Digital Rights Weekly | February 3 - 7

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the 
week of February 3 - 7. As a reminder, you can submit your news for the 
newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter


NOTE: We are temporarily changing the placement of specific sections in 
the newsletter to better respond to members’ current needs. 
Specifically, the NEW Jobs and Funding Opportunities sections have been 
placed further up.

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) ###
____________________________________________

1. Upcoming February Digital Rights Town Halls and Regional Meetups

Feb 13 | Resume Support for Furloughed Employees & What is Happening in 
Digital Rights Around the World?
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_13_2025_GM

Feb 18 | Digital Rights Asia Meetup
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_18_2025,_Asia_Meetup

Feb 19 | Digital Rights LATAM Meetup
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=19_de_Febrero,_2025_LATAM

Feb 20 | Supporting Furloughed Employees Town Halls (Glitter Meetup)
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_20_2025_GM

Feb 26 | Digital Rights Africa Meetup
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_26_2025,_Africa_Meetup


2. Stay Updated with Us on LinkedIn!

Are you on LinkedIn? Find us there to get valuable job and funding 
opportunities in the digital rights and internet freedom space.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamcommunity/


3. Amnesty’s Security Lab: Getting to Know How They Work With Civil 
Society on Spyware and Digital Surveillance

We spoke to Molly Rose Freeman Cyr, Community Engagement Lead, about the 
Security Lab’s work, their fellowship, and why we should pay attention 
to how the private sector is starting to get involved in supporting 
civil society with digital forensic analysis.

https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/community-series-amnesty-tech-security-lab

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### Community News ###
____________________________________________


1. Tarbell Fellowship for Artificial Intelligence Reporting
The Tarbell Fellowship is a one-year program for early-career 
journalists interested in covering artificial intelligence. Fellows 
secure a 9-month placement at a major newsroom, participate in a 10-week 
study group covering AI governance & technical fundamentals, and attend 
a week-long journalism summit in San Francisco. Deadline to apply: 
February 28, 2025.
If you want to learn more, register for an upcoming information session:​
10 February 5pm GMT (9am PT / 12pm ET)
12 February 9am GMT (2.30pm IST / 7pm AEST)
19 February 5pm GMT (9am PT / 12pm ET)
https://www.tarbellfellowship.org/programme


2. Call for proposals: Strengthening Independent Public Interest 
Journalism in Europe

Civitates is launching an open call for proposals for independent media 
outlets. They are welcoming proposals from media organisations 
registered in Hungary, Poland, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovakia and 
Croatia. Civitates will support up to 8 media outlets (at least one from 
each eligible country). The maximum amount awarded per organisation will 
be €160,000 for two years and the grant amount may not exceed half of 
the applicants’ total spending in 2024. The deadline for submitting 
concept notes is March 2, 2025, 23:59 (CET).

https://civitates-eu.org/funding-opportunity/call-for-proposals-strengthening-independent-public-interest-journalism-in-europe/


3. Digital Equity Accelerator - A Program of HP Inc. and the HP Foundation

The Digital Equity Accelerator helps nonprofits that are working to 
advance digital inclusion scale their impact. Local nonprofits and NGOs 
that are working to advance digital equity in Greece, Indonesia, 
Nigeria, and Spain are invited to apply for the 2025 program. The 
Digital Equity Accelerator offers selected organizations USD $100,000 
capacity-building grants, HP technology (~USD$100,000 value), and a 
six-month, virtual program including training, mentorship, and technical 
consultations, designed to help strengthen capacity and scale digital 
equity impact. Deadline to Apply: February 12, 2025, at 11:59 pm EST.

https://www.hp.com/us-en/sustainable-impact/digital-equity/digital-accelerator.html


4. Civitates - Tech & Democracy - Open Call Webinar About New Call For 
Proposals

The European Democracy Fund (Civitates) will launch a new open call for 
proposals under its Tech and Democracy initiative. The guidelines will 
be published on February 17, with the deadline for concept note 
submissions on March 14. This opportunity invites civil society 
organizations to help improve social media and online spaces by 
strengthening the enforcement of EU tech regulations at the national 
level. Priority is given to organizations in Hungary, Italy, Poland, 
Slovakia, Spain, Romania, and the Netherlands, due to their relevance to 
European tech challenges. A webinar will be held on February 26 for more 
details, and registration is open now:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/B4SdztWiQWiBVzTkELYZmA#/registration


