Digital Rights Weekly | February 9 to 13
Team CommUNITY
team at digitalrights.community
Thu Feb 19 20:14:32 CET 2026
Hello Digital Rights Defenders!
Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of February 9 to 13. 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! Apply for the Global Gathering Soon!
Join us on September 4 to 6 to connect with defenders working at the
intersection of rights and tech. This year, to ensure the security and
safety of the gathering, we are asking folks to apply as soon as
possible so we can vet folks in a timely manner.
*** Please note: This year, we will not be accepting applications after
the deadline ***
Apply: https://gathering.digitalrights.community/
Equity Fund applications for the Global Gathering are being processed on
a rolling basis. You must first apply for a ticket before applying to
the Equity Fundfirst. If you encounter any issues, feel free to reach
out to us at gather at digitalrights.community.
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Global_Gathering_2026
1. GG Programming Themes
This year’s GG themes include:
- Surveillance and Censorship
- Alternative Infrastructure and Digital Sovereignty
- Emerging and Urgent Tech Challenges: Disinfo, AI, Platform
Accountability, Internet Shutdowns, Etc.
- CIvil Society Reflections on Tech Regulation
- Ecosystem Security, Sustainability, and Health
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=2026_Global_Gathering_Programming
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### Community News ###
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1. Unplugging a Nation: Iranian Digital Workarounds in the Face of Total
Blackout
De|Center has published a powerful and moving piece on the situation in
Iran, featuring firsthand accounts of the pre-internet tactics activists
used to communicate with one another and the world. It also highlights
how, despite severe risks and sweeping state counter-measures, citizens
continue to draw on long-cultivated digital resilience during
communication blackouts to share their truths.
https://the-decenter.ghost.io/unplugging-a-nation-iranian-digital-workarounds-in-the-face-of-total-blackout/?ref=the-de-center-newsletter
2. Hackers Target Supporters of Iran Protests in New Espionage Campaign
Hackers believed to be aligned with Tehran are targeting supporters of
Iran’s anti-government protests in a new cyberespionage campaign,
researchers have found. The campaign, discovered by Swiss cybersecurity
firm Acronis, began in early January, shortly after mass nationwide
demonstrations erupted across Iran calling for an end to the Islamic
Republic system. Researchers said the attackers likely took advantage of
a spike in demand for information after authorities imposed sweeping
internet blackouts across the country to limit coverage of the unrest.
https://therecord.media/hackers-target-iran-protest-supporters-cyber-campaign
3. NewsGuild-Sponsored Digital Security Training on Feb. 26
The NewsGuild-CWA is a labor union founded by newspaper journalists in
1933. It is sponsoring a digital security training with the Freedom of
the Press Foundation at 2pm ET February, 26. This follows the January
raid of the home of Hannah Natanson, a Washington Post journalist and
Guild member. FBI agents seized several of Hannah’s devices and have
refused to return them.
https://newsguild.org/newsguild-hosts-journalists-digital-security-training/
4. 2026 Oxford AI and Media Policy Summer Institute | July 20 to 31
The Oxford AI and Media Policy Summer Institute will take place on July
20 to 31, 2026. This year’s theme centres on sovereignty and
multilateral cooperation in AI and media policy, and the socio-legal
questions that arise when authority is increasingly exercised – and
contested – through digital systems. Participants will examine how power
and legitimacy are asserted and challenged, whether through platform
governance, content regulation, or AI supply chains. The institute’s
approach is global, with particular attention to the perspectives and
agendas of the Global South. Apply by March 14, 2026 for an early
decision, particularly if you will require a visa to travel to the UK.
The final application deadline is April 21, 2026.
https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/oxford-ai-and-media-policy-summer-institute/2026-oxford-ai-and-media-policy-summer-institute
5. EDRI Keep it Secure Campaign: Protect Encryption, Stop Spyware
If you are part of the EU, head over to EDRI to sign a petition
demanding the protection of encryption and stopping of spyware. Europol
and law enforcement are pushing to legalise hacking methods that weaken
encryption. Meanwhile, At least 14 EU Governments have acquired or used
spyware, and many private vendors are based in Europe.
https://edri.org/take-action/our-campaigns/keep-it-safe-and-secure/
6. New Report: Orbital Geopolitics: China's Dual-Use Space Internet
A new report by the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) has
found that China is investing massive resources into satellite internet
infrastructure. However, the country’s massive investments have so far
underdelivered, which explains its renewed support for private space
companies. The report also found that European expertise and spectrum
allocations may have contributed to Chinese advances in space-based
internet.
