Digital Rights Weekly | October 20 to 25
Team CommUNITY
team at digitalrights.community
Mon Nov 3 11:40:11 CET 2025
Hello Digital Rights Defenders!
Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of October 20 to 25. 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) ###
__________________________________________
1. Resources: Relocation Programs, Guides, and More
TCU’s wiki has a wealth of information available, including a section
with various resources for at-risk digital rights defenders, such as a
list of temporary relocation programs, security and protection guides,
and mental health services.
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Resources_for_At-Risk_Digital_Rights_Defenders
__________________________________________
### Community News ###
__________________________________________
1.Python Foundation Rejects Grant From NSF
The Python Software Foundation (PSF) has walked away from a $1.5 million
National Science Foundation grant because of the terms of the grant,
which would require the organization to affirm that they do not and will
not “operate any programs that advance or promote diversity, equity and
inclusion (DEI), or discriminatory equity ideology..” Python’s deputy
executive director shared that the restrictions would apply not only to
the security work directly funded by the grant, but to any PSF grant as
a whole. The terms also included a provision that if the anti-DEI diktat
was violated, NSF would reserve the right to claw back any previously
disbursed funds.
https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/27/python_foundation_abandons_15m_nsf/
2. LinkedIn’s Biased Moderation Led to Suppression of Palestinian HRDs
7amleh has released a new report based on fifteen testimonies and
interviews with Linkedin and Microsoft employees, revealing serious
flaws in Linkedin’s moderation practices. These gaps have led to the
suppression of Palestinian human rights defenders, and the restriction
of content supportive of Palestinians. The report also exposes leniency
toward content inciting violence and hatred towards Palestinians.
https://7amleh.org/post/digital-rights-under-threat-en
3. New Data Collection Law in Mexico Violates Human Rights
The Mexican government has introduced a package of laws and reforms that
enable the collection, interconnection, and analysis of biometric,
financial, fiscal, health, telecommunications, and geolocation data on
the country’s entire population. ARTICLE 19 warns that these measures
pose profound risks to privacy and human rights, representing a serious
setback and setting a dangerous precedent-particularly given the absence
of effective safeguards and oversight mechanisms.
https://www.article19.org/resources/mexico-new-data-collection-law-violates-human-rights/
4. Digital Safety Tips for Citizens Protection in Ecuador and Peru Published
Cases of digital interference and surveillance targeting citizens have
been detected in both Ecuador and Peru following recent strikes and
protests in each country. Additionally, in Peru, which is currently
facing an institutional crisis, more than 50 social activists reported
that their phones had been blocked. Derechos Digitales has published a
set of digital safety tips for citizens engaging in protests.
https://www.apc.org/en/news/derechos-digitales-launches-tips-digital-safety-during-protests-guide-citizen-protection
5. Keeping Taiwan’s Internet Free: Inside the Open Culture Foundation
Check out a recent feature on Taiwan’s Open Culture Foundation, which
traces the organization's evolution from its 2014 origin promoting
open-source software and transparent code to its current leadership in
the fight for digital rights, online freedom, and tech accountability.
The piece was published in New Bloom Magazine, which was founded by a
group of students and activists after the 2014 Sunflower Movement in Taiwan.
https://newbloommag.net/2025/10/24/ocf-interview/
__________________________________________
### NEW Job Opportunities ###
__________________________________________
You can access these and other jobs by visiting our job board:
https://www.digitalrights.community/job-board
✎ Software Engineer, Psst
+ Remote
✎ User Support & Market Intelligence Specialist (China), Lantern
+ Remote
✎ Communications Specialist, National Disability Rights Network
+ Washington, D.C. – Remote
✎ Open-Source Reporter, Video Journalist, Visual Investigations, NYT
+ New York
______________________________________
### Community Resources ###
______________________________________
1. Chinese Edition of “Digital Literacy and Inclusion” Forthcoming
The book “Digital Literacy and Inclusion: Stories, Platforms,
Communities”, edited by digital inclusion specialist and practitioner
Danica Radovanović, brings together global case studies, research, and
best practices that highlight how digital literacy can advance equity
and empower communities to participate more meaningfully in the digital
age. The volume is being translated and published in Chinese by Tsinghua
University Press, in collaboration with the China Research Institute for
Science Popularization.