5. SplinterCon Event: How Do We Stay Connected in a World of Increasing 
Digital Fractures?

SplinterCon is coming to RightsCon Taipei on February 24, 2025 in the 
Taipei International Convention Center. It will be tackling internet 
fragmentation, censorship-resistant networks, and resilient 
communication tools. Read more and apply to participate:

https://splintercon.net/rightscon-taipei

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### NEW Job Opportunities  ###
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✎ Technical Program Manager | Sovereign Tech Agency
+ Remote / Berlin, Germany
https://www.sovereign.tech/jobs/technical-program-manager

✎ Cybersecurity Program Lead | Sovereign Tech Agency
+ Remote / Berlin, Germany
https://www.sovereign.tech/jobs/cybersecurity-program-lead

✎ Technologist | Sovereign Tech Agency
+ Remote / Berlin, Germany
https://www.sovereign.tech/jobs/technologist

✎ Program Manager | Sovereign Tech Agency
+ Remote / Berlin, Germany
https://www.sovereign.tech/jobs/program-manager

✎ Developer | Cinemata (EngageMedia)
+ Remote in Southeast Asia
https://www.engagemedia.org/2024/call-interest-cinemata-developers/

✎ Program Manager, Center for Civil Rights & Technology | The Leadership 
Conference on Civil and Human Rights
+ Hybrid, Washington DC, USA
https://civilrights.org/about/careers/program-manager-civil-rights-technology/

✎ Executive Director | EDRi
+ Brussels, Belgium
https://edri.org/take-action/careers/edri-is-looking-for-an-executive-director-permanent-position/

✎ Director of Operations | Upturn
+ Remote in USA
https://www.upturn.org/join/director-of-operations/

✎ Senior Researcher, DRC | Africa Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW)
+ Kinshasa
https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightswatch/jobs/7842866002

✎ Program Manager, Civic | Future Coalition
+ Remote
https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/3007817

✎ Director, Information Security | Human Rights Watch (HRW)
+ Remote
https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit-job/b3ba16709fe24b3497ed3493072c43bc-director-information-security-human-rights-watch-new-york

✎ Senior Developer for a Desktop Application (Python, PySide6/PyQt, Qt) 
| Open Knolwedge Foundation
+ Remote
https://okfn.org/en/jobs/senior-dev-desktop-app/


TCU’s Digital Rights Job Board is a free service. Check out this primer 
that explains how to maximize its use: 
https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/how-to-use-tcu-digital-rights-job-board
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

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### Community Resources  ###
____________________________________________

1. Funds for NGOs

This database of grants offers free and paid content. Grants are 
organized both by country and/or focus. The following are upcoming 
grants designed for CSOs:

https://www2.fundsforngos.org/category/civil-society/


2. Policy Brief on US Elections: Security Perspectives From Intelligence 
and Election Cybersecurity Experts

A cohort of experts share their expert insights into the state of U.S. 
election security. Deterring election interference remains an ongoing 
challenge for national security institutions and election administration 
agencies. The primary areas of concern are voter registration databases, 
voting machines, and outdated election infrastructure standards that are 
vulnerable to malign foreign interference.

https://stpp.fordschool.umich.edu/sites/stpp/files/2025-01/STPP-Election-Security.pdf


3. Surveillance Technology in Public Housing: Proliferation, 
Consequences, and Recommendations

Public Housing Agencies are rapidly moving to install camera 
surveillance systems, equipped with facial recognition technology and 
artificial intelligence tools, citing concerns with public safety and 
crime prevention. A growing body of research reveals three chief 
concerns with these camera surveillance systems: imprecision, privacy 
issues, and negative effects on marginalized communities:

https://stpp.fordschool.umich.edu/sites/stpp/files/2024-12/surveillance-public-housing-whitepaper-final.pdf

​
4. Opinion: Venture Capitalists Will Face Their Privacy Reckoning in 2025

2025 will bring about several crucial shifts in the global surveillance 
technology market. Sovereign wealth funds, including those belonging to 
repressive regimes, are pouring billions into venture capital (VC) firms 
that they know are funneling capital into AI surveillance startups. Only 
through massive public pressure, strategic litigation, regulatory 
threats, and the rare alignment of market forces will VCs even consider 
prioritizing privacy rights and the human cost of their investments. 
Read more from one of Mozilla’s 2025 Fellow:

https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/what-we-fund/programs/vcs-will-face-their-privacy-reckoning-in-2025/ 



