Digital Rights Weekly | July 6 to July 10

Tue Jul 14 15:58:49 CEST 2026

Hello Digital Rights Defenders!

Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the 
week of July 6 to July 10 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:

Community News
NEW Job Opportunities
Digital Rights in the Wider World
Community Resources
Events Calendar
Grants, Fellowships, & Awards
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### Community News ###
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1. Digital Rights Groups Urge EU to Act Now on Spyware

On July 6, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined over 30 partners 
in calling on the European Union to address the abuse of spyware in 
Europe. The statement followed a forensic analysis by Citizen Lab that 
revealed how Stelios Kouloglou, former Member of the European Parliament 
and investigative journalist, was targeted and infected with Pegasus 
spyware in 2022 and 2023. The targeting also took place while Kouloglou 
was a member of the former European Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry to 
investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA 
Committee).

https://cpj.org/2026/07/cpj-partners-urge-eu-to-act-now-on-spyware/

2. Developments in Internet Censorship and Restrictions in Russia

Check out Amnezia’s June digest, where they cover new Russian website 
blocks, legislative initiatives, and mobile internet shutdowns across 
various regions. The digest also covers VPN restrictions and new user 
authorization requirements, plans for a state-run VPN and the expansion 
of traffic filtering technologies. They argue that these previously 
fragmented measures are gradually evolving into a systematic model of 
state control over the Russian internet.

https://amnezia.org/blog/amnezia-shutdown-digest-june-2026-russia

3. Guardian Op-Ed by CitizenLab: AI Surveillance is Being Supercharged – 
and It Will Chill Social Progress

In the near future, AI-powered surveillance systems will be able to 
track everything we do in public, and much of what we do in private. And 
if we do something wrong – shoplift, litter, jaywalk, you name it – the 
system will notice, retain it, tie it to your official government 
record, communicate that fact to you, and provide real-time alerts to 
any relevant authorities…and maybe also to the general public. Think of 
these systems as automated speed cameras, but on steroids. Only they’ll 
enforce not just speed limits, but any other rule you can imagine. And 
you won’t receive a ticket weeks later by mail; you’ll be informed about 
and fined for your violation immediately.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/06/ai-surveillance-policy

4. New Report: Mapping New Child Safety and Age Verification Laws

Skyline International for Human Rights has published a report mapping 
new child safety and age verification laws being proposed or introduced 
across Morocco, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, Tunisia, and Lebanon. The UAE 
has gone furthest with a law banning under-15s from social media 
entirely since June 2026, while the other five countries have bills or 
committees still in progress. The report's main finding is that none of 
these countries have built an independent body able to refuse government 
requests for the data these laws would collect, and none involved 
children or young people in drafting them. It also flags that several 
countries have data protection laws with security exemptions or missing 
enforcement rules meaning age verification could end up functioning as 
identity verification for going online at all rather than real child 
protection.

https://skylineforhuman.org/en/news/details/930/child-safety-and-age-verification-laws-in-swana-protection-on-paper-risk-in-practice

5. Spyware and Digital Surveillance Targeting Women in Uganda

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET), with support from APC, have published 
a report exploring the growing threat of spyware and digital 
surveillance targeting women in Uganda, particularly journalists, human 
rights defenders, activists, lawyers, and women leaders. Based on 
interviews and testimonies from women in public-facing roles, the study 
documents how digital surveillance is used to intimidate, silence, and 
restrict women’s participation in civic and political life.

https://www.apc.org/en/pubs/spyware-and-digital-surveillance-targeting-women-uganda

6. Cinemata Named in UN Special Rapporteur's Final Report on Freedom of 
Expression

Cinemata, the Asia-Pacific civic media platform managed by EngageMedia, 
has been named in the final report of UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom 
of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan as an example of an emerging 
alternative to the monopolistic grip of commercial platforms on global 
information spaces.

https://www.apc.org/en/news/cinemata-named-un-special-rapporteurs-final-report-freedom-expression

