Digital Rights Weekly | March 23 to 27
Team CommUNITY
team at digitalrights.community
Fri Mar 27 16:57:05 CET 2026
Hello Digital Rights Defenders!
Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of March 23 to 27. 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
__________________________________________
### TCU ###
__________________________________________
1. Open Call for Global Gathering Proposals
Check out this year’s themes and let us know what discussions and topics
you want to see at this year’s Gathering. While we will be approving
proposals on a rolling basis until June 30, we encourage you to submit
your proposals as soon as possible. Please note, only participants whose
applications to join the GG have been approved can submit a proposal. To
avoid missing out, make sure you request a ticket ASAP.
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Global_Gathering_2026
2. Equity Fund Update
We have begun approving folks for the Equity Fund; however, some
applicants are on the waitlist as we continue to fundraise to support
the numerous EF requests we have received this year. As always, please
reach out if you need any support for your visa or security plan — we
have an entire team that can support you.
__________________________________________
### Community News ###
__________________________________________
1. Souped-up VPNs play 'Cat and Mouse' Game with Iran Censors
Iranians are managing to get online during the current war with the US
and Israel despite drastic censorship and frequent blackouts, throwing
the spotlight on providers of tools such as VPNs (virtual private
networks). In this interview, Adam Fisk, head of Lantern, which offers
an advanced VPN, shares how Lantern and similar apps can get around such
heavy-handed blocking.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/souped-vpns-play-cat-and-mouse-game-iran-censors
2. Summer School in Digital Human Rights | Deadline April 15
The Faculty of Law and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights
at the University of Lund will be hosting a Summer School in Digital
Human Rights, which will take place in Lund, Sweden from June 22-26,
2026. It will be a residential, advanced, and intensive course on the
application of international human rights law in the digital age, taught
by diverse experts. Because it is an advanced course, applicants are
required to have sufficient background knowledge of human rights law and
public international law. There is no course fee, and six nights of
accommodation will be provided free of charge to international students.
They are also offering a limited number of travel grants. The deadline
is April 15th.
https://www.law.lu.se/study/summer-school-digital-human-rights
3. OpenMedia Summer Fellowship 2026 | Deadline April 19
OpenMedia is looking for six passionate changemakers to join their
Summer Fellowship 2026 cohort. It’s a three-month deep dive into the
heart of digital rights, advocacy, and community power. Individuals
should be based in Canada and can be students, recent graduates, or
emerging advocates. They are especially looking for folks that have a
vision for Canada’s AI future.
https://openmedia.org/article/item/openmedia-summer-fellowship-2026-next-gen-policy-changemakers-wanted
4. Deadlines Approaching for Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF) Grants
ISF increases American Muslim representation in media and government.
The deadline of two of their grants is approaching: Scholarship
Application on March 31, which funds undergraduate and graduate students
studying policy, public interest law, media and film. The Common
Application closes on April 12, and is for any individual interested in
their financially supported internship and fellowship programs in law,
media, and policy.
https://islamicscholarshipfund.submittable.com/submit/344726/2026-isf-common-application-internships-fellowships-law-policy-media
https://islamicscholarshipfund.submittable.com/submit/344726/2026-isf-common-application-internships-fellowships-law-policy-media
5. 44 Digital Commons Projects Selected for NGI Zero Grants
NLnet announces the projects that have been selected to become
beneficiaries of the NGI Zero Common Fund. Funded projects range from.
The open source projects span the full technology stack, from hardware
to data, AI, all contributing to a more open and resilient digital commons
https://nlnet.nl/news/2026/20260302-announce-commons-fund.html
6. Data Centers & Democracy: How US Policymakers Push Back on April 8
Join Rights x Tech (RxT) on April 8, 2026 for a conversation exploring
how US policy makers are organizing in response to rapid data center
expansions and developments, while facing unprecedented pressure to
balance economic growth with community welfare. The conversation will be
rooted in practical policy work that explores how elected officials are
building momentum and developing replicable policy solutions from the
ground up. The conversation will also explore how communities can work
together with policy makers to both resist harmful development and
create governance frameworks that center care, shared power, and
democratic accountability. Registration is required
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rxt-data-centers-democracy-how-policymakers-push-back-tickets-1984908054423
7. Bangladesh’s Post-Uprising Battle Against Disinformation
Check out this interview with Shoeb Abdullah, co-founder of Activate
Rights, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting digital rights
in Bangladesh, and co-founder of the Bangladesh Protest Archive, which
documented evidence of state violence and civil resistance during the
July 2024 uprising. Shoeb examines the evolving role of digital
platforms following the uprising, their dual function in enabling
mobilisation and amplifying disinformation, the cross-border narratives
that shaped public perception, the risks faced by minority communities,
and the limited response of social media platforms.
https://www.csohate.org/2026/03/19/bangladesh-uprising-disinformation/
8. New Digital Asia Report on 2026 Thailand Election
A new report, “Information Disorders and Online Attacks in the 2026
Thailand General Election,” examines recent developments in
disinformation and coordinated online attacks during the 2026 election.