5. Protect Your Privacy on Bumble

Last year, Bumble rolled out its updated privacy policy after a 
coalition of twelve digital rights, LGBTQ+, human rights, and gender 
justice civil society organizations launched a campaign demanding 
stronger data protections. Unfortunately, the company, like other dating 
apps, has not moved far enough. This is a step-by-step guide on 
potential ways to protect yourself when using the dating service.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/01/protect-your-privacy-bumble

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


1. Russia Blocked 417K Websites in 2024

Russian authorities blocked a record 417,000 websites in 2024, as the 
state continued to tighten its control over the internet. A total of 
523,000 websites were restricted last year, and access was later 
restored to approximately 106,000, leaving more than 417,000 sites 
permanently inaccessible.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/01/29/russia-blocks-a-record-417k-websites-in-2024-a87778 



2. Digital Discord: Online Disinformation Sowing Discontent in Syria

Former allies and self-declared enemies of Syria's ousted president 
Bashar al-Assad are flooding the country's digital space with 
disinformation aimed at destabilizing the fragile new order by sparking 
sectarian strife. Both domestic and foreign actors, including from 
Russia, China, Iran and Israel are believed to be involved in online 
disinformation and "weaponising narratives", analysts say.

https://www.context.news/digital-rights/digital-discord-online-disinformation-sowing-discontent-in-syria


3. Google Removes Pledge to Not Use AI for Weapons From Website

Google removed a pledge to not build AI for weapons or surveillance from 
its website this week. The company appears to have updated its public AI 
principles page, erasing a section titled “applications we will not 
pursue,” which was still included as recently as last week.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/04/google-removes-pledge-to-not-use-ai-for-weapons-from-website/


4. Albanian ‘Smart City’ Deal with UAE Firm Flagged as ‘Serious’ 
Surveillance Risk

Digital rights groups are expressing alarm over a city ‘smart camera’ 
deal between Albania and an Abu Dhabi-based company with links to UAE 
security services and – allegedly – China.

https://balkaninsight.com/2025/02/03/albanian-smart-city-deal-with-uae-firm-flagged-as-serious-surveillance-risk/ 
(paywall)


5. DeepSeek’s Rise Shows why China’s Top AI Talent is Skipping Silicon 
Valley

Facing visa hurdles and high living expenses, more of China’s AI 
researchers are choosing opportunities at home rather than abroad. U.S. 
chip restrictions have forced Chinese companies to accelerate 
innovation. DeepSeek has recruited recent graduates and interns from 
China’s top universities.

https://restofworld.org/2025/china-ai-talent-deepseek-rise-us-dominance/


6. Asia’s Jailed Journalists, Internet Shutdowns, Cybersecurity Laws, & 
Proposals on Media Freedom

China, Myanmar, and Vietnam are among the most notorious jailers of 
journalists in the world. Internet shutdowns undermine India’s economy 
and the people’s right to information. New laws threaten to further 
erode digital rights in Myanmar and Pakistan. How can Asia’s new 
governments promote media freedom?

https://ifex.org/asias-jailed-journalists-internet-shutdowns-cybersecurity-laws-and-proposals-on-media-freedom/ 



7. How are the Ugandan & Kenyan Governments Silencing Dissenting Voices?

Both governments weaponize laws, spread misinformation, and suppress 
dissent. Uganda and Kenya, both signatories of the African Charter on 
Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), are obligated to uphold freedoms of 
assembly, expression, and association under Articles 9, 10, and 11. 
However, both countries have instead used these laws to suppress these 
fundamental rights.

https://globalvoices.org/2025/02/01/how-are-the-ugandan-and-kenyan-governments-silencing-dissenting-voices/ 


____________________________________________

### Recent Statements from our Community ###
____________________________________________


1. #KeepItOn: Authorities Must Restore Access in Goma & Across the DRC

A number of rights organizations and members of the #KeepItOn coalition 
— a global network of over 334 human rights organizations from 105 
countries working to end internet shutdowns — urgently demand that 
authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) stop imposing 
internet shutdowns in the country’s eastern provinces amid the ongoing 
conflict. Authorities reportedly shut down internet access on January 
23, and X and Tiktok have also been blocked.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/keepiton-drc-goma/


