Digital Rights Weekly | April 27 - May 1
Team CommUNITY
team at digitalrights.community
Mon May 4 13:51:30 CEST 2026
Hello Digital Rights Defenders!
Here is your weekly update on digital rights around the world for the
week of April 27 - May 1. As a reminder, you can submit your news for
the newsletter here:
https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter
___________________
What is in this issue:
Special Message
TCU
Community News
NEW Job Opportunities
Digital Rights in the Wider World
Community Resources
Events Calendar
Grants, Fellowships, & Awards
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### Special Message ###
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It is incredibly difficult to organize events. The labor—both seen and
unseen—that goes into the planning throughout the year and the weeks and
days before the event is significant. For fellow event organizers at
RightsCon, we see you and send our deepest appreciation, solidarity, and
support.
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### TCU ###
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1. Register and Submit your Programming Before June 30 Deadline
This year, June 30 is the hard deadline to submit your application for a
ticket, and submit your program proposals. This is to ensure the
security and safety of the Global Gathering, which will take place on
September 4, 5 and 6 in Portugal. Make sure to check this year’s
themes, information on visa and security support, and useful tips on the
GG portal! If you need help brainstorming or have questions, please
reach out to gather at digitalrights.community.
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=2026_Global_Gathering_Programming
2. Help Support the Equity Fund!
We continue to fundraise for the Equity Fund in order to support the
numerous applicants who are on the waitlist. If your organization wants
to help bring someone to the GG, or if you have any suggestions about
funding, please let us know!!! Email us at gather at digitalrights.community.
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### Community News ###
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1. Net Rights Coalition, 132 other Digital Rights Stakeholders Endorse
Statement Condemning the Government of Zambia’s Abrupt Disruption of
RightsCon
In an April 30 statement, the Net Rights Coalition (NRC) and other
digital rights stakeholders shared that they were appalled by the
Government of Zambia’s unilateral announcement of the postponement of
RightsCon that resulted in the cancellation of the global event.
https://paradigmhq.org/press-statement-net-rights-coalition-others-condemn-disruption-of-rightscon/
Article19 also published a statement, stating that the cancellation of
the event was a blow to freedom of expression.
https://www.article19.org/resources/zambia-rightscon-cancellation-is-a-blow-to-freedom-of-expression/
2. Open Call for Interledger Fellowship Program | Deadline June 15
The Interledger Fellowship Program is a 12-month initiative supporting
individuals who are researching, advocating for, and building solutions
to help underserved populations access and meaningfully engage with
digital financial systems. Fellows receive a stipend of USD $72,000 and
a project budget of USD $20,000. Applications are now open and will be
accepted until June 15th, 2026.
https://interledger.org/grant/fellowship
3. Call for Applications: FemFirst Lab | May 15
IT for Change invites applications from South and Southeast Asia to join
the FemFirst Lab, which will incubate feminist AI prototypes that seek
to address challenges of gender equality in a manner that is
community-driven, responsive to local needs, and advances social justice
and human rights. Deadline is May 15, 2026.
https://itforchange.net/call-for-applications-femfirst-lab
4. Open Call for Applications: Human Rights Projects in Sri Lanka | May 6
The Netherlands Embassy in Sri Lanka has an open call for applications
for human rights projects that focus on the areas of Internet freedom
and independent journalism, freedom of expression, and equal rights. The
open call is only available to local non-profits. The deadline is May 6.
https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/web/sri-lanka/w/open-call-for-applications-embassy-funded-human-rights-projects-sri-lanka
5. SplinterCon Will Take Place Online
SplinterCon was set to host an event at RightsCon in Lusaka, Zambia.
