Digital Rights Weekly | July 7 - 11

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the week of July 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. Upcoming Digital Rights Town Halls and Community Knowledge Shares:

July 17 | Back To The Source: App Store Politics With F-Droid
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_17_2025_GM 

July 24 | What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World?
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_24_2025_GM

July 30 | Cybersecurity with Chinese Characteristics (Asia CKS)
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/lessons_from_asia_july_2025

July 31 | The Power and Relevance of Humanizing Tech and Digital Rights Through Storytelling
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_31_2025_GM

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### Community News ###
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1. Open Call for Proposals for Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Fellowships

The Pulitzer Center is now accepting applications for its fourth cohort (2025-2026) of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Accountability Fellowships. The Fellowship program provides selected journalists with financial support, a community of peers, mentorship, and training to pursue in-depth reporting projects that interrogate how AI systems are funded, built, and deployed by corporations, governments, and other powerful actors. Deadline to apply: August 11, 2025.

https://pulitzercenter.org/blog/open-call-proposals-pulitzer-centers-ai-accountability-fellowships-2025-2026


2. Call for Proposals: Bread&Net 2025

Bread&Net is back this October in Beirut! This yearly unconference brings together activists, technologists, researchers, and artists from across West Asia and North Africa to explore the intersection of technology, freedom, and justice. You're invited to submit a workshop, talk, demo, or roundtable on any topic where technology meets social justice. Deadline: July 15, 2025.

Bread&Net website:https://breadandnet.org/
  
Proposals guidelines:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oEdUipy_8USu9Bh50KcBkmIDkfYk7DdJ/view


3. Online School on Human Rights 2025 Rights in Europe: The Risks and Impact of Authoritarianism

Apply for the Online School on Human Rights 2025, which will be exploring human rights under authoritarianism, digital and climate justice, and conflict contexts within a European context
Organized by various European universities, this free 6-week program will run from 26 August to 7 October 2025, with lectures taking place online twice a week. Participants will accrue 30 academic hours, and a certificate of attendance will be granted.  Deadline: 27 July!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfC4b8CagbXUXj9nEm5kxPVwVdpggKSQeBwXNfoFgu_TkQJ4Q/viewform 


4. 4D European Conference on Democratic Digitalisation and Digital Rights


The 4D European Conference, Democratic Digitalisation and Digital Rights will be held on October 28, 2025 in Barcelona, to be hosted in Catalan, Spanish, and English simultaneously. The programme includes presentations on topics like digital public infrastructure, Internet access rights, and disinformation. It is organized by Accent Obert and Xnet with the contribution of El Mundo Today and Pantomima Full.

https://4d.cat/en/conference/



5. Reports from Our Community:


a) The Road to WSIS+20: Key Country Perspectives in the Twenty-Year Review of the World Summit on the Information Society

This report analysis the positions and priorities of various countries regarding the review of the WSIS 20 years after the World Summit on the Information Society. The WSIS is a UN process that involves more than 32 UN agencies, and multiple stakeholders, focused building a people-centric, inclusive and development-oriented information and knowledge societies where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information

https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-s/md/23/cwgwsis39/inf/S23-CWGWSIS39-INF-0003!!PDF-E.pdf


b) 7amleh Releases New Position Paper: “The War on Gaza: How Social Media Constructed Narratives and Solidarity among Gazans”

7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media has released a new position paper titled “The War on Gaza: How Social Media Constructed Narratives and Solidarity among Gazans,” which sheds light on the discursive and social transformations in the use of social media platforms by Palestinians in Gaza since the outbreak of the genocidal war in October 2023.

https://7amleh.org/post/7amleh-releases-new-position-paper:-%E2%80%9Cthe-war-on-gaza:-how-social-media-constructed-narratives-and-solidarity-among-gazans%E2%80%9D

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### NEW Job Opportunities  ###
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✎ Mentors for the MADU Digital Security Program | Jordan Open Source Association
+ Remote
https://josa.ngo/careers/34