Published by Digital Asia, the report also examines the public
referendum to amend the 2017 Constitution.
https://digitalreach.asia/publications-and-resources/information-disorders-and-online-attacks-in-the-2026-thailand-general-election/
9. Feminist Internet Research Network Launches 10 Research Reports on
Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)
The Feminist Internet Research Network (FIRN) launched 10 TFGBV research
reports. The reports range from analysis on online dating apps among
students to experiences in different regions and demographics. Read the
reports here:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/feminist-internet-research-network-launches-10-groundbreaking-research-reports-technology
10. Nicole Ozer Named as Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Executive Director
Nicole Ozer has been appointed as executive director of the Electronic
Frontier Foundation effective June 1. Ozer is a legal expert on privacy
and surveillance, artificial intelligence, and digital speech. She
currently serves as the inaugural executive director of the Center for
Constitutional Democracy at the University of California College of the
Law in San Francisco. From 2004-2025, she was founding director of the
Technology and Civil Liberties Program at the American Civil Liberties
Union of Northern California. Ozer will succeed Cindy Cohn, who has been
with EFF for more than 25 years and served as its executive director
since 2015.
https://www.eff.org/press/releases/nicole-ozer-named-electronic-frontier-foundations-executive-director
_________________________________________
### 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
+ Operations Associate, Knight-Georgetown Institute
- Washington DC
+ Privacy Analyst, City of New York
- New York
+ Senior Digital Support Strategist, ACLU
- New York
+ Digital Safety Trainer, IREX
- Remote
+ Physical Security Safety Trainer, IREX
- Remote
+ Security Project Implementation Expert, IREX
- Remote
+ Psychosocial Safety Trainer, IREX
- Remote
+ Head, Digital and Frontier Technologies, United Nations University
- New York
+ Signal, Director of Major Major Gifts
- Remote
+ Senior Product Manager / Head of Product, Brightlines
- Remote US/Canada
+ Several Internships, Global Forum for Media Development
- Remote
+ Customer Success Lead - Parental Cover (d/w/m), Open Sanctions
- Globally Remote
______________________________________
### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
______________________________________
1. Africa Pours $2 Billion into Controversial Chinese Surveillance Tech
Eleven African countries have collectively spent over $2 billion on
artificial intelligence-powered surveillance systems, according to a new
study by the U.K.-based Institute of Development Studies and the African
Digital Rights Network. Several components of these surveillance tools
have been purchased from China, and private Chinese banks have provided
the funds needed to build and maintain this infrastructure, the study said.
https://restofworld.org/2026/africa-china-ai-surveillance/
2. India Looks to Empower More Ministries to Block Social Media Content
India’s Centre may soon allow the ministries of Home Affairs, External
Affairs, Defence, and Information and Broadcasting to issue content
blocking orders to social media platforms under Section 69 (A) of the
Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, a power currently only available
to the IT Ministry. This will impact tech platforms like Instagram,
Facebook and YouTube which may start receiving blocking orders from a
wide range of government agencies.
https://indianexpress.com/article/business/centre-looks-to-empower-more-ministries-to-block-social-media-content-10587612/?ref=static.internetfreedom.in
3. Rights Groups Fear Use of Arrest to Stifle Free Speech in Pakistan
Mavra Bari had intended to take part in a march for International
Women's Day in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, but spent it in a
cramped prison cell. Over 30 other women, men, and children were also
held. Human rights monitors have repeatedly voiced concern about the
increasing use of arrest to stifle free speech and peaceful assembly in
Pakistan.
https://www.enca.com/lifestyle/rights-groups-fear-use-arrest-stifle-free-speech-pakistan
4. How the FBI Can Conduct Mass Surveillance – Even Without AI
Anthropic fought against the government’s misuse of its technology, but
authorities are buying Americans’ data, enabling them to surveil
citizens at scale. Privacy advocates, researchers and journalists have
long documented how information from data brokers can be used to
determine private details of citizens without their knowledge, including
sensitive personal data such as health conditions and precise locations.
In 2019, the New York Times used a large set of smartphone location data
to demonstrate how easy it was to track and determine the identity of
almost anyone using this ostensibly anonymized data – in one case
identifying a senior defense department official and his wife based on
their daily movements.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/21/fbi-mass-surveillance-data-artificial-intelligence
5. Hong Kong Police Can Demand Phone and Computer Passwords Under
Amended National Security Law
Hong Kong police can now demand that people suspected of breaching the
city’s national security law provide mobile phone or computer passwords
in a further crackdown on dissent.
