defending-your-organization-against-rage-farming/ 


Social Networking Glitter Meetup
Team CommUNITY
April 17, 2025
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=May_15_2025_GM

2025 Oxford Media Policy Summer Institute
Jesus College, Oxford
July 28 - August 8, 2025
https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/oxford-media-policy-summer-institute

HOPE_16
August 15 - 17, 2025
St. John's University in Queens, New York City, and online
https://hope.net/

Hold Before You Send It
Digihub Africa 2025
October 8 - 9, 2025
Johannesburg, South Africa
https://www.digihubafrica.org/events/

Mozilla Festival 2025
November 7 - 9, 2025
In Barcelona, Spain
https://www.mozillafestival.org/en/

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

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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 


Internet Society 2025 Mid-Career Fellowship Application
Deadline: April 11, 2025
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/566ae57b98cc48c58e05d3327c970360

Short Innovation Projects 2025
EIT Culture & Creativity
Deadline: April 11, 2025
https://eit-culture-creativity.eu/short-innovation-projects-2025/

I AM Nala Fellowship - Call For Applications
Deadline: April 14, 2025
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiBRoptpbn7Td_pDcxg5FKajxOs7a6tG7JDqmiyuAuxFGj_w/viewform

Call for Contributions: Navigating Digital Power in Asia
Common Edge Asia
Deadline: April 14, 2025
www.commonedge.asia/digitalpower/

AI Ethics Fellowship
Code for Africa
Deadline: April 14, 2025
https://opportunities.codeforafrica.org/2025/03/28/call-for-applications-ai-ethics-fellowship/ 


Environmental Justice in Tech Fellowship
The Rooted Futures Lab launched
Rolling application until April 15, 2025
https://www.rootedfutureslab.io/ejit-fellowship

2025 MIT Solve' Global Economic Prosperity Challenge
Deadline: April 17, 2025
https://solve.mit.edu/challenges/2025-global-economic-prosperity-challenge

VinFuture Prize
VinFuture Foundation
Deadline: April 17, 2025
https://vinfutureprize.org/vinfuture-prize-nomination/

Tech + Policy Course Scholarship
FOSS United
Deadline: April 20, 2025
https://forum.fossunited.org/t/technology-policy-course-scholarship-for-foss-devs/1220/43 


Equity-Free Funding Opportunity for Fem Tech Solutions 
UNICEF Venture Fund
Deadline: May 8, 2025
https://www.unicef.org/innovation/FemTechCall

Grants for Democratic Digitalisation Projects
Deadline: May 18, 2025
https://4d.cat/en/award

Effects of the Usage of Digital Technology
The Huo Family Foundation
Deadline: May 23, 2025
https://huofamilyfoundation.org/our-grants/funding-opportunities

Connecting the Unconnected Funding Program
Internet Society
Deadline 2nd window: from 15 July to 27 August, 2025
https://www.internetsociety.org/funding-areas/connecting-the-unconnected

Are you looking for grants, fellowships and funds open on a rolling 
basis? We curate a long list of opportunities on our wiki: 
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Fundraising_Opportunities

__________________________________________

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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
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