Digital Rights Weekly | February 2 to 6
Team CommUNITY
team at digitalrights.community
Thu Feb 5 21:03:30 CET 2026
Hello Digital Rights Defenders!
Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of February 2 to 6. As a reminder, you can submit your news for the
newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter
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What is in this issue:
TCU
Community News
NEW Job Opportunities
Community Resources
Digital Rights in the Wider World
Events Calendar
Grants, Fellowships, & Awards
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### TCU ###
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1. Help Us, Help You!
This year, the Global Gathering is more important than ever, providing
us with a space to connect and strategize. To ensure we can vet your
application in a timely manner and ensure the security and safety of the
event, please apply as soon as possible. Not sure if you can attend?
Apply anyway - you can always cancel at a later date! The Global
Gathering will take place in Portugal from September 4 to 6.
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Global_Gathering_2026
Additionally, the Equity Fund applications for the Global Gathering are
being processed on a rolling basis. Please apply to the GG soon, so we
can then send you the EF application, which is incredibly simple to fill
out. If you encounter any issues, feel free to reach out to us at
team at digitalrights.community.
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Global_Gathering_2026
2. February 19: Monthly Digital Rights Social
The next Digital Rights Social will take place on February 19 on the TCU
Mattermost. Connect with digital rights defenders from around the world.
Mark your calendars!
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=January_22,_2026_Digital_Rights_Social
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### Community News ###
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1. DSA Human Rights Alliance Publishes New Report
A new report published this week by the DSA Human Rights Alliance, The
Principles for a Human Rights-Centred Application of the DSA: A Global
Perspective, outlines practical steps to ensure that the EU's Digital
Services Act (DSA) implementation is informed by diverse perspectives
and grounded in international human rights standards.
https://www.liberties.eu/en/stories/dsa-human-rights-alliance/45591
2. Call for Collaborators to Develop Learning Resources and Training for
Investigators
Tactical Tech is looking for experienced investigators and media
professionals to collaborate on producing learning resources
(investigation guides, method tutorials, workshop curricula) and to
conduct training for journalists and media on a range of investigation
methods and topics. Deadline is March 20, 2026.
https://exposingtheinvisible.org/en/news/call-for-content-contributors-2026
3. Phishing Education Platform Shira Now Available
The phishing-education platform, Shira, helps digital security educators
create realistic phishing quizzes tailored to their organization or
community. It is available now for anyone to use! Horizontal, the
organization behind the platform, is actively looking for feedback.
https://shira.app
4. Human Rights Watch Director Quits Over Spiked Report on Israel’s
‘Crime Against Humanity’
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has spiked its own report describing Israel’s
treatment of Palestinians as a “crime against humanity”. The report
analysed fieldwork in refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
Despite passing successfully through all HRW’s checklist stages, new
executive director Philippe Bolopion shelved it.
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/04/human-rights-watch-spike/
5. Navigating Child Online Protection in Indonesia: International Norms,
Local Realities, and the TikTok Factor
This paper examines child online protection (COP) initiatives in
Indonesia, focusing on normative implications and methodological
challenges for computational social science. It analyzes how
international norms influence Indonesia’s legal framework and policy
development, particularly in the context of China’s growing digital
influence through platforms like TikTok. The study reveals significant
gaps in awareness and implementation of COP measures, exacerbated by the
popularity of Chinese-owned apps among Indonesian youth. It highlights
the need for enhanced digital literacy, targeted regulations, and
interdisciplinary research approaches.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44206-025-00244-0
6. IFF’s First Read of India’s National Economic Survey from a Digital
Rights Perspective
The Internet Freedom Foundation has published an analysis of India’s
2025-26 National Economic Survey from a digital rights perspective.
Among their concerns is that NES’s call to “re-examine” the Right to
Information Act risks further shirking transparency by carving out
internal records and widening exemptions about public officials’ service
information.
https://internetfreedom.in/first-read-of-the-national-economic-survey-on-digital-rights/
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### NEW Job Opportunities ###
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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
+ Operations & IT bilingual Assistant, Paradigm Initiative
- Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe
+ Gender Specialist Consultant, Global Partners Digital
- Remote
+ Global Security Lead, Frontline Defenders
- Remote
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### Community Resources ###
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1. ‘Dancing in Shackles’: Interview With Author Yi-Ling Liu
Yi-Ling Liu just published his book “The Wall Dancers: Searching for
Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet.” Check out this
interview where Liu shares the characteristics of the Chinese internet.