The amendments to the law also empower customs officers to seize items
that are deemed to have “seditious intention”, regardless of whether any
person has been arrested for an offence endangering national security
because of the items.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/24/hong-kong-phone-passwords-national-security-law
6. Russia Pushes Unencrypted Super-App Max on Citizens, While Citizens
Turn to Old School Technology
Russia is pushing its unencrypted Max messenger app on citizens while
blocking WhatsApp and Telegram, raising surveillance concerns among
critics and digital rights groups.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/03/23/russia-pushes-unencrypted-super-app-max-on-citizens-amid-whatsapp-telegram-blocks
Throughout March, people in Moscow found themselves without connectivity
on their phones due to internet outages created by the government.
Certain websites and apps, including government portals and banking
services, remain accessible through ‘whitelists’. Internet disruptions
are causing massive headaches and causing citizens to turn to more
low-tech options. Sales of walkie-talkies “increased by 27%, sales of
pagers for communication with clients and staff by 73%, and landline
telephones by about a quarter.
https://theweek.com/world-news/moscow-censorship-whitelist-internet-blackout-war-ukraine
7. VOA Staffers Sue over Trumpian 'Propaganda' and 'Censorship'
Voice of America staffers and free-expression groups filed a federal
lawsuit on Monday stating that Kari Lake turned their “once-respected”
news organization into a vehicle of “pro-Trump propaganda” and “censorship.”
https://www.allrisenews.com/p/voa-staffers-trump-propaganda-north-korea
8. Serbian Media and Justice Actors Step Up Co-operation to Strengthen
Privacy Protection Online
Following a two-day Council of Europe event focused on legal standards
and practical responses to emerging privacy challenges, judges, lawyers,
media regulators, data protection authorities, and journalists agreed to
improve co-operation on privacy protection in Serbia’s digital media
environment.
______________________________________
### Community Resources ###
______________________________________
1. Malaysia’s Approach to Digital Justice: Internet Access as a Human Right
A key component of the Malaysian expansion of internet access is
Jendela: an infrastructure plan, launched in 2020, that extended 4G
coverage to more than 96% of populated areas by the end of 2022. The
plan’s second phase intends to guarantee 5G access to all populated
areas and deliver gigabit broadband to nine million properties. Although
internet access has increased in Malaysia, protections for digital
rights are still lacking. A 2023 Freedom House report concludes that the
government censors content under ambiguous laws, blocks news websites,
and prosecutes online speech.
https://www.openglobalrights.org/malaysias-approach-to-digital-justice-internet-access-as-a-human-right/
2. Transgender Rights Through India’s Digital Governance Lens
India’s rapid digital transformation has reshaped how citizens interact
with the state. Access to welfare, entitlements, healthcare, education,
financial services, and identity verification is increasingly mediated
through biometric databases, online portals, digital health platforms,
and integrated service delivery systems.
https://newsmeter.in/interviews/whose-citizenship-counts-transgender-rights-through-indias-digital-governance-lens-765018
By prioritising control and surveillance over access and dignity,
India’s digital welfare systems exclude many from basic rights to food,
work, and education.
https://idronline.org/article/rights/indias-digital-welfare-system-is-quietly-eroding-peoples-basic-rights/
3. Kenya’s Digital Justice: How Online Outrage Punishes the Powerful
Where the State Fails
Executive Director of Open Future Hub, Maliba Arnold Nyajayi, reflects
on how Kenyans are using social media to mete out accountability where
the state has failed. Nyajayi explores the ethical tension between
improvised justice and mercy, warning that while online outrage signals
governance failure, it also underscores the urgent need for formal
mechanisms that balance accountability with shared humanity.
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/kenya/kenya-s-digital-justice-how-online-outrage-punishes-the-powerful-where-the-state-fails/ar-AA1XmpUS
_____________________________________
### 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
Palestine Digital Activism Forum (PDAF) 2026
March 30 to 31, 2026
https://pdaf.net/about-theme
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/
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
__________________________________________
### Grants, Fellowships, & Awards ###
__________________________________________
Mozambique Grants
Deadline: March 31, 2026
https://www.icnl.org/wp-content/uploads/vf_Mozambique-Call-for-Proposals.pdf
Nepal Grants
Deadline: Rolling basis until April 15, 2026.
https://www.icnl.org/wp-content/uploads/Nepal-Call-for-Proposals_March-2026_final.pdf
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
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
InDiCo-Global. Deadline
Deadline: June 30, 2026
https://indico-global-grants.eu/indico-global-third-open-call
__________________________________________
### Know someone that wants to subscribe to our newsletter? ###
They can sign up here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter
### Want to partner with us?###
If you have any questions or want to learn more about partnerships, get
in touch at team at digitalrights.community. We are always looking for
like-minded organizations and people.
(((Hugs & light)))
--
Team CommUNITY at ARTICLE 19
www.digitalrights.community
PGP: 2E1D CC33 A362 0BD6 236E 540A F60A 89AD 6FF9 7A2F
You can now submit your news for the Digital Rights weekly directly.
To post your job opportunities, submit your opportunities to our Job Board.
Keep up with the latest news and opportunities on our other platforms:
TCU BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/teamcommunity.bsky.social
TCU LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamcommunity
TCU Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalrightscommunity
More information about the Festival
mailing list