2. Pakistan: Repeal PECA Amendment to Draconian Cyber Law

The Pakistan government’s recent amendment to the country’s cybercrimes 
act seriously threatens internet freedom and free expression. Pakistan’s 
parliament should immediately repeal or reform the Pakistan Electronic 
Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025 (PECA). The new law, enacted on January 29, 
2025, includes provisions making the dissemination of “fake or false” 
information a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/03/pakistan-repeal-amendment-draconian-cyber-law

https://bytesforall.pk/post/pakistan-proposed-peca-amendment-and-digital-nation-pakistan-bill-threaten-digital-rights 



3. Bangladesh: ARTICLE 19 Urges Consultation on Draft Cyber Protection 
Ordinance

ARTICLE 19 has called for meaningful and effective consultations with 
relevant stakeholders before the enactment of the Draft Cyber Protection 
Ordinance 2025. Prior to drafting the ordinance, the interim government 
failed to conduct meaningful consultations with relevant stakeholders.

https://www.article19.org/resources/bangladesh-draft-cyber-protection-ordinance/ 



4. Access Now Demands U.S. Lift Sanctions Blocking Syria’s Digital Recovery

Access Now joins the American Coalition for Syria, and over 160 civil 
society organizations in urging the U.S. government to expand sanctions 
relief in Syria, including lifting sanctions that have long obstructed 
people in Syria from accessing the internet, software, and digital 
services.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/open-letter-us-lift-syria-sanctions/ 


__________________________________________

### Events Calendar ###
__________________________________________

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

What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
February 13, 2025
9am EST / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_13_2025_GM

Digital Rights Asia Meetup
Team CommUNITY
February 18, 2025
7am EST / 12pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_18_2025,_Asia_Meetup

Digital Rights LATAM Meetup
Team CommUNIY
February 19, 2025
5:30pm EST / 10:30pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=19_de_Febrero,_2025_LATAM

10th Festival of Innovation and Social Technology
February 20, 2025
Bogota and Online
https://www.fits.ong/

Supporting Furloughed Employees Town Halls (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
February 20, 2025
9am EST / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_20_2025_GM

RightsCon
February 24 - 27, 2025
Taiwan
https://www.rightscon.org/registration/

Digital Rights Africa Meetup
Team CommUNITY
February 26, 2025
9am EST / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_26_2025,_Africa_Meetup

The Hong Kong Accountability Archive (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
February 27, 2025
9am EST / 2pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=February_27_2025_GM

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

__________________________________________

### 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 


Research Fellow
Digispace Africa
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4SnxLAjP3OYBDhMQRZlLMXBWuZVDpqy2tVqM_fRawQuP2cg/viewform

Digital Equity Accelerator
HP Inc. and the HP Foundation
Deadline: February 12, 2025, at 11:59 pm EST
https://www.hp.com/us-en/sustainable-impact/digital-equity/digital-accelerator.html

Reuters Institute Journalist Fellowship
Deadline: February 13, 2025
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fellowships

Privacy Rights Fellowship 2025-2026
Oakland Privacy
Deadline: February 14, 2025
https://oaklandprivacy.org/oakland-privacy-hiring-2025-2026-privacy-rights-fellow/

Sustainable Protection Fund 2025
Digital Defenders Partnership
Deadline: February 14, 2025
https://www.digitaldefenders.org/sustainable-protection-fund-open-call-for-africa/ 


Digital Freedom Fund
Deadline: February 17, 2025
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/

The Sepal Fund
The Calyx Institute
Deadline: February 19, 2025
https://calyxinstitute.org/projects/the-sepal-fund

Information Controls Fellowship Program
Open Technology Fund
Deadline: February 28, 2025
https://www.opentech.fund/fellowships/icfp/

Tarbell Fellowship for AI Reporting
Tarbell Center for AI Journalism
Deadline: February 28, 2025
https://www.tarbellfellowship.org/programme

Strengthening Independent Public Interest Journalism in Europe
Civitates
Deadline: March 2, 2025, 23:59 (CET)
https://civitates-eu.org/funding-opportunity/call-for-proposals-strengthening-independent-public-interest-journalism-in-europe/

Cross-Border Media Literacy Projects
Deadline: March 6, 2025
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/call-proposals-cross-border-media-literacy-projects

NGI Zero Commons Fund
Reclaim the Public Nature of the Internet
Deadline: April 1, 2025
https://nlnet.nl/commonsfund/

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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