https://merics.org/en/report/orbital-geopolitics-chinas-dual-use-space-internet
7. SMEX Analysis of Meta’s 2024 Human Rights Report: Too Little, Too Late
Earlier this year, SMEX's policy team analyzed Meta's yearly human
rights report, which shows Meta did not fully comply with international
standards for human rights. The content remained largely superficial and
failed to address civil society's concerns.
https://smex.org/metas-2024-human-rights-report-too-little-too-late/
8. 2025 Digital Rights in Southeast Asia Report
Digital Reach has published an annual report looking at the digital
rights situations in Southeast Asia in 2025 including Cambodia,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and
Vietnam. Governments and regimes across the region are intensifying
efforts to control information, compelling social media platforms to
comply with censorship directives, and tightening control over
telecommunications, thereby increasing risks to the digital security of
dissidents.
https://digitalreach.asia/publications-and-resources/the-annual-report-digital-rights-in-southeast-asia-2025/
9. New Report Helps Journalists Dig Deeper Into Police Surveillance
Technology
A new report offers journalists tips on cutting through the sales hype
about police surveillance technology and reporting accurately on costs,
benefits, privacy, and accountability as these invasive and often
ineffective tools come to communities across the nation. The “Selling
Safety” report is a joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
(EFF), the Center for Just Journalism (CJJ), and IPVM.
https://www.eff.org/press/releases/new-report-helps-journalists-dig-deeper-police-surveillance-technology
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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
+ Program Officer, GitLab Foundation
Remote USA
+ Tech Accountability Researcher, Business and Human Rights Centre
- Remote
+ Senior Advisor, Technology & Innovation, New York City Mayor’s Office
- NYC
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### Community Resources ###
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1. As Internet in U.S. and China Looks More Alike, She Wrote a Book on
'Dancing' Around Censorship
Journalist and Arizona State University New America Fellow Yi-Ling Liu
has a new book “The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection
on the Chinese Internet.” In this interview, she provides history of the
great fire wall, anti-censorship tactics used, and explains how the US
Internet is starting to look more and more like China’s.
https://www.kjzz.org/the-show/2026-02-17/as-internet-in-u-s-and-china-looks-more-alike-she-wrote-a-book-on-dancing-around-censorship
2. Lumumba In 90 Minutes: How a Football Match Reawakened Colonial Memory
THRAETS has published a new analysis examining how the Lumumba tribute
at AFCON 2025 evolved into a major online conversation about history,
identity, and memory. Using network analysis, topic modelling, and
engagement metrics, the data-heavy study shows that while the moment
emerged from a football match, the most widely shared content focused on
Patrice Lumumba’s assassination and its historical context. The findings
highlight how sports events can serve as entry points for broader
political and historical discussions, and how digital audiences engage
differently with live controversy than with educational content.
https://lumumba.thraets.org
3. India: When Device Security Becomes State Control
The recent reports of a draft proposal to overhaul smartphone security
rules in India raise serious questions about the country’s approach to
digital security, privacy, and regulation.
https://www.techpolicy.press/when-device-security-becomes-state-control/
4. Digital Sovereignty: Fibre-Optic Cables, Snowden and a Fractured
Global Ecosystem
The geopolitical shifts of the past year have highlighted digital
sovereignty as a priority for governments around the world. Resets have
happened before, but not like this.
https://www.investmentmonitor.ai/features/digital-sovereignty-fibre-optic-cables-snowden-and-a-fractured-global-ecosystem-1/
5. After Super Bowl Ad, US Consumers Rethink the Tradeoffs of Home
Surveillance Tech
A Super Bowl ad for Amazon's Ring doorbell camera touting the ability of
the device's new Search Party feature to locate lost dogs has spurred
widespread backlash. Sentiment around widely used home surveillance
tools is souring as high-profile cases reveal just how deeply law
enforcement can tap the data they generate.
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/doorbell-cams-and-surveillance-tech-face-growing-public-backlash
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### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
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1. UN: Concerns over Cuba’s Deepening Economic Crisis
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed deep concern
regarding Cuba’s deepening socio-economic crisis amid a decades-long
financial and trade embargo, extreme weather events, and recent U.S.
measurements restricting oil shipments. Besides the increasingly severe
impact on human rights and access to basic services, such as water, it
is affecting communications and access to information.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2026/02/concerns-over-cubas-deepening-economic-crisis
2. Secret Documents Reveal Russia’s Cross-Continental Disinformation
Campaign
A major investigation into an unprecedented data leak by Forbidden
Stories exposes Russia's foreign influence strategy across three
continents. The leak shows that journalists and publications were being
paid to spread disinformation on behalf of the Kremlin through a network
of experts known as The Company. In this video, FRANCE 24's Jean-Emile
Jammine speaks with Forbidden Stories journalist Lea Peruchon about the
revelations so far.