Following the cancellation of RightsCon, they are moving the event to be
hosted online. It will examine how the practices and technologies of
network control are increasingly permeating African networks, and how
this trend is shaping the evolution of digital control and episodic
isolation across the continent.
https://splintercon.net/splintercon-online/#participate
6. Understanding Iran’s NEW Tiered Internet Access Plan
Iran has just approved a tiered Internet access plan, Internet Pro, that
is currently only available for businesses and authorized personnel. In
this new report, Filter Watch explains the new policy framework and
internet access plan, sharing that Iran is “entering a new era of
digital authoritarianism with the role of a long anticipated,
discriminatory system of internet access.
https://filter.watch/english/2026/04/20/nvestigative-report-april-2026-from-the-open-internet-to-internet-sovereignty/
7. Don't Ask AI, Ask a Peer
A collaboration between APC, GenderIT.org and Global Voices, the “Don’t
Ask AI, Ask A Peer” series features experts who are asked two vital
questions: Why is it vital to value human creativity and connection in
the age of AI? What could be done to create a human rights approach to
AI? The series aims to re-emphasize the importance of knowledge sharing
among people, as has been done for decades. Honoring the communal
exchange of information and expertise based on years of lived
experiences, informed by local realities, and motivated by the need to
feel connected with one another.
https://www.apc.org/en/blog/editorial-dont-ask-ai-ask-peer
8. Data Protection Guidelines for CSOs in Kenya
Kenyan civil society organizations (CSOs) must comply with the Data
Protection Act 2019 (DPA) while protecting the dignity and privacy of
the people they serve. Amnesty International Kenya, in collaboration
with the Data Privacy and Governance Society of Kenya, has developed
Data Protection Guidelines, which demystifies the DPA and provides
practical, rights-based tools for compliance. Among the many areas
covered include legal and regulatory framework for data protection,
obligations as data controllers and processors, cross-border data
transfers and Data Protection Impact Assessments, and lawful bases for
processing personal and sensitive data.
https://www.amnestykenya.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/CSO-Data-Protection-Guidelines-Final.pdf
9. State of the Fossil-Free Internet Report
In this first annual briefing by the Green Web Foundation, they examine
the biggest obstacles to a fossil-free internet. This year’s focus: the
rise of too many dirty data centres controlled by unaccountable
companies. If you work in tech or on climate, this report will help you
navigate this vital topic and highlights meaningful pathways to a just
and sustainable internet. Note, they will be hosting a free public
briefing event online on May 27, 2026.
fossilfree.greenweb.org
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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
Security Analyst, Resilience Technologies
Remote
+ Data Analyst, More in Common UK
- London
+ Paid Youth Ambassador (Training + Certification) for Youths, Flosverse
Techsphere
- Scotland
+ Political Affairs Officer, UN Regional Centre for Peace and
Disarmament in Asia & the Pacific
- Kathmandu
+ Program Director, rearc institute
- Remote Global
+ Grassroots Assistant, Women for Refugee Women
- London
+ Program Manager, Human Rights, Heising-Simons Foundation
- San Francisco
+ Movement Communications Specialist, Africa, Wikimedia Foundation
- Based in Sub Saharan Africa region
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### Digital Rights in the Wider World ###
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1. Major Russian Android Apps Know Who's Using a VPN, Digital Rights
Group Warns
The 30 most popular Android apps in Russia are now tracking on-device
VPN access, with 20 of these services actively blocking or restricting
functionality when a connection is detected, according to recent
research. The data, collected by Russian digital rights group RKS
Global, follows a separate study indicating that the state-controlled
"super-app" MAX can monitor whether users are connected to a VPN. The
shift comes as major Russian service providers were reportedly given an
April 15 deadline to begin restricting VPN users.
https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/major-russian-android-apps-know-whos-using-a-vpn-digital-rights-group-warns
Meanwhile, rolling digital blackouts in Russian cities have touched a
nerve with ordinary citizens and public pushback against Putin is emerging.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/26/europe/russia-putin-economy-repression-intl
2. Apple Fixes Bug That Let FBI Extract Deleted Signal Messages After
404 Media Coverage
Last week Apple fixed an issue that let the FBI forensically extract
copies of incoming Signal messages from a defendant’s iPhone, even after
the app had been deleted, because copies of those messages were stored
in the iPhone’s notification database. The move comes directly in
response to 404 Media’s coverage of a case in which the FBI was able to
extract a suspect’s deleted Signal messages. Apple’s fix means iPhones
should no longer save copies of deleted messages from Signal or other
apps, and Apple said the patch also purges already saved and related
notifications.
https://www.404media.co/apple-fixes-bug-that-let-fbi-extract-deleted-signal-messages-after-404-media-coverage
3. Iran Eases Internet Curbs for Businesses, Iranians Denounce Tiered
Internet Plan as Discriminatory and Corrupt
Iran has approved a temporary scheme for businesses to access the global
internet with fewer restrictions. Only a few citizens have access to
expensive and advanced VPNs that circumvent the restrictions.
