Digital Rights Weekly | March 24 - 28

[Team CommUNITY]

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the 
week of March 24 - 28. 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 networking and 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 soon 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
RSVP: https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/lessons_from_mena_april_2025

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 3 | What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter 
Meetup)
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_3_2025_GM

April 10 | Network Measurements - How to Gather and Use Evidence of an 
Internet Shutdown Happening in Your Country? (Glitter Meetup with OONI)
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_10_2025_GM

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

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### Community News ###
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1. Internet Society 2025 Mid-Career Fellowship Application

The Mid-Career Fellowship is a unique opportunity that offers 15 Fellows 
unparalleled access to world-class educational institutions and experts 
in a seven-month program. It equips global, mid-career Internet 
champions with the knowledge, skills, and tools to enable inclusive, 
innovative, holistic, and strategic leadership. Deadline to apply: April 
11, 2025.

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/566ae57b98cc48c58e05d3327c970360


2. Compute for Climate Fellowship 2025

The Compute for Climate Fellowship is a global R&D funding program that 
empowers climate tech startups to leverage advanced cloud computing and 
AI in the fight against climate change. The Fellowship was founded in 
2023 by the International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence 
(IRCAI), under the auspices of UNESCO and Amazon Web Services (AWS). 
Each fellow company accepted into the program builds a groundbreaking 
proof-of-concept (PoC) climate solution, funded by AWS, with technical 
and scientific advisors from AWS and IRCAI. Deadline to apply: April 6, 
2025.

https://ircai.org/ircai-and-aws-climate-fellowship/


3. I AM Nala Fellowship - Call For Applications

The Nala Feminist Collective invites young African women who are 
refugees, internally displaced persons, or stateless to apply for the I 
AM NALA Fellowship Programme for the period of July 2025 to July 2026. 
The Fellowship focuses on capacity-building, technical support, 
mentorship, solidarity, access, and resourcing for fellows who are 
aspiring or current political leaders. These fellows can play a critical 
role in negotiations, decision-making, democratic transitions, 
reconciliation, and other peacebuilding efforts for their countries of 
origin or host countries. Deadline to apply: April 14, 2025.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiBRoptpbn7Td_pDcxg5FKajxOs7a6tG7JDqmiyuAuxFGj_w/viewform


4. Global South Alliance Opens Membership Applications

Global South Alliance (GSA) is inviting organizations to express their 
interest in joining the network. Interested members must be a non-profit 
organization, think tank, or collective located in the Global South or 
composed predominantly of leaders from the Global South, with a 
demonstrated record of advancing digital rights. The application form to 
express interest is available till April 24, 2025.

https://www.dataprivacybr.org/en/global-south-alliance-unveils-digital-library-and-opens-membership-applications/


5. African Women's Development Fund Call for Consultants

The African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) is hiring a consultant/ team 
of consultants to deliver various capacity strengthening training and 
other accompaniments to grantee partners. This consultancy seeks a 
skilled facilitator(s) to co-create and deliver one or more of 
capacity-building training listed below, for AWDF grantee organizations 
across Africa, taking place between April and June 2025. The facilitator 
will develop training modules based on the findings of a participatory 
needs assessment, ensuring relevance and responsiveness. Deadline to 
apply: April 7, 2025.

https://awdf.org/call-for-consultants-capacity-strengthening-trainings-other-accompaniments-to-grantee-partners/


6. Children & AI Code of Conduct

5Rights published the new Children & AI Design Code in consultation and 
collaboration with young people and experts from across industry, 
academia, civil society, and standards development bodies. This Code 
provides key requirements and guidance that developers and deployers 
should consider when working with AI systems that impact children's 
human rights.

https://5rightsfoundation.com/children-and-ai-code-of-conduct/


7. Reports from Our Community

a) Adolescent Online Experiences in Nigeria

Children and Young People Living for Peace released a new report titled 
"Adolescent Online Experiences in Nigeria". The report examines online 
behaviours and experiences of young people aged 13 to 16. The report 
provides insight into internet usage, online safety, and the 
opportunities and challenges related to digital skills.