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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

+ Conflict Operations Editor, NYTCO
- London, UK

+ Membership Associate, Shipping and Fulfillment, The Calyx Institute
- Brooklyn, NY

+ Director of Training & Content, Personified Tech
- Remote US

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### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
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1. Greek Victims File Lawsuit Against Intellexa Over Predator Spyware

Eight Greeks who were snooped on by Predator spyware sued the 
surveillance tech manufacturer Intellexa on Tuesday, as well as 13 
individuals tied to the company. The victims are asking for about €7.6 
million ($8.7 million) total in compensation, their lawyer Zacharias 
Kesses told a local news outlet. The damages are sought to make up “for 
the moral damage suffered by the victims from the illegal violation of 
their privacy, the confidentiality of their communications and their 
personal data” due to the confirmed presence of spyware on their 
devices, Kesses said in a statement provided to the Greek outlet 
Ekathimerini.

https://therecord.media/greek-victims-file-lawsuit-against-intellexa-spyware

2. UK Targets Nigeria’s Digital Economy with Reforms

The United Kingdom has stepped up efforts to deepen its engagement with 
Nigeria’s digital economy, unveiling a package of state-level reforms 
and investment-focused initiatives aimed at expanding broadband access, 
strengthening regulatory frameworks and accelerating digital inclusion. 
The initiatives are being implemented under the UK’s Digital Access 
Programme which was announced during the June visit to Nigeria by the UK 
minister for Africa and international development.

https://punchng.com/uk-targets-nigerias-digital-economy-with-reforms/

3. Alibaba Bans Claude Code, Classifies Anthropic Tool as High-Risk Spyware

Alibaba Group issued an internal directive ordering all employees to 
stop using Anthropic's Claude Code and uninstall all Anthropic products 
from workplace environments by July 10. The company classified Claude 
Code as "high-risk software with security vulnerabilities" after 
independent security researchers discovered that the tool had been 
covertly tracking whether users were based in China or affiliated with 
Chinese AI laboratories

https://mlq.ai/news/alibaba-bans-claude-code-classifies-anthropic-tool-as-high-risk-spyware/

4. Brazilian Cities are Building Vast Surveillance Networks

In “Brazil”, Terry Gilliam’s film about a dystopian society, 
eyeball-shaped surveillance bots hover over citizens’ shoulders, 
watching their every move. In Brazil, the country, something a bit 
similar is afoot. That’s evident in the heart of São Paulo’s historic 
centre, where a giant electronic counter known as the “prisonometer” 
records arrests attributed to Smart Sampa: a network of 50,000 cameras 
enhanced with clever tech.

https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/07/08/brazilian-cities-are-building-vast-surveillance-networks

5. European Parliament Spyware Debate Prepares to Rip Open Old Wounds

The European Parliament will hold a debate on Wednesday night following 
revelations that a former MEP, Stelios Kouloglou, was targeted with 
Pegasus spyware during the institution’s last mandate when he was 
working on a committee scrutinising the use of surveillance software. 
Last week, researchers at The Citizen Lab were able to trace infections 
on Kouloglou’s phone throughout his time on the so-called PEGA 
committee. His device was hacked multiple times with Pegasus spyware, 
once ahead of a mission to Greece, which Kouloglou helped prepare, and 
another as the committee’s draft report was being finalised.The Citizen 
Lab said they have no evidence of who might be behind the attacks at 
this stage. But the fact that an active MEP was targeted with spyware 
raises questions over the risks such software poses to independent 
democratic oversight.

https://www.euractiv.com/news/european-parliament-spyware-debate-prepares-to-rip-open-old-wounds/

In the US, Milwaukee Police Detective Charged with Misusing Flock 
Surveillance Camera, While Simultaneously Investigating Another Officer 
for Flock Misuse

