From team at digitalrights.community Thu Aug 14 19:36:44 2025 From: team at digitalrights.community (Team @ TCU) Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:36:44 -0400 Subject: Digital Rights Weekly | August 4 - 8 Message-ID: Hello Digital Rights Defenders! Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the week of August 4 - 8. 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 Events Calendar Grants, Fellowships, & Awards __________________________________________ ### Team CommUNITY (TCU News) ### __________________________________________ The Digital Rights Weekly Newsletter and Job Board will be paused until the week of September 22, 2025. For questions, reach out to team at digitalrights.community __________________________________________ ### Community News ### __________________________________________ 1. Regional Partnership Fund for the EECCA Region 2025: Now Open for Applications Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP) is now accepting applications for the Regional Partnership Fund from Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia. This fund supports organisations and collectives that promote online freedom and protect human rights defenders (HRDs) through a holistic lens. Deadline is September 12, 2025 https://www.digitaldefenders.org/regional-partnership-fund-for-the-eecca-region-2025-now-open-for-applications/ 2. The Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) Announces New Grant Making Program GTIA awards grants to nonprofits that use?or need?technology to improve lives, with a focus on under-resourced communities locally and globally. Our grants can provide funding to support smart, scalable solutions that tackle real-world challenges, from broadband access to AI-powered learning tools. Among the various priority areas are affordable internet initiatives, digital skills training and AI tutoring https://gtia.org/giving/grants 3. Microgrants for AI Accountability and Governance The Pulitzer Center's South-to-South AI Accountability CoLab is now accepting applications for microgrants of up to USD?$4,000 to support local civil society and academic initiatives that deepen understanding of AI's societal impact and foster more transparent AI governance across the Global South?Africa, Latin America, and South/Southeast Asia. The application window runs from August 1 to 31, 2025, with selected projects announced October?3, 2025, and implementation expected to begin in October 2025 and run through May 2026. https://pulitzercenter.org/south-south-ai-accountability-colabs-microgrants 4. RightCon 2026 Call for Proposals The RightsCon 2026 call for proposals is now open! It will take place on May 5-8 in Lusaka, Zambia and online. The deadline to submit your proposal is September 12. https://www.rightscon.org/ 5. Reproducible Builds Summit The 2025 Reproducible Builds will take place on October 28-30 in Vienna. For those that wish to stay longer, it will be followed up by three days of hacking, from October 31 to November 2. Attendance is free of charge. https://reproducible-builds.org/events/vienna2025/ 6. Reports from Our Community a) State Censorship, Control, and Increasing Isolation of Internet Users in Russia Human Rights Watch's July?30,?2025 report "Disrupted, Throttled, and Blocked" reveals how Russian authorities are intensifying state control over the internet?employing widespread censorship, throttling, VPN shutdowns, and unpredictable disruptions under the guise of national security?thereby isolating users and trampling digital freedoms. The report underscores the steep decline in independent media access and urges international actors and tech companies to back civil society efforts in restoring secure, uncensored access to information https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/07/30/disrupted-throttled-and-blocked/state-censorship-control-and-increasing-isolation b) A19 Report Finds Belarus Anti-Extremism Laws Threaten Digital Rights A recent ARTICLE?19 analysis highlights how Belarus's expanding ?anti?extremism? legal framework?including broad criminal and administrative provisions, extremist designations, and even the threat of citizenship revocation is being weaponized to curtail digital rights by prosecuting a wide array of online behavior ? from simple comments or channel administration to participating in chatbots or making donations to civil society causes. This chilling environment not only stifles free expression and civic engagement but also turns routine digital interactions into potential criminal liability under vague, arbitrary law. https://dig.watch/updates/article-19-report-finds-belaruss-anti-extremism-laws-threaten-digital-rights c) OONI Report: Internet Shutdowns During Bangladesh's 2024 Uprising In collaboration with Digitally Right, OONI has released a new study that provides