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260214-secret-documents-reveal-russia-s-cross-continental-disinformation-campaign
The full investigation can be found here:
https://forbiddenstories.org/propaganda-machine-secret-documents-reveal-russias-foreign-influence-strategy-across-three-continents/
3. Fresh Cyberespionage Operation Tied to Iranian Surveillance
A new malware campaign appears to be tied to the Iranian regime's
violent suppression of recent street protests, and possibly aimed at
monitoring dissidents abroad. The campaign involves malicious archive
files and a report written in Farsi that talks favorably about the
protests and repeats popular protest slogans such as "death to the
dictator," said threat researchers at cybersecurity firm Acronis.
https://www.govinfosecurity.com/fresh-cyberespionage-operation-tied-to-iranian-surveillance-a-30771
4. In the US, Cops Are Buying ‘GeoSpy’, an AI That Geolocates Photos in
Seconds
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) and the Los Angeles Police
Department (LAPD) have bought access to GeoSpy, an AI tool that can near
instantly geolocate a photo using clues in the image such as
architecture and vegetation, with plans to use it in criminal
investigations, according to a cache of internal police emails obtained
by 404 Media.
https://www.404media.co/cops-are-buying-geospy-ai-that-geolocates-photos-in-seconds/
5. Users of Discord, Reddit, Compelled to Use Biometric ID System Backed
by Palantir Co-Founder Peter Thiel
Peter Thiel, co-founder of surveillance and data analytics company
Palantir, is a major investor in Persona – the age verification provider
used by major platforms including Reddit and Discord. The Open Rights
Group in the UK are calling for the right to choose between multiple
accredited age verification providers; non-biometric alternatives
wherever possible; full transparency over who processes biometric data
and how its used; and clear limits on retention, model training use and
onward sharing.
https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/roblox-reddit-and-discord-users-compelled-to-use-biometric-id-system-backed-by-palantir-co-founder-peter-thiel/
6. Spain Sends Prosecutors after X, Meta and TikTok over AI Abuse Claims
The Spanish government has ordered prosecutors to investigate social
media platforms X, Meta and TikTok for allegedly spreading AI-generated
child sexual abuse material. The announcement comes as European
regulators are cracking down on big tech companies, alleging the
prevalence of abusive practices on online platforms ranging from
anti-competitive behaviour in digital advertising to deliberate design
of addictive features on social media.
https://cybernews.com/privacy/spain-prosecutors-x-meta-tiktok-ai-abuse-claims/
7. Kazakhstan’s New Constitution and Digital Rights
In an interview with Jibek Joly TV, deputy of Kazakhstan, Ekaterina
Smyshlyayeva, explains how the draft of the new constitution protects
personal data, digital identity, and intellectual property at the
constitutional level, and what these changes mean for citizens and
businesses.
https://qazinform.com/news/new-constitution-strengthens-digital-rights-says-ekaterina-smyshlyayeva-b5bf00
8. In the US, Ring and Flock Safety Cancel Partnership Amidst
Surveillance Criticism
Ring and surveillance company Flock Safety have cancelled their
partnership, which planned to make it easier for police to access
footage from users' personal cameras. This comes less than a week after
Ring's widely criticised Super Bowl ad drew further attention to the
concerning privacy implications of its home security system.
https://mashable.com/article/ring-camera-flock-partnership-cancelled-ice-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
Digital Rights Social
February 19, 2026 @ 14 UTC
TCU's Mattermost
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Community_Updates
Digital Rights Social / Focus: Building Autonomous Infrastructure
March 19, 2026 @ 14 UTC
TCU's Mattermost
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Community_Update
Palestine Digital Activism Forum (PDAF) 2026
March 30 to 31, 2026
https://pdaf.net/about-theme
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/
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
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/
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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Digital Freedom Fund
Deadline: February 17
https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/
- 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
Digital Spark Call: Eastern Europe and Central Asia Digital Democracy
Deadline is February 23, 2026
https://metamorphosis.org.mk/en/aktivnosti_arhiva/call-for-grants-digital-spark/
Nigeria’s Digital Rights Litigation Surgery Program
February 25, 2026
https://digicivic.org/call-for-applications-to-the-digital-rights-litigation-surgery-drls/
Countering Mis and Disinformation in Zambian Elections
Deadline: February 27, 2026
http://web.civicus.org/DDI-Zambia
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
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
www.digitalrights.community
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