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/iran-eases-internet-curbs-businesses-blackout-enters-third-month-2026-04-28/
Iranians condemned selective access to restricted internet services as
discriminatory and corrupt in messages to Iran International, urging
others to reject the scheme in recent days. Dozens of citizens described
the rollout of tiered internet, branded as “Internet Pro,” as part of a
system of inequality emerging during months of widespread connectivity
restrictions.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604300766
4. Berkeley-Trained Sudanese Refugees Use Digital Tools to Track Rights
Violations
Sudanese refugees are using open-source tools to document abuses at
home. This includes using social media, satellite imagery and other
tools to collect evidence that may someday be used in international
prosecutions. Many of the individuals that received training from the
the International Center for Transitional Justice and the UC Berkeley
Human Rights Center (HRC) were already working as journalists or on
human rights initiatives before violence drove them from the country.
HRC is known for their expertise in open-source investigations,
partnering with the United Nations to co-publish a global protocol that
was published in all the languages of the UN in 2024.
https://news.berkeley.edu/2026/04/29/as-sudan-conflict-rages-berkeley-trained-refugees-use-digital-tools-to-track-rights-violations/
5. Anti-Palantir Manifesto, American Oversight Files Suit Against US
Administration
The CEO of NymVPN has published a blistering "Anti-Palantir Manifesto"
in a fierce rebuke to Palantir’s push for militarized technology. He
urged developers to prioritize global privacy over national defense. The
feud ignited on April 18 when Palantir posted a 22-point manifesto on X
outlining its vision for a "Technological Republic".
https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/why-we-must-fight-palantir-nymvpn-ceo-shares-his-anti-palantir-manifesto
Additionally, the American Oversight filed a suit against the US
administration seeking records that would shed light on how multiple
federal agencies are accessing, sharing, and using Americans’ sensitive
personal data through systems built by Palantir.
https://americanoversight.org/palantir-data-collection-tools-foia/
EFF shares that while Palantir has a human rights policy, its ICE work
tells a different story.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/palantir-has-human-rights-policy-its-ice-work-tells-different-story
6. Your Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Don’t Have Facial Recognition Yet,
and Over 70 Privacy Advocacy Organizations Want it to Stay that Way
Over 70 organizations are asking Meta to cancel its controversial Name
Tag AI glasses feature plans — out of fear it could supercharge the
threat of stalkers and abusers. A report came out last year suggesting
that the company wants to develop an always-on AI system with the
ability to recognize people’s faces and other details of their life.
https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/your-meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses-dont-have-facial-recognition-yet-and-over-70-privacy-advocacy-organizations-want-it-to-stay-that-way
7. US Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on the Constitutionality of
Geofence Warrants; Minnesota Passes Landmark Bill to Ban AI Nudification
Apps, Apple and Google Break their Own Rules
On April 27, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of
Chatrie v. United States, centering on a Fourth Amendment challenge to
the use of geofence warrants, which allow investigators to obtain
location data stored by a service provider within a specific geographic
area and time period.
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/lawfare-no-bull--supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments-on-the-constitutionality-of-geofence-warrants
Meanwhile, the Minnesota House has passed a landmark bill to ban AI
nudification apps and websites that create explicit images of people,
mostly women, without consent. So-called nudification or “nudify” apps
use AI to alter photographs of real people, making them appear naked,
placing them in pornographic videos, or turning them into sexually
explicit chatbots.
https://petapixel.com/2026/04/24/minnesota-passes-landmark-bill-to-ban-ai-nudification-apps/
A new April 15 report by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) shares that
Apple and Google are breaking their own rules by promoting these apps,
and helping users find them. The apps identified by TTP have been
downloaded 483 million times and made more than $122 million in lifetime
revenue.
https://www.techtransparencyproject.org/articles/apple-and-google-are-steering-users-to-nudify-apps
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### Community Resources ###
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1. If We Ban Social Media for Children, What Do We Offer Instead?
