Digital Rights Weekly | April 6 to 10
Team CommUNITY
team at digitalrights.community
Fri Apr 10 04:45:09 CEST 2026
Hello Digital Rights Defenders!
Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of April 6 to 10. As a reminder, you can submit your news for the
newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter
___________________
What is in this issue:
TCU
Community News
NEW Job Opportunities
Digital Rights in the Wider World
Community Resources
Events Calendar
Grants, Fellowships, & Awards
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### TCU ###
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1.Global Gathering: What Makes a Good Proposal
The Global Gathering will take place on September 4, 5 and 6 in
Portugal. This year we expect programming to be more interactive and
meaningful than ever, while continuing to focus on connecting us
together in a joyful celebration. Check this year’s themes and learn
about what makes a good proposal!
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=2026_Global_Gathering_Programming
Questions? Need brainstorm support? Email us at
gather at digitalrights.community.
2. Continuing to Fundraise for the Equity Fund
We continue to fundraise for the Equity Fund in order to support the
numerous applicants who are on the waitlist. If your organization wants
to help bring someone from the community to the GG, or if you have any
suggestions, please let us know!!! Email us at
gather at digitalrights.community.
Additionally, if you have not registered, please do so as soon as
possible here:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Global_Gathering_2026
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### Community News ###
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1. Security Vulnerabilities in UpScrolled
Skyline International for Human Rights (SIHR) has published an analysis
of security vulnerabilities identified in UpScrolled, a social media
platform that gained 2.5 million users in under two weeks, largely from
Palestinian and SWANA communities who left mainstream platforms over
systematic content suppression. After external technical findings were
published on GitHub in February 2026, SIHR wrote to UpScrolled raising
concerns about location data exposure, IP leaks, and data retention. The
following post presents their response alongside SIHR assessment,
covering the vulnerability's scope, trust & safety commitments, user
notification, and the need for constructive engagement with security
researchers. It also includes practical safety guidance for UpScrolled
users.
https://skylineforhuman.org/en/news/details/905/upscrolled-promised-us-freedom-from-censorship-we-need-it-to-promise-us-security-too
2. Funding Opportunity: Promoting Inclusive Digital Services in
Kyrgyzstan | June 2
The European Commission is accepting proposals to support efforts to
reduce the digital divide
in the Kyrgyz Republic, especially for rural and vulnerable populations.
Among the focus areas covered, it includes raising awareness of digital
security, privacy, and data protection, as well as building the capacity
of civil society organizations, including female activists. The deadline
is June 2, 2026.
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/prospect-details/185902PROSPECTSEN
3. Funding Opportunity: Lebanese Journalists At Risk or Pressure
In response to the war that began in Lebanon in March, the Samir Kassir
Foundation, along with its partners, has launched various initiatives to
support journalists at risk or under pressure. Grants cover a range of
items, from legal assistance and psychosocial support to equipment rental.
https://www.skeyesmedia.org/en/News/News/07-04-2026/13133
4. Data Institute | Washington DC | April 19
The Data Institute is a free, hands-on two week workshop that will teach
you how to work with data as a journalist, how to apply design
principles and layout to charts or stories, and how to code your own
interactive project. Participants will also meet and talk to leading
journalists about their careers. It will take place July 5 to 18 in
Washington DC. Participants accepted will receive a roundtrip ticket,
lodging, and a 1,000 stipend. You must be a US resident to apply. The
deadline is April 19.
https://cjddatainstitute.org/
5. EFF Event: Internet Shutdowns | April 16
EFF, along with Amnesty International, will be hosting an online event
on April 16 focused on Internet shutdowns, with a focus on Iran. Learn
about how journalists, emergency responders, and ordinary people can
persist. Live discussion followed by by Q&A.
https://join.eff.org/Additional-donation/?readableEventId=2026_EFFecting_Change_Cant_Stop_the_Signal3145098239
6. Two Prominent Egyptian Journalists Targeted with Elaborate
Spearphishing Campaign
Two prominent Egyptian journalists were targeted in a sophisticated
hack-for-hire spearphishing campaign, according to new research by
Access Now. The report was released with the
mobile security company Lookout, and says that evidence shows that the
hackers may “use the methods and infrastructure associated with the
attacks to deliver spyware and exfiltrate data.”
https://therecord.media/two-egyptian-journalists-targeted-spearphishing-campaign
7. Indonesian Government’s Wikimedia Restriction Sparks Digital Rights,
Free Knowledge Concerns
In late February, the Communications and Digital Ministry banned access
to auth.wikimedia.org, the single sign-in gateway for Wikimedia
platforms, including the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia and media
repository Wikimedia Commons, citing the platform’s failure to register
in Indonesia. Digital rights advocates warn that arbitrary controls risk
undermining citizens’ access to free knowledge and freedom of expression.
https://asianews.network/indonesian-governments-wikimedia-restriction-sparks-digital-rights-free-knowledge-concerns/
8. Kenya: Pedagogies of Digital Sovereignty
This new study by Bulelani Jill examines digital sovereignty initiatives
in Kenya, drawing on 14 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Nairobi,
including interviews, policy analysis and institutional observations.