www.cyplp.net.ng/research/


b) Schrödinger’s Anonymity: Anonymous Until Observed

In an era of relentless digital surveillance, anonymity is both a 
necessity and a paradox. Resilience Technologies' latest report, 
Schrödinger’s Anonymity, explores the delicate balance between privacy 
and exposure for civil society organizations and individuals operating 
in high-risk environments. It uncovers how privacy-enhancing behaviours 
can sometimes make users more identifiable, and examines real-world 
cases, including the unmasking of whistleblowers.

https://rtafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/SCHRODINGERS-ANONYMITY.pdf


c) Virtue or Vice? A First Look at Paragon’s Proliferating Spyware 
Operations

This report from CitizenLab provides an investigation into Paragon 
Solutions, an Israeli spyware company, detailing its widespread use, 
including surveillance operations in multiple countries, its connections 
with law enforcement agencies, and its involvement in a zero-click 
exploit targeting WhatsApp users.

https://citizenlab.ca/2025/03/a-first-look-at-paragons-proliferating-spyware-operations/ 



d) The Digital Divide: New Report by 7amleh on the Systemic 
Discrimination in Digital Infrastructure Against Palestinian Citizens in 
Israel

The report documents systemic discrimination in digital and internet 
infrastructure within Palestinian communities inside Israel, focusing on 
the significant disparities Palestinian citizens face in accessing fair 
and equal digital services compared to Jewish citizens—particularly in 
Palestinian towns and the unrecognized villages in Al-Naqab (Negev), 
which are home to over 120,000 Palestinians and remain deprived of basic 
internet services.

https://7amleh.org/2025/03/24/digital-divide-en

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### NEW Job Opportunities  ###
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✎ Policy Advisor | ControlAI
+ London, UK
https://jobs.eu.lever.co/controlai/1278d31e-37e9-49c8-8b2f-3d43ba6c25fc

✎ Senior Applied Scientist - Legal Tech | Thomson Reuters
+ Toronto, Canada
https://careers.thomsonreuters.com/us/en/job/JREQ187600/Senior-Applied-Scientist-Legal-Tech

✎ Associate Director for Emerging Technology & Industry Practice | Ada 
Lovelace Institute
+ Hybrid in Farringdon, London, UK
https://www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/job/associate-director-etip/

✎ Engagement Lead | Involve
+ Flexible in UK
https://www.involve.org.uk/news-opinion/jobs/were-hiring-engagement-lead-science-tech-0

✎ Head of Germany Programme (f/m/d) | Lie Detectors
+ Berlin, Germany
https://lie-detectors.org/were-hiring/

✎ Germany Programme Associate (f/m/d) | Lie Detectors
+ Berlin, Germany
https://lie-detectors.org/were-hiring/

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### Community Resources  ###
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1. How to Delete Your 23andMe Data

23andMe has filed for bankruptcy, raising concerns about what will 
happen to the DNA-testing company and all the data it’s collected from 
customers over the years. If 23andMe is sold, its massive genetic 
database may end up in the hands of a different company entirely — one 
that users never consented to handing their personal information over 
to. Read this step-by-step guide on how to delete your data from the 
platform:

https://www.theverge.com/news/634680/23andme-genetic-data-account-deletion-how-to 



2. Opinion: Did AI Mania Rush Apple Into Making a Rare Misstep With Siri?

The company that prides itself on announcing products only when they’re 
ready grossly underestimated the demands of personalising its virtual 
assistant.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/22/ai-apple-siri-tim-cook-artificial-intelligence 


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### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
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1. Internet and Telecom Disruptions Continue in Syria

Recently, internet and communication services in Syria have been 
disrupted in different areas for unknown reasons, cutting off residents 
from staying connected during escalating tensions. Most civil society 
organizations in Syria are yet to implement robust cybersecurity plans, 
including basic security measures, risking data integrity and privacy.