There is a new global policy practice spreading rapidly: protect
children by banning them from social media. Yet this global turn is
unfolding across profoundly unequal digital contexts, where access,
parental literacy, institutional capacity, and online opportunity vary
dramatically between and within societies. In this piece, digital policy
and inclusion expert, Dr Danica Radovanović, explores youth, digital
literacy and child online protection.
https://digitalserendipities.substack.com/p/if-we-ban-social-media-for-children
2. Exiled Artist Ai Weiwei’s New Book on the “Catastrophic Status Quo”
of Censorship
In these fascistic times, according to renowned artist and global
dissident Ai Weiwei, such suppression is standard in all societies. In
his new book, On Censorship, Ai explores how censorship pervades our
lives, the societal forces that drive self-censorship, the elimination
of privacy via ubiquitous surveillance, and the rising threat of
artificial intelligence.
https://inthesetimes.com/article/ai-weiwei-on-the-catastrophic-status-quo-of-censorship
3. Former EFF Activism Director's New Book, Transaction Denied, Explores
What Happens When Financial Companies Act like Censors
Rainey Reitman, who left EFF in 2022, has published a new book,
Transaction Denied, where she sheds new light on a serious problem that
often hides in the shadows, asking “Is it ever OK for financial
intermediaries to act as the arbiters of online expression?" Reitman
makes her case about the impact of financial institutions and payment
intermediaries shutting down accounts and inhibiting transactions
through compelling individual stories, some of which have not been
shared before.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/former-eff-activism-directors-new-book-transaction-denied-explores-what-happens
4. India’s Race to Adopt AI Sparks a Deeper Question: How Can Technology
Respect Human Rights?
In February, India organised a five-day India AI Impact Summit 2026,
which brought together global leaders, Big Tech platforms, civil society
actors and policymakers to explore the future of AI governance and
cooperation. The event itself was effectively used as a live demo of
India’s expanding AI‑driven surveillance grid in Delhi. The rise of
AI-enabled monitoring, such as facial recognition systems at railway
stations and predictive policing technologies used by police across
different cities, has continued largely without sufficient legal
protections, raising concerns about human rights, privacy, dignity, and
civil liberties.
https://www.apc.org/en/blog/indias-race-adopt-ai-sparks-deeper-question-how-can-technology-respect-human-rights
_____________________________________
### 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
2nd Popular Technology Festival of Setúbal
May 8-9
Setúbal, Portugal
https://odet.pt/festival/2026/
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/
Digital Rights Social / Focus: Security Clinic Best Practices and Q&A
June 18, 2026 @ 14 UTC
TCU's Mattermost
https://wiki.digitalrights.community/index.php?title=Community_Updates
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
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
Trust and Safety Research Conference 2026
October 1–2, 2026
Currently accepting proposals here:
https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/trust-and-safety-research-conference.
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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Lebanese Journalists At Risk or Pressure
No Deadline
https://www.skeyesmedia.org/en/News/News/07-04-2026/13133
Human Rights Projects in Sri Lanka
Deadline: May 6
https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/web/sri-lanka/w/open-call-for-applications-embassy-funded-human-rights-projects-sri-lanka
ISOC Community-Centered Connectivity Grant Program
May 7
https://www.isocfoundation.org/grant-programme/community-centered-connectivity/
FemFirst Lab
Deadline: May 15
https://itforchange.net/call-for-applications-femfirst-lab
Human Rights Democracy and CSO Support to Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Deadline: May 15, 2026.
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/prospect-details/186264PROSPECTSEN
Community Access Fund for LGBTQI+ Asylum Seekers
May 31
https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/community-access-fund-application
Promoting Inclusive Digital Services in Kyrgyzstan
Deadline: June 2
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/prospect-details/185902PROSPECTSEN
Interledger Fellowship Program
Deadline: June 15
https://interledger.org/grant/fellowship
InDiCo-Global. Deadline
Deadline: June 30, 2026
https://indico-global-grants.eu/indico-global-third-open-call
__________________________________________
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