Digital Rights Weekly | January 26 to 30
Team CommUNITY
team at digitalrights.community
Thu Jan 29 15:33:56 CET 2026
Hello Digital Rights Defenders!
Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of January 26 to 30. 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
Community Resources
Digital Rights in the Wider World
Events Calendar
Grants, Fellowships, & Awards
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### TCU ###
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1. Don’t Forget to Apply for the Global Gathering and Equity Fund
Soon!!! Contact Us If You Encounter Issues
The Global Gathering will take place in Portugal from September 4-6. Get
your ticket soon! If you encounter any issues, feel free to reach out to
us at team at digitalrights.community For those applying for Equity Fund,
you must apply for a ticket first.
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. Numerous Journalists Targeted in Attack via Signal Messenger
An unknown attacker is attempting to gain targeted access to the Signal
accounts of journalists and activists through a phishing attack.
Netzpolitik explains how the attack works and how you can protect
yourself from it. Please note that the article is in German.
https://netzpolitik.org/2026/phishing-angriff-zahlreiche-journalistinnen-im-visier-bei-attacke-ueber-signal-messenger/
2. Applications for the 2nd Cycle of the DemocráTICa Fund are OPEN until
February 6th!
The DemocráTICa Fund offers financial support of up to USD 3,000 for
projects that strengthen inclusive digital democracy in Latin America
and the Caribbean. Supported initiatives may focus on areas such as:
Digital infrastructure, Digital transformation, Inclusion and access,
Technological innovation, Digital advocacy and civic engagement.
DemocráTICa is a regional program that supports pro-democracy
initiatives through funding, digital capacity building, and community to
protect human rights and expand civic space in Latin America and the
Caribbean. Deadline is February 6.
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
3. Meta Must Pushback on the Vietnamese Government’s Censorship Demands
International human rights organizations and Vietnamese Facebookers have
called on Mark Zuckerberg to reverse Meta’s recent geo-blocking of
Facebook pages belonging to pro-democracy activists and civil society
voices in Vietnam, and to address the inconsistent enforcement of Meta’s
own community standards. The joint letter calls for urgent actions to
uphold Meta’s stated commitment to free expression and to stop enabling
political repression by an authoritarian regime. The letter was sent on
January 13
https://viettan.org/en/meta-must-pushback-on-the-vietnamese-governments-censorship-demands/
4. Civil Society Launches People’s Consultation on AI
A new civil society initiative in Canada has been launched, in response
to the government’s failure to provide a meaningful consultation process
during the development of a national AI strategy in October 2025.
https://www.peoplesaiconsultation.ca/news-updates/
5. Uganda Blocked Social Media Following 2026 General Election
Last week, Ugandans were disconnected from the internet when they went
to the polls for the country’s 2026 general elections. Access to the
internet was shut down in Uganda between 13th to 18th January 2026,
including election day (January 15th). But OONI data shows that once
internet access was restored, access to specific social media and
instant messaging apps – WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X –
was blocked in Uganda.
https://explorer.ooni.org/findings/352623460000
6. Charities Urged to Address ‘Self-Censorship’ Within the Sector
At an event in London this past month – called Don’t Be Silenced,
Protecting Our Right to Campaign – sector leaders were asked whether
charities were prevented by cautious trustees, funders and regulators
from showing solidarity with other organisations. Speaking on a panel,
co-executive director of Greenpeace Areeba Hamid said some censorship of
charities was “self-made” and encouraged sector leaders to “lean into”
discussions with trustees and funders over campaigning activity.
https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/charities-urged-to-address-self-censorship-within-the-sector.html
_________________________________________
### 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
+ Junior Full Stack Developer, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
- Remote
+ Research Officer in the Area of Spyware and Digital Targeted
Threats, Citizen Lab
- Canada
Note: deadline is next week
+ Digital Protection Editor for Security-in-a-Box, Frontline Defenders
- Remote
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### Community Resources ###
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1. Don't Delete Art - A New Collaborative Project
Check out this collaborative project focused on visual artists facing
censorship online. Part of their work includes taking censorship
reports, advocating for the inclusion of artistic perspectives in
content moderation enforcement and platform policy design, maintaining a
gallery on their website of art censored online, and engaging in
advocacy initiatives. This year for example, they will be collaborating
with the original Free The Nipple campaign to draw attention to bias in
how bodies in art are censored online, and how the effects impact not
just artists, but the art world at large.
