Digital Rights Weekly | May 12 - 16
Team CommUNITY
team at digitalrights.community
Thu May 15 14:52:52 CEST 2025
Hello Digital Rights Defenders!
Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of May 12 - 16. 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. ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT to Apply for the 2025 Global Gathering
There are only two weeks left to request a spot at the Global Gathering.
Join hundreds of defenders in lovely Portugal, who are working to
protect civil society and from technology-related challenges. Deadline
to apply: May 31.
https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/2025-global-gathering-application
2. EngageMedia: Getting to Know Their Work on Digital Rights in the
Asia-Pacific Region
Check out our recent interview with staff from EngageMedia, a leading
Asia-Pacific organization offering critical community-driven initiatives
that advance digital rights and Internet freedom in the region, while
enhancing digital security for defenders operating in some of the most
digitally restrictive environments worldwide.
https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/community-series-engagemedia
3. Upcoming Digital Rights Town Halls:
May 22 | Safety & Responsibility in AI-driven Applications in War and
Armed Conflict
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=May_22_2025_GM
May 29 | Creating "Digital Playgrounds for Creative Communities" with Portal
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=May_29_2025_GM
____________________________________________
### Community News ###
____________________________________________
1. EU Action Grants: Detecting Influence Campaigns
The EU has an open call for a grant to detect influence campaigns and
boost societal resilience to them via concrete methodologies, tools and
approaches. Only two projects will be funded.
The first, with a budget of €1.5 million, will focus on the monitoring
of narratives and the detection of malicious campaigns in the EU’s
information space. The second, with a budget of €1.65 million, will
focus on analysing the impact of online disinformation on citizens and
developing concrete responses to reduce societal polarisation. Deadline
to apply: June 16, 2025.
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/detecting-influence-campaigns-and-boosting-societal-resilience
2. EU Action Grants: Boosting the Visibility of Fact-checking Content in
Europe
With a budget of around €1.6 million, this EU call for proposal is
looking for projects that will increase the reach and impact of
professional content produced by independent fact-checking organisations
in the EU. Deadline to apply: June 16, 2025.
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/boosting-visibility-fact-checking-content-europe
3. Call for Applications: School on Platform Governance
The Association for Progressive Communications and Open Net Korea are
delighted to launch the call for applications to the School on Platform
Governance (SoPG) 2025. It is a unique capacity-building opportunity for
young lawyers, researchers, policy workers and civil society actors. The
workshop will be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 28 to 31 July 2025 and
they will be selecting 25 participants from South and Southeast Asia.
Deadline to apply: May 25, 2025.
https://www.apc.org/en/news/call-applications-school-platform-governance
4. Point of View Wants to Support 6 Feminist Tech Ideas in India
Point of View is bringing back Feminist Batti Jalao to offer 6 feminist
tech projects 50,000 each. The call for proposals is open for folks
living in India. You can apply for a new idea or an existing project
with a need. Selected applicants will be notified by May 27, 2025, and
invited to a day-long feminist tech event in Mumbai.
Deadline to apply: May 20, 2025.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdajG-ceq_UsnBlYpbQeKLR5Z9iSwWZIxTzWFjbRY2sJXqKOA/viewform
5. The Sustain Fund is Open For Applications
The Sustain Fund has a call for proposals for projects that are part of
Black feminist movements. They are looking for projects that have bold
visions, are using innovative strategies and taking daring action
towards self-determination, justice, solidarity and equity.
Deadline to apply: May 24, 2025.
https://blackfeministfund.org/grantmaking/
6. Sutty CMS Now Allows for Website Posts to be Mirrored in Fediverse
Sutty creates safe, fast and visible websites that evade censorship.
They are now providing
free websites that come with their own account in the Fediverse and
moderation features. (Fediverse is a decentralized network of
interconnected social media servers that use a common protocol to allow
users to interact and share content across different platforms).