The study shows how programmes focused on cultivating technological
talent serve as aspirational modalities, and an aperture through which
to understand how postcolonial African states perform digital
sovereignty within a globally asymmetric technicological and economic
order. However, the pursuit of sovereignty is entangled with and
constrained by enduring structures of dependency and inequality.
https://academic.oup.com/afraf/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/afraf/adag011/8586658
9. Veteran Reporter Li Sipan on Censorship, the Great Firewall, and
China’s Independent Media
In this interview, Li Sipan shares how she navigated the various waves
and transformations in the Chinese media landscape. Following 2013,
investigative units at major outlets quietly shut down, and veteran
reporters left the industry in droves. After 2015, tightening laws and a
rapidly shifting political climate, NGOs, lawyers, and public
intellectuals came under mounting pressure, and a once-vibrant civil
society shriveled with alarming speed. However, following the pandemic a
new ecosystem of independent Chinese media began to take shape.
Journalists began to regroup in new forms: podcasts recorded overseas,
independent newsletters, and narrative nonfiction platforms.
https://gijn.org/stories/veteran-reporter-li-sipan-china/
_________________________________________
### NEW Job Opportunities ###
__________________________________________
These are new jobs we have received in the past week. You can access
these and other jobs by visiting our job board:
https://www.digitalrights.community/job-board
+ Consultant for Feminist Risk Research, Feminist Humanitarian Network
- Remote
+ Senior Android Engineer / Mobile Team Lead, The Tor Project
- Remote
+ Cybersecurity Specialist, IREX
- Remote
+ Palante Technology Cooperative, Technical Support Tech Worker
- New York
+ Protection from Violence Technical Assistant, Norwegian Refugee
Council (NRC)
- Nigeria
+ Programme Coordinator, Women, Peace and Security,, UN Women
- Mali
+ Associate Project Officer Digital Games, UNESCO
- New Delhi
+ Refuge and VAWG Support Worker, Latin America Women's Aid
- London
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### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
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1. Serco Wants to Be the European ICE, Human Rights Groups Say
Outsourcing giant Serco has been accused of positioning itself as “ICE
in the UK and Europe” after appointing a new director from G4S, one of
the main contractors for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Human rights campaigners say the hiring of Fiona Walters to Serco
represents an “alarming revolving door” between the UK’s immigration
system and ICE.
https://novaramedia.com/2026/04/02/serco-wants-to-be-the-european-ice-human-rights-groups-say/
Meanwhile in the US, ICE has acknowledged for the first time that they
are using Graphite, which uses "zero click" technology so that it can
gain access to encrypted messages on a targeted device even if the user
never clicks on a link.
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/07/nx-s1-5776799/ice-spyware-privacy
2. India’s New Digital Rules Tighten the Noose on Freedom of Speech
Journalists, news outlets, satirists and cartoonists are among the
citizens targeted by India’s increasingly strict laws on digital
censorship. Critics say that a new set of rules will further expand
executive power over the internet and signal a growing digital
authoritarianism.
https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260402-india-new-digital-rules-tighten-the-noose-on-freedom-of-speech
3. Bitchat App Pulled from China’s App Store; WeChat Ban 1,209 Accounts
Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat app was pulled from China’s app store on the
orders of the Cyberspace Administration of China due to its capability
for “social mobilization.” Meanwhile, in March, WeChat announced that
since the beginning of 2026, it had permanently banned 1,209 accounts
and sanctioned more than 60,000 accounts for various violations.
https://hrichina.substack.com/p/hric-weekly-brief-e36
4. Decoding Nepal’s 100-point Governance Reform Plan: A Digital Rights
Review
The newly formed Government of Nepal approved a 100-point good
governance roadmap at its first Cabinet meeting on 27 March 2026.