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-30808-6
2. How Encryption Protects Journalists and Human Rights Defenders in
West Africa
Global Voices spoke with Kehinde Adegboyega, Co-Founder and Executive
Director at Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria. In the interview,
Kehinde, who has worked alongside journalists to ensure their freedom
and digital security, explains how encryption protects journalists and
human rights defenders.
https://globalvoices.org/2025/10/26/west-africa-how-encryption-protects-journalists-and-human-rights-defenders/
3. Resources for NGOs Navigating Digital Transformation
NetHope Connected is a platform designed to help NGOs navigate their
digital transformation journey to better address development and
humanitarian challenges. Open to diverse NGOs on the regional, national,
and sub-national level, their diverse offerings include expert-led
webinars on digital strategies, a resource library, and peer-to-peer
networking, among others.
https://network.nethope.org/home
4. How NGOs Die — Europe's Playbook for Dismantling Democracy
In this piece, Alberto Alemanno, shares that a coordinated assault on
civil society is unfolding with surgical precision across Europe via a
five step playbook. He shares that democracies rarely fall by force but
instead they erode through complacency, and European governments may
soon discover that the question is no longer whether NGOs can survive,
but what, and who, fills the vacuum when they don’t.
https://euobserver.com/eu-political/ar1c67c9a3
5. Surveillance Capitalism Research
The Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at the Harvard Kennedy School has
released new research examining the geopolitics of surveillance
capitalism. Download the 21 page report in the following link.
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr-ryan/publications/geopolitics-surveillance-capitalism
______________________________________
### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
______________________________________
1.Over 60 UN Members Sign Controversial Cybercrime Treaty Opposed by
Both Digital Rights Groups and Tech Companies
More than 60 UN member states have signed a new treaty targeting
cybercrime, despite strong opposition from digital rights groups and
tech companies who warn it could expand state surveillance, enable
cross-border repression, and lead to abuses of power. Critics argue that
the treaty’s vague wording risks criminalizing cybersecurity research
and legitimizing government overreach into corporate IT systems by
billions worldwide. The UN Convention against Cybercrime was first
proposed by Russian diplomats in 2017, and approved by consensus last
year after lengthy negotiations.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251024-un-members-to-sign-cybercrime-treaty-opposed-by-rights-groups
2. ACLU: Flock Can Share Driver-Surveillance Data Even When Police
Departments Opt Out
ACLU has found that Flock’s default agreement with US police departments
allows the company to share data with federal and local agencies for
“investigative purposes” even if a local department chooses to restrict
data to its own officers. ACLU is urging communities to review user
agreements of their local police department for clauses granting Flock
“worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free free right and license” to “disclose
the Agency Data… for investigative purposes.” This comes at the heels of
a recent and concerning partnership between Flock and Ring Cameras (Amazon).
https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/flock-massachusetts-and-updates
In Denver, hundreds of residents joined a viral town hall demanding that
the Mayor shut down the city’s license-plate tracking system and end its
partnership with Flock. The event drew national attention, with tech
influencer and consumer rights advocate Louis Rossmann livestreaming the
protest to over 24,000 viewers.
https://denverite.com/2025/10/23/denver-flock-surveillance-viral-national-fight
In New York, an anti-surveillance advocacy group has filed a lawsuit
against the NYPD, claiming that its centralized Domain Awareness System
- which integrates facial recognition, license-plate readers, and other
surveillance tools — are unconstitutional.
https://therecord.media/nypd-domain-awareness-system-civil-rights-lawsuit
Texas is preparing the construction of a Smart Wall on the border that
will combine advanced detection technology, cameras, lights, patrol
roads, waterborne barriers, and steel barriers.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/border/2025/10/24/534243/big-bend-region-could-see-border-walls-new-surveillance-tech-under-trumps-smart-wall-plan/
3. USG Helped US Firms Sell Tech Used for Surveillance in China
An Associated Press investigation has found that the U.S. government,
across five Republican and Democratic administrations, has repeatedly
allowed and even actively helped American firms sell surveillance
technology to Chinese police, government agencies and companies.
Despite bipartisan concerns, Congress has overlooked loopholes that
allow China to work around its own rules, such as cloud services,
third-party resellers, and holes in sanctions passed after the Tiananmen
massacre. In 2024 alone, China purchased $20.7 billion worth of
chipmaking equipment from U.S. companies in 2024 to bolster its domestic
industry.
https://apnews.com/article/chinese-surveillance-silicon-valley-trump-administration-congress-21c5f961b1fd22f9a9e563ebe64e5582
4. Tanzania’s Digital Battlefield Heats up Ahead of Election
Tanzania’s two main opposition forces were barred from the October 29
election, leaving President Hassan’s CCM, Africa’s
second-longest-governing party, virtually unchallenged. Leading up to
the election, dissidents have been expressing their views online using
anonymous accounts or pseudonyms, using popular platforms such as Tik
Tok. Digital rights groups say that the government has been doing
everything it can to control information online in the run up to the
elections - restrictions to social media platforms, police conducting
“online patrols,” and even the suspension of a popular Tanzanian-based
social networking website, JammiForums.