Websites created with the Sutty CMS will have the option to mirror their
blog posts on their
Fediverse account, where they can gather comments, boosts and followers.
This initiative was two years in development with the support of Hypha
and Distributed Press.
https://sutty.nl/en/how-to-publish-your-sutty-posts-in-fediverse/
7. Resilience Technologies Introduces Purple Lab
Resilience Technologies has just launched Purple Lab, the first of its
kind in Africa. The lab
combats spyware and surveillance technology through community, research,
tech tools and resources, with a focus on strengthening the work of
African civil society organisations.
https://www.purplelab.io/
8. Pacific Media Groups Cite AI, Censorship, and Limited Resources As
Key Challenges in Their Work
Responding to this year’s World Press Freedom Day theme, the Pacific
Freedom Forum asked global stakeholders to support the region’s media
outlets, which are grappling with the double-edged impact of AI. Several
leaders came out citing their concerns regarding AI, including the
president of the Pacific Islands New Association. Some good news, Fiji’s
press freedom has improved, rising 89 in 2023 to 40 in 2025.
https://globalvoices.org/2025/05/10/pacific-media-groups-cite-ai-censorship-and-limited-resources-as-key-challenges-in-their-work/
9. Media Freedom Still Under Attack Across MENA
On World Press Freedom Day, the MENA Alliance for Digital Rights (MADR)
expressed its deep concern over the ongoing deterioration of freedom of
expression and media freedom across the region. It remains one of the
most hostile environments in the world for journalists, and media
workers continue to be censored, attacked, persecuted and killed for
doing their jobs. MADR urged governments in the region and tech
companies to uphold their international human rights obligations and
take immediate steps to protect press freedom.
https://madr.network/mena-media-freedom-still-under-attack-across-the-region/
____________________________________________
### NEW Job Opportunities ###
____________________________________________
✎ Research Director | Research ICT Africa
+ Hybrid in Cape Town, South Africa
https://researchictafrica.net/2025/05/02/vacancy-research-director/
✎ Senior Policy Advisor | Open Forum Europe
+ Brussels, Belgium
https://openforumeurope.org/join-the-ofe-team-as-a-senior-policy-advisor/
✎ Policy Advisor | Open Forum Europe
+ Brussels, Belgium
https://openforumeurope.org/join-the-ofe-team-as-a-policy-advisor-4/
✎ Digital Organiser | ActionAid
+ Johannesburg, Nairobi, ActionAid country offices (Hybrid)
https://actionaidinternational.bamboohr.com/careers/215
✎ Digital and information security consultants | Open Briefing
+ Multiple Locations
https://www.openbriefing.org/blog/digital-and-information-security-consultants/
✎ Digital and information security coordinator | Open Briefing
+ Remote within UTC +/- 5 hours
https://www.openbriefing.org/blog/digital-and-information-security-coordinator/
✎ Senior Analyst, Strategic Offense, Government Affairs and Public
Policy | Google
+ San Francisco, CA or Washington D.C., DC, USA
https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/jobs/results/123191676838519494/
✎ Senior Program Manager for Asia | Open Contracting Partnership
+ Remote in South Asia, East Asia or Southeast Asia
https://open-contracting-partnership.breezy.hr/p/70551a605a27-senior-manager-for-asia
✎ Education Lead | Wikimedia UK
+ Flexible within the UK
https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Education_Lead
✎ Research Assistant | Oxford Internet Institute
+ Oxford, UK
https://fair.work/en/fw/jobs/
✎ Senior Fundraising Strategist | Mozilla Foundation
+ Remote in Germany, US, UK, or Canada
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/careers/position/gh/6863481/
✎ Manager, Grassroots Fundraising | Mozilla Foundation
+ Remote in Germany, US, UK, or Canada
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/careers/position/gh/6862538/
✎ Senior Director, Finance | Internet Society
+ Remote in Virginia, USA
https://internetsociety.bamboohr.com/careers/287
____________________________________________
### Community Resources ###
____________________________________________
1. Think Privacy Is Dead? You're Wrong (Video)
Check out this video from volunteer-run Privacy Guides, where they
explore common arguments against protecting your privacy. They share
why these arguments are not only wrong, but also dangerous.