https://thediplomat.com/2026/02/dancing-in-shackles-chinas-vibrant-but-constrained-internet-culture/
2. Spain’s Digital Childhood Protection Act: Inside Europe’s Most
Aggressive Social Media Age Restriction Framework
Spain is implementing what experts characterize as Europe’s most
comprehensive age-verification framework for digital services,
prohibiting children under 16 from accessing social media platforms
without parental consent. The Spanish government’s decision follows
mounting concerns about the psychological impact of social media on
adolescent development, cyberbullying incidents, and the proliferation
of harmful content targeting young users.
https://www.webpronews.com/spains-digital-childhood-protection-act-inside-europes-most-aggressive-social-media-age-restriction-framework/
3. Public Trust in Data Governance is Crucial for Kenya’s Digital Future
Kenya’s growing maturity in digital governance, and its six-year-old
Data Protection Act remains far superior to any legislation in Africa or
those in older digital economies. However, two areas emerged as needing
attention: data governance in the security sector and election management.
https://www.amnestykenya.org/public-trust-in-data-governance-is-crucial-for-kenyas-digital-future/
4. Australia’s 3CR Radical Radio Invites Digital Rights Watch’s Lucinda
Thorpe to Discuss Palantir
3CR Radio invited Lucinda Thorpe, Privacy Campaigner at Digital Rights
Watch, to discuss Palantir and how their technologies are being used
across the globe. Thorpe shares the company’s history and track record
of human rights abuses, as well as how it's currently impacting
communities across the world in dystopian ways.
https://www.3cr.org.au/tuesday-breakfast/episode/m%C4%81ori-advocacy-invasion-day-rally-digital-rights-watch-palantir
5. ICE's Surveillance Playbook and your Legal Rights
ICE agents in the US are now deploying facial recognition software,
social media monitoring, and other digital tools to identify immigrants
and surveil protesters. MPR News host Catharine Richert and guests
discuss how these technologies work, where the law draws the line, and
what the expansion of digital surveillance means for privacy for all
citizens.
https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2026/02/03/ices-surveillance-playbook-and-your-legal-rights-special-coverage
6. How Right to Compute Laws Could Reshape America’s Technology Future
Right to Compute laws are emerging across the US, aiming to protect
computational access as a fundamental right. This movement could reshape
AI regulation, innovation ecosystems, and the balance between
technological freedom and safety oversight.
https://www.webpronews.com/the-battle-for-digital-access-how-right-to-compute-laws-could-reshape-americas-technology-future/
7. How VPN Regulations Could Reshape European Internet Freedom
France's Interior Minister has announced VPNs are under evaluation
following a social media ban for under-15s, raising concerns about
digital privacy and internet freedom across Europe and potentially
setting a precedent for restrictive regulations.
https://www.webpronews.com/frances-digital-sovereignty-push-how-vpn-regulations-could-reshape-european-internet-freedom/
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### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
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1. Myanmar Elections Draw Attention to Its Digital Surveillance Record
Myanmar’s widely criticized elections are drawing attention to the
country’s digital surveillance systems, which rely on digital ID
technology and facial recognition products supplied by Chinese and
Indian companies. The country’s military junta declared victory last
week despite human rights groups and some Western countries declaring
the election a sham.
https://www.biometricupdate.com/202602/myanmar-elections-draw-attention-to-its-digital-surveillance-record
2. Spyware Maker is Hijacking Diplomatic Efforts to Limit Commercial
Hacking, Civil Society Warns
Civil society groups are warning that makers of spyware tied to human
rights abuses are inserting themselves into diplomatic initiatives as a
way to whitewash their reputations. The backlash comes in the wake of a
“transparency report” issued by the spyware maker NSO Group on January 7
that trumpeted the company’s participation in the Pall Mall Process — a
diplomatic effort aimed at reining in the misuse of spyware products
while recognizing the software is worthwhile when used appropriately to
fight crime and terrorism.
https://therecord.media/spyware-maker-pall-mall-process-reputation
3. Iran Appears to Ease Internet Blackout As Cost of Shutdown Mounts
Iranian authorities appear to have relaxed – but not removed – internet
restrictions, in what experts say is a sign of the mounting costs of the
most severe internet blackout the regime has ever imposed. Data from
Cloudflare and Kentik show that an uneven restoration of internet
traffic to Iran began last week, reaching about 60% of pre-shutdown
levels at one point. Uneven internet traffic patterns may indicate that
authorities were likely continuing to throttle connections.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/28/iran-appears-to-ease-internet-blackout
Russia allegedly helped Iran shut down the Internet nationwide using
advanced tech, according to an Agenstvo Novosti report on January 15.