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/10/28/tanzanias-digital-battlefield-heats-up-ahead-of-election-2
5. The Gambia Strengthens Digital Trust with Personal Data Protection &
Privacy Bill
Gambia has approved a draft Personal Data Protection and Privacy
legislation, described as “a major step forward in strengthening the
protection of personal data, safeguarding the privacy rights of
citizens, and building trust in the country's digital transformation
journey.
https://www.biometricupdate.com/202510/the-gambia-strengthens-digital-trust-with-personal-data-protection-privacy-bill
6. Meta and TikTok Agree to Comply with Australia’s Under-16 Social
Media Ban
Meta and TikTok have confirmed they will comply with Australia’s new law
banning under-16s from using social media platforms, though both warned
it will be difficult to enforce. The legislation, taking effect on
December 10, will require major platforms to remove accounts belonging
to users under that age.
https://dig.watch/updates/meta-and-tiktok-agree-to-comply-with-australias-under-16-social-media-ban
7. UK Digital ID Plan Sparks Row Over Irish Citizens’ Rights
The UK government's plan to introduce mandatory digital ID for workers
by 2029 is facing criticism over its potential conflict with the Common
Travel Area (CTA), which provides Irish and British citizens with the
right to live and work freely in each other's countries. Political
parties in Northern Ireland, including Sinn Féin and the Democratic
Unionist Party (DUP), have opposed the scheme, citing concerns about its
impact on Irish citizens' rights and the Good Friday Agreement. Home
Officials have reportedly stated that the digital ID scheme will be
impossible to implement without changes to the CTA, as exempting Irish
citizens would be discriminatory against British citizens.
https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/digital-id-ireland-common-travel-area-b2852795.html
8. Indonesia’s First Virtual Cyber Diplomacy Course
Universitas Indonesia and The Australian Strategic Policy, with support
from the Institute and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, have
launched Indonesia’s first virtual cyber diplomacy course. It features a
video series and handbook introducing policymakers, researchers and
civil society to key debates on sovereignty, international law, human
rights and technological standards.
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/indonesias-first-virtual-cyber-diplomacy-course/
9.. The US Border Patrol Wants a Fleet of AI Powered Surveillance Trucks
According to federal contracting records reviewed by WIRED, the US
border patrol is asking companies to submit plans to turn standard 4x4
trucks into AI-powered watchtowers — combining radar, cameras, and
autonomous tracking to extend surveillance on demand.
https://www.wired.com/story/dhs-wants-a-fleet-of-ai-powered-surveillance-trucks/
The mass surveillance campaign being mounted in the US has little
oversight, with the Trump administration signaling that the technologies
will also be used on American citizens.
https://reason.com/2025/10/23/ice-is-mounting-a-mass-surveillance-campaign-on-american-citizens/
10. SASHA App Has Gone Live
The new SASHA app, which is designed to help users share images safely,
is now live. The application is available for both iPhone and Android.
https://www.sasha.eu/
______________________________________
### Events Calendar ###
______________________________________
Did you know you could submit your events for inclusion in our
newsletter? It takes a few minutes to submit:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter
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/
Feminist Perspective on the Fight Against Gender Based Violence,
On November 6
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Gj6-N_OoRCu2bfbV_rDMKQ#/registration
Mozilla Festival 2025
November 7 - 9, 2025
In Barcelona, Spain
https://www.mozillafestival.org/en/
European Young Innovators Festival
November 26 to 28
https://wsa-global.org/events/european-young-innovators-festival/
SplinterCon 2025
December 8–10, 2025
Paris, France
https://splintercon.net/paris/
RightCon 2026
May 5-8
Lusaka, Zambia
https://www.rightscon.org/
__________________________________________
### Grants, Fellowships, & Awards ###
__________________________________________
Malaysia: Financial Support to Young Women Human Rights Defenders
Deadline: November 10, 2025.
https://www.article19.org/resources/malaysia-financial-support-to-young-women-human-rights-defenders/
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
November 18th, 2025.
https://grants.mfa.no/#call/4421/main
ACLS Digital Justice Grants
November 20, 2025
https://www.acls.org/programs/acls-digital-justice-grants
NLnet Zero Commons Fund
Deadline: December 1
https://nlnet.nl/commonsfund/
NLnet Fediversity Programme
Deadline: December 1
https://nlnet.nl/fediversity/
John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship
Deadline: December 3
https://jsk.stanford.edu/become-a-fellow#why-apply
AI Reporting Grant Program
December 31, 2025
https://pulitzercenter.org/grants-fellowships/opportunities-journalists/ai-reporting-grants
InDiCo-Global. Deadline
Deadline: June 30, 2026
https://indico-global-grants.eu/indico-global-third-open-call
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
More information about the Festival
mailing list