https://dontdelete.art/
2. Mandated Code: Governments’ Stealth Assault on Digital Privacy
Smartphones have become extensions of our lives, granting access to
cameras, microphones, GPS, message histories, files, calendars, and
contacts. Governments worldwide are increasingly requiring pre-installed
software on these devices, creating tools for pervasive tracking,
content restriction, and exclusion from services. This trend,
accelerating in 2025 and 2026, threatens privacy and free expression by
embedding state power directly into personal technology.
https://www.webpronews.com/mandated-code-governments-stealth-assault-on-digital-privacy/
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### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
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1. UpScrolled, Backed by the Tech for Palestine Incubator, Passes TikTok
in Apple Store this Week
Social media app UpScrolled, backed by the Tech for Palestine incubator,
ranked among the 10 free apps on the Apple Store this past week, and
number two among social network apps. The app launched last July,
supports text posts, photos, short-form videos, stories and other
features. It claims to be a platform with “no censorship” and “no
shadowbans.”
Founder and CEO, Issam Hijazi, a Palestinian-Australian, spoke to Rest
of World, sharing “I worked for big tech companies. And then the
genocide began. I couldn’t take it anymore. I lost family members in
Gaza, and I didn't want to be complicit… I found this gap in the market,
with lots of people asking why there is no alternative to the Big Tech
platforms for their content.”
https://restofworld.org/2026/upscrolled-tiktok-competitor-palestine-censorship/
2. WhatsApp Rolls Out New Protections to Shield High-Risk Users, Harden
App Against State-Level Spyware
WhatsApp is rolling out new safety features and security controls aimed
primarily at high-risk users — journalists, activists, and public
figures who are vulnerable to spyware and targeted surveillance. The aim
is thwarting sophisticated zero-clicks attacks.
https://www.webpronews.com/whatsapps-new-fortress-inside-the-strategic-push-to-harden-the-app-against-state-level-spyware/
Called Strict Account Settings will be rolled out gradually over the
coming weeks. To see whether you have the option—and to enable it—go to
Settings > Privacy > Advanced.
https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2026/01/whatsapp-rolls-out-new-protections-against-advanced-exploits-and-spyware
3. UN Warns of Rising Internet Shutdowns as Digital Blackouts Spread
Worldwide
In a statement issued this week, UNESCO said governments are
increasingly cutting internet access during protests, elections and
times of crisis, despite the central role online connectivity plays in
democratic participation and the exercise of basic rights. The agency
noted that 2024 was the worst year on record for internet shutdowns
since 2016, citing data from the civil society monitoring group Access
Now. It warned that the trend has continued into 2026, with blanket
shutdowns already imposed in several countries facing major
demonstrations or electoral processes.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166813
4. Iran’s Internet Shutdown Signals a New Stage of Digital Isolation
On 8 January 2026, the Iranian regime shut off all internet services,
beginning one of the most extensive internet shutdowns ever recorded.
Iran has weaponized digital blackouts in reaction to protests in the
past, most notably in 2019 and 2022. Yet this latest blackout is far
more severe and sophisticated than previous ones and targets even the
domestic Iranian intranet. The widespread blackout reflects the Iranian
regime’s dangerous embrace of digital isolation as a long-term strategy
of repression. Internet monitor Filterwatch asserts that Iran is now
aiming for ‘absolute digital isolation’; completely cutting off the
country from global platforms, and allowing access to the global
internet only for those with security clearance
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/01/irans-internet-shutdown-signals-new-stage-digital-isolation
Approximately 50,000 Starlink terminals smuggled into Iran since 2022
provide alternative connectivity. The government claims to have disabled
40,000 connections, but others persist through firmware updates.
https://boingboing.net/2026/01/26/irans-blackout-is-a-test-for-permanent-two-tier-internet.html
A report published by Time magazine says the number of fatalities in the
Iran protests may exceed 30,000, according to two senior Iranian health
officials it spoke to.
https://time.com/7357635/more-than-30000-killed-in-iran-say-senior-officials/
5. Surge for Emergency Support for DRC Journalists and Fear of Covering
Security and Human Rights
CPJ has seen a surge in journalists’ requests for emergency support,
reflecting an increasingly difficult media environment over the last 12
months. In interviews, 20 journalists told CPJ that violence, threats,
detention, and censorship had worsened since the rebel advance began a
year ago, forcing many to flee within the DRC and abroad. Journalists
have also shared that they prefer not to disseminate information related
to human rights and security violations out of fear.