https://www.privacyguides.org/videos/2025/04/17/is-privacy-dead/
2. Community Organizing Guide Against Data Centers
This new Kairos and MediaJustice’s guide explores the true cost of data
centers—how they affect our health, strain our finances, and damage our
air and water. With concrete tactics and organizing strategies, it
equips communities with tools to push back and reclaim control. A data
center is the physical infrastructure that Big Tech depends on to power
its relentless extraction schemes, including artificial intelligence.
https://www.kairosfellows.org/fightdatacenters
__________________________________________
### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
__________________________________________
1. Bangladesh: Access to Internet To Be a Civil Right For the First Time
Bangladesh’s interim government is working on an ordinance that will
make access to the internet a civil right for the first time in the
history of the country. The Muhammad Yunus-led government is set to
finalise a law that will abolish nine controversial provisions of the
Cyber Security Act of 2023.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/bangladesh-access-to-internet-to-be-a-civil-right-for-the-first-time-13886579.html
2. India Censorship Spurs Concerns Amid Military Tensions With Pakistan
Amid military tensions with Pakistan, India is facing criticism for its
sweeping censorship of the media. Reporters Without Borders has
condemned the Indian government’s recent blocking of news outlets and
social media accounts—including international journalists and Pakistani
news channels—as a severe violation of press freedom. The arrest of
journalist Hilal Mir and the temporary shutdown of the media outlet The
Wire after publishing a critical report have further alarmed press
advocates.
https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/05/india-censorship-spurs-concerns-amid-military-tensions-with-pakistan/
3. The Secretive, AI-Powered Bot Being Used by US Authorities at the
Mexico Border to Collect Intelligence on College Protestors and Activists
American police departments near the United States-Mexico border are
using unproven and secretive technology that uses AI-generated online
personas designed to interact with and collect intelligence on “college
protesters,” “radicalized” political activists, and suspected drug and
human traffickers. The software being used, Overwatch, which costs
hundreds of thousands of dollars, is created by New York-based tech
company Massive Blue. Check out this indepth investigation by Wired to
learn more:
https://www.wired.com/story/massive-blue-overwatch-ai-personas-police-suspects/
4. Meta Is Recruiting Former Pentagon Officials As It Ramps Up Military
Ambitions
Meta is courting national security and former Pentagon officials to help
sell its virtual reality and AI services to the federal government,
Forbes has learned. Multiple former government officials said they were
aware of the recruiting efforts.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidjeans/2025/05/07/meta-pentagon-trump/
5. India Ready to Greenlight Starlink – As Long As It Lets New Delhi
Censor, Snoop
India’s telecom regulator has signaled it’s ready to let Starlink and
other satellite-broadband providers operate – but only if they agree to
strict conditions, including setting up “special monitoring zones”
within 50km of land borders where law enforcement and security agencies
are permitted to monitor users. Officials demand device registration,
location locking, and logs of user activity.
https://www.theregister.com/AMP/2025/05/07/india_satellite_internet_regs_starlink/
6. Amazon to Spend $4 Billion on Data Centers and Cloud Infrastructure
in Chile Despite Drought
Amazon's cloud computing division will invest $4 billion to build its
first data centers and other cloud infrastructure in Chile. Amazon Web
Services (AWS) expects the cloud region, its third in Latin America
after Brazil and Mexico, to be operational by the second half of
2026.The surge of data centers globally has caused concerns over energy
and water use, which have been amplified in Chile as the country has
suffered a drought for more than 15 years.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/amazon-spend-4-billion-cloud-infrastructure-chile-2025-05-07/
7. Bill Gates Pledges his Remaining Fortune to the Gates Foundation,
Which Will Close in 20 Years
Bill Gates says he will donate 99% of his remaining tech fortune to the
Gates Foundation, which will now close in 2045, earlier than previously
planned. Today, that would be worth an estimated $107 billion. The
donation will be delivered over time and allow the foundation to spend
an additional $200 billion over the next 20 years.