Aligned with the manifesto of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, the roadmap
outlines a broad reform agenda, with a strong focus on digital
governance, public service delivery, and administrative efficiency.
https://www.technologykhabar.com/2026/04/05/235678/
5. Brazil: Supreme Court Rebuts US Report On Freedom Of Speech
The head of Brazil’s Supreme Court, Justice Edson Fachin, refuted
accusations of censorship against digital platforms contained in a
report by the US House Judiciary Committee released on April 2. The
report states that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes committed
acts of censorship against freedom of speech in the US by ordering the
suspension of social media accounts belonging to Brazilians living there
who are accused of carrying out online attacks against Brazilian
institutions.
https://www.eurasiareview.com/07042026-brazil-supreme-court-rebuts-us-report-on-freedom-of-speech/
6. Turkey’s Crackdown on Journalists in Exile Continues
Cyber censorship is quickly becoming a weapon of choice for Turkish
authorities looking to silence journalists in exile. At least five
reporters have been targeted online, notably by having their social
media accounts censored. Four of them are facing potential prison
sentences as they are unjustly prosecuted — some of these lawsuits
stretching over a decade.
https://rsf.org/en/online-censorship-t%C3%BCrkiye-s-crackdown-journalists-exile-continues
7. A Comprehensive Guide to Russia’s Internet Censorship in 2026—and
What Life Feels Like Inside It
Over the past few months, Russia has rapidly enacted a barrage of
measures to build the most comprehensive system of internet censorship
that they yearned for—and kept failing to construct. The foundation of
Russia’s modern censorship regime are TSPUs (Technical Means of
Countering Threats), deep packet inspection “boxes” installed on the
network of every internet service provider in Russia under the 2019
“Sovereign Internet” law. Unlike earlier blacklist-based approaches,
which relied on ISPs themselves to enforce blocks on specific addresses,
TSPU equipment is controlled exclusively by Roskomnadzor, the state
censorship agency.
https://en.zona.media/article/2026/04/07/russian_internet_censorship_2026
8. Ireland’s Surveillance Bill Tests EU Privacy and Human‑Rights Standards
Ireland’s proposed Communications (Interception and Lawful Access) Bill
would explicitly authorise police use of powerful surveillance tools,
including government‑grade spyware, forensic extraction devices, and
covert software capable of infiltrating encrypted‑messaging apps and
connected gadgets. The bill places Ireland at a sensitive crossroads
between policing serious crime and upholding the EU’s strict privacy and
human‑rights standards.
https://impactpolicies.org/news/867/irelands-surveillance-bill-tests-eu-privacy-and-humanrights-standards
9. Convicted Spyware Maker Bryan Fleming Avoids Jail at Sentencing
The first convicted spyware maker in over a decade, Bryan Fleming, has
avoided jail time after earlier pleading guilty to U.S. federal charges
associated with running his surveillance company. During a plea hearing
in January following a years-long federal investigation into his spyware
company, pcTattletale, Fleming admitted to making, selling, and
advertising spyware for unlawful uses.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/06/convicted-spyware-maker-bryan-fleming-avoids-jail-at-sentencing/
10. Men Are Buying Hacking Tools to Use Against Their Wives and Friends
Thousands of men are members of Telegram groups and channels that
advertise and sell hacking and surveillance services that can be used to
harass friends, wives and girlfriends, and former partners, new research
has uncovered. The findings also say that the communities are involved
in extensive trading, selling, and promotion of a huge variety of
abusive content, including nonconsensual intimate images..
https://www.wired.com/story/men-are-buying-hacking-tools-to-use-against-their-wives-and-friends/
______________________________________
### Community Resources ###
______________________________________
1. Pegasus Spyware: How to Detect, Prevent and Remove It
Pegasus spyware can get into a phone without you tapping a thing — no
weird app or warning. Once inside, it can quietly watch your messages,
calls and more. And that makes it a real concern for everyone. Checkout
steps you can take to detect, prevent and remove it.
https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/mediacenter/pegasus-spyware/
2. How EU Proposals to “Simplify” Tech Laws Will Roll Back Our Rights in
Order to Feed AI
Last year, the European Commission launched a drive to simplify existing
EU laws on artificial intelligence (AI) and data protection, arguing
that this would “boost competitiveness” and “cut red tape”. In November
2025, it unveiled proposals for sweeping changes to major laws like the
AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). At stake are
the rules that protect us on and offline - regulations that protect our
rights from being steamrolled by states and governments, while
protecting our environment, our rights at work, our rights online, and
so much more.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2026/04/eu-simplification-laws/
2. Vietnam’s Digital State: A Society Under Surveillance
As data becomes increasingly centralized, citizens are losing control
over their information. Vietnam consistently ranks among the nations
with the highest volumes of personal data sold online.