✎ AI Governance Fellow | The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)
+ Washington, DC, USA
https://cdt.org/ai-governance-fellow/

✎ Consultant Responsible Data & Analytics | Deloitte
+ Hybrid in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
https://careersatdeloitte.com/vacancy/consultant-responsible-data-analytics__eRA_FY21_59?_gl

✎ Associate/Information & Society | Knight Foundation
+ Miami, Florida, USA
https://knightfoundation.org/about/employment/associate-information-society/

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### Community Resources  ###
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1. Trust & Safety Careers: New Resource from All Tech is Humane

Check out All Tech is Humane's new resource about Trust & Safety careers that includes: an overview of the field, roles in Trust & Safety, key organizations to connect with, 40 leaders in the space to follow, and more. Trust & Safety refers to the strategies, policies, and practices organizations implement to protect users, employees, and stakeholders from harm while fostering a secure and trustworthy environment. This concept typically applies to online spaces, focusing on minimizing risks such as fraud, abuse, harassment, and harmful content.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7341113765767139328/ 


2. “Cortar el Hilo”: Hoja de Ruta Inicial Para Reducir la Dependencia Hacia las Big Tech

El objetivo del informe “Cortar el Hilo” es ofrecer una hoja de ruta inicial para reducir la dependencia hacia Google en particular y hacia las Big Tech en general. Ofrece una mirada política de las razones para alejarse de los servicios tecnológicos de las grandes empresas tecnológicas y una comprensión más profunda de los obstáculos a los que se enfrentan las personas activistas y organizadoras que quieren dar este paso.

https://mayfirst.coop/files/cutting-the-cord.es.pdf 

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### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
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1. Why Annobón’s Internet Shutdown Should Matter to The World

Annobón is the smallest province in Equatorial Guinea and home to 5,300+ people who have been cut off from the world since authorities imposed an island-wide internet shutdown almost a year ago. Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition has gathered testimonies that lay bare the shutdown’s devastating toll; from psychological torment, uncertainty, and isolation, to total disconnection from loved ones. As one citizen shared, ““The worst part of the shutdown is that none of the daily injustices happening on the island come to light.” These are the words of just one person from.”

https://www.accessnow.org/shutdown-stories-annobon/


2. Iranian Political Activists: Internet Filtering Pure Harm, Security Threat

Three well-known political activists in Iran, in a joint op-ed published in the Etemad newspaper in Tehran titled "The Pure Harm of Filtering", offered a proposal to President Pezeshkian regarding internet policy. In the article they shared that Internet filtering is both an economic crime and threat to national security.

https://ifpnews.com/iranian-political-activists-internet-filtering-harm-security-threat/


3. Mapping Russia’s Internet blackouts

Russian authorities keep shutting down mobile Internet. Data from the technical support project Na Svyazi, which collects and verifies user complaints, confirms that by late June, more than half of Russia’s regions were regularly affected by these restrictions. Read about here’s where it happens most, and how the outages are spreading.

https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/07/07/mapping-russia-s-internet-blackouts


4. Elon Musk's Starlink Goes Live in Chad, Its 24th Market in Africa

Starlink has launched internet services in Chad, becoming the 24th African region where the service is available. This follows Chad's approval of Starlink’s operating license in November 2023. With only 12% internet access penetration in 2022, Chad's market reflects a significant need for improved connectivity.