The report said Iran’s technology is based on a network-control
architecture developed with Russia’s assistance and built around deep
packet inspection (DPI), allowing authorities to go beyond blocking
websites by restricting traffic to apps, VPNs, and messengers, and by
selectively limiting access to platforms used to coordinate protests.
https://united24media.com/latest-news/russia-allegedly-helped-iran-shut-down-internet-nationwide-using-advanced-tech-15044
4. FBI Couldn’t Get into WaPo Reporter’s iPhone Because It Had Lockdown
Mode Enabled
The FBI has been unable to access a Washington Post reporter’s seized
iPhone because it was in Lockdown Mode, a sometimes overlooked feature
that makes iPhones broadly more secure, according to recently filed
court records. The court record shows which devices and data the FBI was
able to access, and which devices it could not, after raiding the home
of the reporter, Hannah Natanson, in January as part of an investigation
into leaks of classified information. It also provides rare insight into
the apparent effectiveness of Lockdown Mode.
https://www.404media.co/fbi-couldnt-get-into-wapo-reporters-iphone-because-it-had-lockdown-mode-enabled/
5. I Mocked the Saudi Leader on YouTube - Then My Phone Was Hacked, and
I Was Beaten Up in London
YouTuber and comedian Ghanem al-Masarir was making waves as a critic of
the Saudi Arabian royal family. He then began to notice that his phones
were behaving weirdly. They had become very slow, with the batteries
running out quickly. He also noticed seeing the same face appear in
different parts of London.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj6w3zgden0o
6. Arsink Spyware Posing as WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok Hits
143 Countries
Researchers at Zimperium zLabs have identified Arsink, a dangerous
Android Trojan that impersonates 50+ popular brands, including WhatsApp
and TikTok. With over 45,000 victims across 143 countries, this malware
grants hackers complete remote control to record audio, read text
messages, and wipe devices.
https://hackread.com/arsink-spyware-whatsapp-youtube-instagram-tiktok/
7. Google Accused of Breaching AI Principles and Helping Israel’s
Campaign in Gaza
A whistleblower complaint seen by The Washington Post and filed with
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)accuses
Googleof breaching AI ethics policies by helping an Israeli military
contractor analyze drone footage in 2024 . The complaint alleged that
the tech giant breached its own “AI principles,” which, at the time of
the incident detailed in the report, outlined that the company would not
utilize AI technology to conduct surveillance in a manner “violating
internationally accepted norms” or in relation to weapons.
https://cybernews.com/ai-news/google-ai-policy-israel-surveillance-whistleblower/
_____________________________________
### 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
Gaza’s Digital Economy Under Siege
February 5
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KhfSSNeuReyCPTNGQ508zw#/registration
Digital Rights Social
February 19, 2026 @ 14 UTC
TCU's Mattermost
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Community_Updates
Palestine Digital Activism Forum (PDAF) 2026
March 30 to 31, 2026
https://pdaf.net/about-theme
International Journalism Festival (IJF)
April 15 to 18, 2026
Perugia, Italy
https://www.journalismfestival.com/
Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum
April 14-16
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
https://sessionize.com/digital-rights-and-inclusion-forum26/
RightsCon 2026
May 5-8
Lusaka, Zambia
https://www.rightscon.org/
Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC)
June 8 to 10
Manila, Philippines
https://engagemedia.org/2025/drapac26-manila/
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
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
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### Grants, Fellowships, & Awards ###
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Aspen Policy Academy Summer 2026 Science and Technology Policy Fellowship
Deadline: February 5, 2026
https://aspenpolicyacademy.org/program/science-and-technology-policy-fellowship/#informational-webinars
DemocráTICa
Deadline: February 6, 2026
https://www.democratica.digital/post/2-ciclo-del-fondo-democr%C3%A1tica-para-proyectos-de-democracia-digital-inclusiva-en-am%C3%A9rica-latina-y-el
- Carr-Ryan Center Fellowship
- Global LGBTQI+ Human Rights Fellowship
- Racial Justice Fellowship
- Technology and Human Rights Fellowship.
Deadline: February 22, 2026
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr-ryan/opportunities/fellowship-opportunities/technology-and-human-rights-fellowship
La Escuela Virtual de Gobernanza de Internet
Deadline: February 8, 2026
https://www.virtualsig.org/2025/12/02/982/
Digital Freedom Fund
Deadline: February 17
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/
InDiCo-Global. Deadline
Deadline: June 30, 2026
https://indico-global-grants.eu/indico-global-third-open-call
__________________________________________
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(((Hugs & light)))
--
Team CommUNITY at ARTICLE 19
www.digitalrights.community
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