https://smex.org/internet-and-telecom-disruptions-continue-in-syria/


2. Facebook to Stop Targeting Ads at UK Woman After Legal Fight

Facebook has agreed to stop targeting adverts at an individual user 
using personal data after she filed a lawsuit against its parent 
company, tech giant Meta. Ms O'Carroll, who created her Facebook account 
about 20 years ago, filed a lawsuit against Meta in 2022, asking it to 
stop using her data to fill her social media feeds with targeted adverts 
based on topics it thought she was interested in.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1en1yjv4dpo


3. A New Wave of Blocks in Russia Targets VPN Apps & Cloudflare Subnets

Since March 12, 2025, Russia's censor body Roskomnadzor has reportedly 
hit Google with at least 47 removal orders of VPN apps from its Google 
Play store.

https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/a-new-wave-of-blocks-in-russia-targets-vpn-apps-and-cloudflare-subnets


4. India: Musk's X Sues Modi's Government in Censorship Battle

Elon Musk's social network X filed a lawsuit against the Indian 
government, arguing that the country's IT Ministry has unlawfully 
expanded its censorship powers to allow the easier removal of online 
content.

https://www.dw.com/en/india-musks-x-sues-modis-government-in-censorship-battle/a-71989202 



5. ‘No Consent’: Australian Authors ‘Livid’ That Meta May Have Used 
Their Books to Train AI

Australian authors say they are “livid” and feel violated that their 
work was included in an allegedly pirated dataset of books Meta used to 
train its AI. Meta is being sued by authors in the U.S., including 
Ta-Nehisi Coates and the comedian Sarah Silverman, for copyright 
infringement.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/25/no-consent-australian-authors-livid-that-meta-may-have-used-their-books-to-train-ai-ntwnfb 



6. Digital Playground: Online Parental Guidance Still Not the Norm in 
Kosova

A Balkan Investigative Reporting Network survey found that the use of 
parental control apps is not widespread in Kosovo, meaning children risk 
being exposed to harmful content on social media.

https://balkaninsight.com/2025/03/25/digital-playground-online-parental-guidance-still-not-the-norm-in-kosovo/ 


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### Events Calendar ###
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Pioneering New Approaches to AI Through Participation
March 31, 2025
7am EDT / 11am UTC
Online
https://pairs25.notion.site/PAIRSx-Africa-Pioneering-new-approaches-to-AI-through-Participation-1b4260e24e1a80ffa143e3f5533d7907

What is Happening in Digital Rights Around the World? (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
April 3, 2025
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_3_2025_GM

Network Measurements - How to Gather and Use Evidence of an Internet 
Shutdown Happening in Your Country? (Glitter Meetup with OONI)
Team CommUNITY
April 10, 2025
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=April_10_2025_GM

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

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/

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 


Connecting the Unconnected Funding Program
Internet Society
Deadline 1st window: March 31, 2025
2nd window: from 15 July to 27 August, 2025
https://www.internetsociety.org/funding-areas/connecting-the-unconnected

Mama Cash's Resilience Fund
Deadline: March 31, 2025
https://www.mamacash.org/funds/resilience-fund/

AI at Work: Field Experiments on the Workforce Effects of New AI Tools
Deadline: April 1, 2025
https://www.schmidtsciences.org/ai-at-work/

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

Summer 2025 U.S. Public Policy Fellowship
Google Public Policy Fellowship
Deadline: April 4, 2025
https://www.google.com/policyfellowship/usa/faq/

Compute for Climate Fellowship 2025
Deadline: April 6, 2025
https://ircai.org/ircai-and-aws-climate-fellowship/

Metascience & AI Postdoctoral Fellowship
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Deadline: April 10, 2025
https://sloan.org/programs/digital-technology/aipostdoc-rfp

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/

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/

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

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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(((Hugs & light)))

--
Team CommUNITY at ARTICLE 19
www.digitalrights.community
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