A Milwaukee Police Department detective now faces charges for allegedly 
abusing the same license plate reader technology he was assigned to 
investigate another officer for misusing. Suspended MPD Detective 
Tehrangi Chapman faces two charges, including felony misconduct in 
public office, for allegedly using the department's automated license 
plate reading technology to track two people's movements around the 
city. Court records show Chapman was one of the internal affairs 
detectives who investigated former MPD Officer Josue Ayala's misuse of 
the department's Flock Safety automated license plate reader system. 
Prosecutors say Chapman did the same thing.

https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/in-your-community/milwaukee-county/milwaukee-police-detective-charged-with-misusing-flock-surveillance-cameras

Meanwhile, two senators have introduced legislation that would place 
some of the most far-reaching federal limits yet proposed on employer’s 
use of AI, automated scoring systems, and surveillance technology to 
manage workers.

https://www.biometricupdate.com/202607/us-senators-target-ai-biometric-surveillance-in-the-workplace

And in Dallas-Fort Worth, opposition mounts to police camera 
‘surveillance state.’ In December, the San Marcos City Council voted 
against renewing a contract with Flock Safety after significant 
community pushback and criticism from civil rights groups. All Flock 
cameras were removed by the beginning of February. San Marcos is one of 
over 50 municipalities to have canceled contracts with Flock in recent 
years.

https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/opposition-mounts-to-police-camera-surveillance-state-in-dallas-fort-worth-40694004/

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### Community Resources ###
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1. How Nigeria’s Spyware Acquisition Enables Illegal Wiretaps and Detentions

This ICIR investigation reveals how spyware equipment acquired by 
Nigeria’s secret police for “national security” has become an instrument 
for illegal wiretapping. Targets are monitored in secret, picked up, and 
hauled into horrible detention camps without trial dates or accountability.

https://www.icirnigeria.org/how-dss-spyware-acquisition-enables-illegal-wiretaps-and-detentions/

2. Lobbyists Unresponsive Regarding their Role in Facilitating Spyware 
Industry in Ways "That Diverge from the Public Interest"

The growing influence of spyware lobbyists poses a serious threat to 
transparency, accountability, and human rights because it allows private 
surveillance interests to shape public policy behind closed doors. These 
concerns are particularly acute in the spyware industry, given 
documented allegations and findings linking the misuse of spyware to 
serious human rights harms.

https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/lobbyists-unresponsive-regarding-their-role-in-facilitating-spyware-industry-in-ways-that-diverge-from-the-public-interest/

3. Taiwan National Security Bureau Chief Exposes China’s Surveillance 
Network, Warns Travel to China Carries High Risks

China’s implementation of the “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and 
Progress” on July 1 has drawn attention to new risks that Taiwanese 
citizens may face when traveling to China for exchanges, business, or 
tourism. Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) Director Tsai Ming-yen 
shares that in recent years, the Chinese Communist Party has continued 
to combine legal systems with digital technologies to build a 
comprehensive surveillance system, according to a report by Taipei 
Times. Tsai warned that if Taiwanese citizens become involved in matters 
governed by Chinese laws while in China, not only could their personal 
safety be affected, but information including their movements, 
consumption records, and communications data could also be incorporated 
into a national-level surveillance system.

https://www.visiontimes.com/2026/07/08/traveling-to-china-carries-high-risks-taiwan-national-security-bureau-chief-exposes-chinas-surveillance-network.html

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### 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 / 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

Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica)
September 28 to October 1
Mauritius
https://internetfreedom.africa

Trust and Safety Research Conference 2026
October 1–2, 2026
Currently accepting proposals here:
https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/trust-and-safety-research-conference

Circuit Breaker 26
October 17-18
New York
https://techworkerscoalition.org/circuit-breakers/

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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AI Accountability Fellowship from the Pulitzer Center
Deadline: July 12.
https://pulitzercenter.org/grants-fellowships/opportunities-journalists/ai-accountability-fellowships

Cross-Border Collaborative Investigations on the Impact of AI
July 22
https://www.freepressunlimited.org/en/current/grants-cross-border-collaborative-investigations-impact-ai

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