https://thevietnamese.org/2026/04/viet-nams-digital-state-a-society-under-surveillance/
_____________________________________
### 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
Additionally, we maintain a calendar of events in our wiki:
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Calendar_of_Events
Data Centers & Democracy: How US Policymakers Push Back
April 8
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rxt-data-centers-democracy-how-policymakers-push-back-tickets-1984908054423
Cables of Resistance Event
April 10 to 12
https://cableresist.de/
Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum
April 14-16
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
https://sessionize.com/digital-rights-and-inclusion-forum26/
Using AI Safely: Practical Strategies for CSOs and Nonprofits
April 14
https://www.theengineroom.org/using-ai-safely-practical-strategies-for-csos-and-nonprofits-from-a-global-majority-perspective/
International Journalism Festival (IJF)
April 15 to 18, 2026
Perugia, Italy
https://www.journalismfestival.com/
Digital Rights Social / Focus: Spyware Protection and Transnational
Repression
April 16, 2026 @ 14 UTC
TCU's Mattermost
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Community_Updates
Targeted
April 16
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/ddb43d68-53cc-4d49-a239-7712dc911bb3@08722067-f231-4f22-bb68-ea4fbf92dabb
EFF Event: Internet Shutdowns
April 16
https://join.eff.org/Additional-donation/?readableEventId=2026_EFFecting_Change_Cant_Stop_the_Signal3145098239
Take Back Tech
April 17-19
Atlanta
https://www.takebacktech.com/
Data Institute
Washington DC
April 19
https://cjddatainstitute.org/
UNESCO World Press Freedom Day 2026 Global Conference
May 4–5, 2026
Lusaka, Zambia
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/world-press-freedom-day-2026-global-conference-shaping-future-peace
RightsCon 2026
May 5-8
Lusaka, Zambia
https://www.rightscon.org/
Digital Rights Social / Focus: Regional Updates
May 21, 2026 @ 14 UTC
TCU's Mattermost
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Community_Updates
Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC)
June 8 to 10
Manila, Philippines
https://engagemedia.org/2025/drapac26-manila/
Digital Rights Social / Focus: Regional Updates
June 18, 2026 @ 14 UTC
TCU's Mattermost
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Community_Updates
Global Media Forum
June 23 and 24, 2026
Bonn Germany
https://corporate.dw.com/en/gmf-2026-your-ideas-deserve-the-spotlight/a-75222151
All Things in Moderation 2026: Call for Contributions
June 25 to 26
Online and on demand
https://www.allthingsinmoderation.org/call-for-contributions
Digital Rights Social / Focus: Organizational Sustainability and Resilience
July 16, 2026 @ 14 UTC
TCU's Mattermost
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Community_Updates
Free and Open Communications on the Internet (FOCI)
July 20, 2026
Hybrid, co-located with PETS in Calgary, Canada
https://foci.community/
Global Gathering
September 4 to 6, 2026
Portugal
https://www.digitalrights.community/blog/applications/global-gathering-2026-applications-open
Digital Commons:Infrastructures, Design, and the Ethics of Autonomy
October 8 to 10
Athens, Greece
www.digicommons.org
__________________________________________
### Grants, Fellowships, & Awards ###
__________________________________________
Lebanese Journalists At Risk or Pressure
No Deadline
https://www.skeyesmedia.org/en/News/News/07-04-2026/13133
Common Application
Deadline: April 12
https://islamicscholarshipfund.submittable.com/submit/344726/2026-isf-common-application-internships-fellowships-law-policy-media
Summer School in Digital Human Rights
Deadline April 15
https://www.law.lu.se/study/summer-school-digital-human-rights
Nepal Grants
Deadline: Rolling basis until April 15, 2026.
https://www.icnl.org/wp-content/uploads/Nepal-Call-for-Proposals_March-2026_final.pdf
OpenMedia Summer Fellowship 2026
Deadline April 19
https://openmedia.org/article/item/openmedia-summer-fellowship-2026-next-gen-policy-changemakers-wanted
EU Grant for Media Freedom, Freedom of Expression, and Journalist
Protection in Pakistan
deadline is April 21, 2026.
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/prospect-details/186121PROSPECTSEN
Laboratory for Women’s Rights Online Initiative
Deadline: April 21, 2026
https://pops.expertisefrance.fr/sdm/ent2/gen/ficheCsl.action?PCSLID=CSL_2026_4sZQPjYqHf&ongletActif=2
2026 Oxford AI and Media Policy Summer Institute July 20 to 31
Deadline: Early decision March 14; Final deadline April 21
https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/oxford-ai-and-media-policy-summer-institute/2026-oxford-ai-and-media
-policy-summer-institute
Janisha R. Gabriel Movement Protection Fund - Information Session
April 23, 2025
https://solidairenetwork.org/how-we-partner/movement-protection-fund/
ISOC Community-Centered Connectivity Grant Program
May 7
https://www.isocfoundation.org/grant-programme/community-centered-connectivity/
Community Access Fund for LGBTQI+ Asylum Seekers
May 31
https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/community-access-fund-application
Promoting Inclusive Digital Services in Kyrgyzstan
Deadline: June 2
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/prospect-details/185902PROSPECTSEN
InDiCo-Global. Deadline
Deadline: June 30, 2026
https://indico-global-grants.eu/indico-global-third-open-call
__________________________________________
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Team CommUNITY at ARTICLE 19
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