https://apnews.com/article/bill-gates-foundation-996819a2c13c58f0c7c658a58374f236
_________________________________________
### Statements from Our Community ###
_________________________________________
1. Access Now Statement on Digital Censorship Amid India–Pakistan Conflict
Access Now is pained to learn of the loss of lives and livelihoods on
account of the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. In times of
crisis, upholding human rights, including the rights to free expression
and access to information, is essential to safeguarding democracy.
https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/access-now-statement-on-digital-censorship-amid-india-pakistan-conflict/
2. #KeepItOn: The Kremlin Must Refrain From Imposing Internet Shutdowns
During Key National Events
The undersigned human rights organizations and members of the #KeepItOn
coalition – a global network against internet shutdowns, strongly
condemn communication blackouts, including mobile internet shutdowns
imposed by Russian authorities ahead and during the celebration of the
80th anniversary of victory in World War II.
https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/kremlin-must-end-internet-shutdowns-national-events/
_________________________________________
### Events Calendar ###
__________________________________________
Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2025
7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media
May 20 - 21, 2025
Online
https://7amleh.org/post/7amleh-launches-the-ninth-edition-of-the-palestine-digital-activism-forum-2025:-registration-now-open-with-a-full-program-of-speakers-and-sessions
Safety & Responsibility in AI-driven Applications in War and Armed
Conflict (Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
May 22, 2025
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=May_22_2025_GM
Creating "Digital Playgrounds for Creative Communities" with Portal
(Glitter Meetup)
Team CommUNITY
May 29, 2025
9am EDT / 1pm UTC
Online
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=May_29_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/
The Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC)
August 26 - 27, 2025
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
https://drapac.net/25/
Global Gathering 2025
Team CommUNITY
September 8 - 10, 2025
Estoril, Portugal
https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/2025-global-gathering-application
Hold Before You Send It
Digihub Africa 2025
October 8 - 9, 2025
Johannesburg, South Africa
https://www.digihubafrica.org/events/
Bread&Net
SMEX
October 29 - 31
Beirut, Lebanon
https://smex.org/breadnet-save-the-date/
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
__________________________________________
### 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
Grants for Democratic Digitalisation Projects
Deadline: May 18, 2025
https://4d.cat/en/award
Feminist Batti Jalao
Deadline: May 20, 2025
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdajG-ceq_UsnBlYpbQeKLR5Z9iSwWZIxTzWFjbRY2sJXqKOA/viewform
Effects of the Usage of Digital Technology
The Huo Family Foundation
Deadline: May 23, 2025
https://huofamilyfoundation.org/our-grants/funding-opportunities
The Sustain Fund is Open For Applications
Black Feminist Fund
Deadline: May 24, 2025
https://blackfeministfund.org/grantmaking/
Call for applications: School on Platform Governance
Association for Progressive Communications and Open Net Korea
Deadline: May 25, 2025
https://www.apc.org/en/news/call-applications-school-platform-governance
Omidyar Network's Reporters in Residence (Summer 2025)
Deadline to apply: May 30, 2025
https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/omidyarnetwork/jobs/6848749
EU Action Grants: Detecting Influence Campaigns and Boosting Societal
Resilience
Deadline: June 16, 2025
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/detecting-influence-campaigns-and-boosting-societal-resilience
EU Action Grants: Boosting the Visibility of Fact-checking Content in Europe
Deadline: June 16, 2025
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/boosting-visibility-fact-checking-content-europe
Grants for Investigative Stories
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)
Deadline: June 30, 2025
https://birn.eu.com/news-and-events/birn-invites-journalists-to-apply-for-grants-for-investigative-stories/
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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(((Hugs & light)))
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