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/elon-musks-starlink-goes-live-in-chad-its-24th-market-in-africa/1by37q2  


5. Iraq’s Internet Shutdowns Are Failing Students and Blocking Access to Reproductive Care

For years, Iraq has imposed nationwide internet shutdowns during high school exams in an attempt to curb cheating. But these recurring disruptions have far-reaching and harmful consequences. They do not just affect students; they also impact millions of Iraqis who rely on the internet for health care, work, education, and connection. Among the most affected are those seeking reproductive health care, where timely access to information and services can be critical.

https://www.reprouncensored.org/research/iraq-internet-shutdowns


6. Sinaloa Cartel Hack Exposes Cracks in FBI Security

The Sinaloa Cartel hacked a top US law enforcement agency and obtained classified information that was later used to intimidate and kill potential government sources, according to an internal watchdog report that underscores broader failures to protect sensitive organized crime-related investigations in Mexico.

https://insightcrime.org/news/sinaloa-cartel-hacked-fbi-killed-witnesses/


7. Los Peligrosos Escenarios del Acuerdo Biométrico Entre EE. UU. y Colombia

La canciller colombiana Laura Sarabia y la secretaría de Seguridad de EE. UU., Kristi Noem, firmaron un acuerdo biométrico que podría poner en peligros los datos de colombianos y migrantes. El acuerdo busca intercambiar los datos con EE. UU. para identificar y prevenir el ingreso de “criminales” a las fronteras de ambos países. Pero la ley colombiana de Habeas Data prohíbe el tratamiento de datos sensibles sin un consentimiento explícito.

https://cwmas.com.co/unidad-investigativa/2025/06/30/los-peligrosos-escenarios-del-acuerdo-biometrico-entre-ee-uu-y-colombia/ 


8. India Leads the 10 Countries Restricting Internet Access in 2025

Surfshark has found that 10 countries imposed internet blackouts in the first half of 2025. A total of 24 internet restrictions were recorded in the first half of 2025, with India being the worst perpetrator. Increased internet censorship has seen demand for circumventing tools like VPNs soared.

https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/india-leads-the-10-countries-restricting-internet-access-in-2025 


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### Statements from Our Community ###
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#KeepItOn coalition ramps up campaign to end prolonged shutdown in Annobón

Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition launched a campaign to galvanize international support in demanding an end to the ongoing internet shutdown in Annobón, an island province of Equatorial Guinea. It has been 347 days and counting since the people of Annobón were plunged into darkness by a deliberate government-mandated shutdown in response to protests.

https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/keepiton-coalition-ramps-up-campaign-to-end-prolonged-shutdown-in-annobon/ 

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### Events Calendar ###
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South-to-South AI Accountability CoLab
The Pulitzer Center
June - July, 2025
https://pulitzercenter.org/south-south-ai-accountability-colabs-peer-learning-circle

Back To The Source: App Store Politics With F-Droid (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
July 17, 2025
9am EDT /1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_17_2025_GM 

What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
July 24, 2025
9am EDT /1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_24_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

Cybersecurity with Chinese Characteristics (Asia CKS Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
July 30, 2025
4pm Taiwan Time / 8am UTC
Online
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/lessons_from_asia_july_2025

The Power and Relevance of Humanizing Tech and Digital Rights Through Storytelling (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
July 31, 2025
9am EDT /1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=July_31_2025_GM 

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

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/

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/

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 ###
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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 toteam at digitalrights.community 
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Fundraising_Opportunities

Fondo para los Derechos Digitales
Fecha límite: 15 de julio de 2025
https://fondos.derechosdigitales.org/home

Digital Freedom Fund Open Call
Deadline: July 15, 2025
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/

African Women in Data Science Fellowship
African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD)
Deadline: July 31, 2025
https://awardfellowships.org/news/call-for-applications-now-open-for-the-inaugural-cohort-of-the-african-women-in-data-science-fellowship-2025/ 

Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Fellowships
Deadline: August 11, 2025
https://pulitzercenter.org/blog/open-call-proposals-pulitzer-centers-ai-accountability-fellowships-2025-2026 

Imperial College Research Fellowships
Deadline: August 18, 2025
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/research-office/funder-information/research-fellowships/icrf/ 

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

Digital Democracy Centre x TrygFonden Fellowship Program
Deadline: September 15, 2025
https://www.sdu.dk/en/forskning/forskningsenheder/samf/digitaldemocracycentre/ddcxtrygfonden-fellowship-call-2026

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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