https://cpj.org/2026/01/threats-exile-censorship-drc-journalists-besieged-in-year-of-rebel-rule/
6. Pakistani Court Jails Rights Activist and Husband for 10 Years for
“Anti-State” Posts
A Pakistani court has jailed a prominent rights activist and her husband
for 10 years over “anti-state” social media posts, just one day after
their arrest. Imaan Mazari, a 32-year-old lawyer and vocal critic of
Pakistan’s military, and her husband, fellow lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha,
will have to remain in jail for 10 years. They were handed prison terms
on charges of “cyber terrorism” and “intentional dissemination of false
and fake information”. Mazari is the daughter of Pakistan’s former
minister for human rights, Shireen Mazari.
https://www.digitaljournal.com/world/pakistani-court-jails-rights-activist-and-husband-for-10-years/article
7. European Rights Groups Push for Full EU Ban on Commercial Spyware
European digital rights movement EDRi is calling on the political
leaders of EU Member States to implement a full ban on spyware in the
European Union. According to the advocacy group, spyware continues to
spread across Europe — numerous spyware scandals that have occurred in
various European countries over the past few years, including Cyprus,
France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia,
Spain, and the United Kingdom. In these cases, commercially available
spyware, such as Pegasus and Predator, was used to illegally target
journalists, political opponents, human rights defenders, migrants, or
business leaders.
https://cybernews.com/security/european-rights-groups-push-full-eu-ban-commercial-spyware-pegasus-/
8. Palantir: Why is the Israel-linked Surveillance Firm Embedded in
Britain's NHS?
The UK has been facing growing pressure over its decision to award large
government contracts to Palantir Technologies. Partially funded by the
CIA at its inception, the company has faced heavy scrutiny after
receiving a £330 million ($413m) contract with NHS England in 2023,
which is up for renewal in 2027. It was also recently awarded a £240
million deal with the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) in December,
three times more than a previous contract signed in 2022. Medical
professionals, lawyers and activists express concern over the tech
giant's government contracts given ties to US immigration and Israeli
surveillance operations.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palantir-why-israel-linked-surveillance-firm-embedded-britains-nhs
9. Finland Hopes to Prevent Cable Damage with New Surveillance Centre
Finland's Border Guard hopes to prevent damage to critical undersea
infrastructure in the Gulf of Finland with a maritime surveillance
centre it plans to set up in cooperation with other Baltic Sea states
and the EU Commission. The Baltic Sea region has been on high alert
after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages
since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The most recent incident occurred
on New Year's Eve when Finnish authorities seized a cargo vessel en
route from Russia to Israel on suspicion of sabotaging an undersea
telecoms cable.
https://www.reuters.com/world/finland-teams-up-with-eu-baltic-sea-states-enhance-undersea-infrastructure-2026-01-26/
10. Gavin Newsom Says He’s Investigating TikTok Over Alleged Censorship
California Governor Gavin Newsom, has announced that he is investigating
whether TikTok is violating state law by suppressing political content
critical of President Donald Trump. He has directed state officials to
review whether the platform engaged in viewpoint-based moderation after
reports that certain posts were hidden or received zero engagement.
https://reclaimthenet.org/california-investigates-tiktok-trump-censorship-claims
_____________________________________
### 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
Archive and Resist Conclave
January 26-27
Dhaka
https://archivecon.activaterights.org
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
January 22, 2026 Digital Rights Social
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/
RightCon 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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Datafication & Democracy Fund: Deadline January 30
Deadline: January 30th.
https://globalsouthalliance.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GSA-2025-Call-from-the-Datafication-and-Democracy-Fund.pdf
Digital Rights Fund in the West Asia and North Africa
Deadline January 31, 2026
https://smex.org/digital-rights-fund-in-the-west-asia-and-north-africa/
Dr Goodluck Jonathan Freedom of Information Awards 2026
Deadline: January 31, 2026.
https://mediarightsagenda.org/media-rights-agenda-invites-entries-from-journalists-for-goodluck-jonathan-foi-awards-2026/
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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Team CommUNITY at ARTICLE 19
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