a timeline of the political context and internet shutdowns (blocks and outages) during the uprising in Bangladesh in the summer of 2024. At the peak of the protests, multiple datasets (IODA, Cloudflare Radar, Google traffic data, and OONI data) showed that Bangladesh experienced a complete, nationwide internet blackout between 18th to 23rd July 2024. Once internet access was restored, data shows that multiple social media platforms and instant messaging apps were blocked between 24th to 31st July 2024. https://ooni.org/post/2025-bangladesh-report/ __________________________________________ ### NEW Job Opportunities ### __________________________________________ You can access the following jobs by visiting our job board: https://www.digitalrights.community/job-board ? Director of Policy | AI Policy Institute + Remote ? Open Source AI Fellow | The Alan Turing Institute + London, UK ? Special Counsel for Technology and Data Privacy | ACLU + New York, NY ? Executive Director | Center for Intimacy Justice + Remote (US, EU, or UK preferred) ? Policy Researcher | AI Futures Project + Berkley, CA, or Washington DC, US ? Product Engineer (Front-end focus, mid-level) | OneProject.org + Remote ? Data Protection Advisor| Medicins San Frontieres + Barcelona ? Director of People and Human Resources | The Tor Project + Flexible Geographical Location ? Nonprofit Accounting Specialists (Part Time) | The Tor Project + Flexible Geographical Location ? Senior Director for Internal Structures and Support | The Tor Project + Flexible Geographical Location ? Reporting Officer (Part-Time) | 7amleh + Remote ? Graphic Designer | 7amleh + Remote ? Security Incident Handler | Access Now + Preference for Nairobi ? Civic Media Campaign Manager | Free Press and Free Press Action + Preference for Nairobi ______________________________________ ### Community Resources ### ______________________________________ 1. The Rising Tide of Data Privacy Lawsuits In the US Tom White highlights how data privacy class actions are on the rise in the US and beyond, empowering consumers to use legal tools?such as BIPA and VPPA?to hold tech giants accountable for unauthorized tracking, biometric data misuse, and online surveillance. Plaintiffs are increasingly turning to these lawsuits as a powerful mechanism for seeking redress and shaping privacy norms https://www.metrotimes.com/contributor-news/the-rising-tide-of-data-privacy-lawsuits-what-you-need-to-know-40148808 2. Using the Internet in Russia can be Frustrating, Complicated and Dangerous YouTube videos that won't load. A visit to a popular independent media website that produces only a blank page. Cellphone internet connections that are down for hours or days. Going online in Russia can be frustrating, complicated and even dangerous. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/using-the-internet-in-russia-can-be-frustrating-complicated-and-dangerous 3. Cape Offering Subsidized Cell Service Cape is a private cell phone service designed for people doing high-consequence work, like journalists, rights advocates, and anyone facing surveillance, censorship or targeting. They have been reviewed by Joseph Cox of 404 Media and have collaborated with organizations in the digital rights ecosystem. They are offering subsidized cell service for TCU members for $20/month, which includes protection against SIM swaps, surveillance, and data harvesting. No name, address or personal information is required to sign up. https://www.cape.co/blog/team-community ______________________________________ ### Digital Rights in the Wider World ### ______________________________________ 1. Alphabet hit with EU Antitrust Complaint by Xix Digital Rights Groups Alphabet was targeted with an EU antitrust complaint from six human and digital rights groups which urged EU regulators to investigate whether the tech giant complies with legislation requiring it to make it easier for users to uninstall software apps. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/alphabet-hit-with-eu-antitrust-complaint-by-six-digital-rights-groups/articleshow/122887289.cms?from=mdr 2. Putin Silences Russia with Sweeping Internet Blackouts In July, Russia had a record breaking 2,000 internet service shutdowns - and digital rights groups say that many of these blackouts don't appear related to any threat. The Kremlin claims the move will counter Ukrainian drones but critics say restrictions tighten domestic oppression. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/07/putin-silences-russia-internet-blackouts/ 3. Press Freedom Concerns Raised after Myanmar Press Council signs MOU with Thai press Body A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 1 August between the Myanmar Press Council (MPC), and the National Press Council of Thailand (NPCT). According to the junta's official newspaper dated 3 August, the agreement is intended to promote cooperation in media-related activities. However, independent journalists and watchdog groups have strongly criticized the move. https://ifex.org/press-freedom-concerns-raised-after-myanmar-military-linked-press-council-signs-mou-with-thai-press-body/ 4. Microsoft Cloud Used in Israeli Mass Surveillance of Palestinians: Report Israel's cyber-intelligence unit stored vast volumes of intercepted Palestinian phone calls on Microsoft's cloud servers, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/7/microsoft-cloud-used-in-israeli-mass-surveillance-of-palestinians-report 5. Georgians Struggling with Slow and Expensive Internet A recent World Bank study reveals significant problems of high cost and lagging quality of internet service in Georgia, compared to other countries in the region. https://dfwatch.net/georgians-struggling-with-slow-and-expensive-internet-62985/ 6. US Diplomats Ordered to Launch Lobbying Blitz Against Europe's Tech Law The US administration has instructed its diplomats in Europe to launch a lobbying campaign to build opposition to the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), an internal diplomatic cable seen by Reuters showed. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/rubio-orders-us-diplomats-launch-lobbying-blitz-against-europes-tech-law-2025-08-07/ ______________________________________ ### Events Calendar ### ______________________________________ The Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC) August 26 - 27, 2025 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia https://drapac.net/25/ Online Course: Threat Sharing and Digital Forensics from a Feminist and Human Rights Perspective Digital Defenders Partnership September - December, 2025 https://www.digitaldefenders.org/online-course-threat-sharing-and-digital-forensics-from-a-feminist-and-human-rights-perspective/ Global Gathering 2025 Team CommUNITY September 8 - 10, 2025 Estoril, Portugal https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/2025-global-gathering-application MyData 2025 Conference Helsinki September 24 - 26, 2025 https://conference.mydata.org/2025 Hold Before You Send It Digihub Africa 2025 October 8 - 9, 2025 Johannesburg, South Africa https://www.digihubafrica.org/events/ SEEDIG Youth School 2025 October 10 - 11, 2025 Athens, Greece https://seedig.net/youth-school/ Reproducible Builds Summit October 28-30 Vienna, Austria https://reproducible-builds.org/events/vienna2025/ Bread&Net SMEX October 29 - 31 Beirut, Lebanon https://breadandnet.org/ Mozilla Festival 2025 November 7 - 9, 2025 In Barcelona, Spain https://www.mozillafestival.org/en/ RightCon 2026 May 5-8 Lusaka, Zambia https://www.rightscon.org/ __________________________________________ ### 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 Pasant?as Para la Seguridad y Resiliencia Digital en Am?rica Latina Derechos Digitales Cierre de postulaciones: 15 de agosto, 2025 https://www.derechosdigitales.org/25638/nueva-convocatoria-al-programa-de-pasantias-para-la-seguridad-y-resiliencia-digital-en-america-latina/ Imperial College Research Fellowships Deadline: August 18, 2025 https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/research-office/funder-information/research-fellowships/icrf/ Microgrants for AI Accountability and Governance Pulitzer Center's South-to-South AI Accountability CoLab Deadline August 31, 2025 https://pulitzercenter.org/south-south-ai-accountability-colabs-microgrants Regional Partnership Fund for the EECCA Region 2025 Digital Defenders Deadline: September 12, 2025 https://www.digitaldefenders.org/regional-partnership-fund-for-the-eecca-region-2025-now-open-for-applications/ Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) Grants Deadline: September 15 https://gtia.org/giving/grants Digital Democracy Centre x TrygFonden Fellowship Program Deadline: September 15, 2025 https://www.sdu.dk/en/forskning/forskningsenheder/samf/digitaldemocracycentre/ddcxtrygfonden-fellowship-call-2026 WSA Young Innovators Award 2025 Deadline: October 31, 2025 https://wsa-global.org/wsa_categories/wsa-young-innovators/ 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 __________________________________________ ### Know someone that wants to subscribe to our newsletter? ### 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 PGP: 2E1D CC33 A362 0BD6 236E 540A F60A 89AD 6FF9 7A2F You can now submit your news for the Digital Rights weekly directly. To post your job opportunities, submit your opportunities to our Job Board. Keep up with the latest news and opportunities on our other platforms: TCU BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/teamcommunity.bsky.social TCU LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamcommunity TCU Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalrightscommunity