Civil society groups call on MEPs to ban biometric mass surveillance

By |2022-05-10T12:57:00+00:00May00 10, 2022|

Civil society groups are urging MEPs to ban biometric mass surveillance, specifically remote use of identification systems like facial recognition in public spaces. The focus is on preventing mass surveillance and protecting against discriminatory or manipulative practices related to biometric categorization and emotion recognition.

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African Union and European Union step up digital cooperation for sustainable development in Africa following EU-AU Summit

By |2022-03-21T16:15:00+00:00March00 21, 2022|

During the first Africa-Europe Digital for Development (D4D) Hub Multi-Stakeholder Forum that took place on 18 March 2022, representatives from the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) underscored digital cooperation as a cornerstone of the AU-EU strategic partnership. The forum, which was convened under the theme ‘Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development in Africa,’ [...]

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Partner2Connect rallies commitments for connectivity

By |2022-03-16T16:11:00+00:00March00 16, 2022|

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) kicked off the P2C Online Pledging Platform and an action framework to advance universal connectivity and digital transformation​. The P2C aims at mobilising resources to transform societies, promote sustainable digital technology uptake and ensure meaningful connectivity for everyone. To this aim, the P2C Online Pledging Platform is set to receive [...]

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Civil society urges USA and partners not to disrupt internet access in Russia and Belarus

By |2022-03-10T18:57:38+00:00March38 10, 2022|

A broad coalition of civil society groups urged the USA and its international partners to ensure that the people of Russia and Belarus are not cut off from the internet. In a letter to the White House, civil society groups contend that restricting internet access will only harm those opposing the conflict, who report freely [...]

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Civil society calls on EU to ban predictive AI in policing and criminal justice

By |2022-03-01T20:03:00+00:00March00 1, 2022|

Over 40 civil society groups have issued a statement calling on EU institutions and member states to include provisions in the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) to prohibit predictive and profiling AI systems in law enforcement and criminal justice. The organisations argue that such AI systems reproduce and reinforce discrimination – on grounds such [...]

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Global Standards Symposium highlights role of standards in advancing digital transformation

By |2022-02-28T19:09:47+00:00February47 28, 2022|

On 28 February, the fourth Global Standards Symposium (GSS-20) brought together – in Geneva and online – stakeholders from governments, the private sector, the technical community, academia, and civil society, to discuss the role of international standards in enabling digital transformation and achieving the sustainable development goals. The long-day discussions were reflected in a series [...]

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Ukraine internet outages spark concerns of broader blackout

By |2022-02-27T17:12:04+00:00February04 27, 2022|

According to a news report, following the invasion efforts by Russia on Ukraine which started just before midnight on Wednesday 23 February 2022, many civil society groups are worried about a possibility of direct attacks on the country’s internet infrastructure which would potentially limit information access on what is happening in Ukraine. Already, according to [...]

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Facebook’s DIO policy censors a Sri Lankan publication

By |2022-01-19T00:00:00+00:00January00 19, 2022|

Thusiyan Nandakumar, the Tamil Guardian’s editor said that over the past several years, Facebook has twice suspended the publication’s Instagram account and removed dozens of its posts without warning — each time claiming a violation of the Dangerous Individuals and Organisations (DIO) policy.  The censorship comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of this policy [...]

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Civil society groups urge EU to prioritise fundamental rights in AI regulation

By |2021-11-30T00:00:00+00:00November00 30, 2021|

Over 110 civil society organisations have laid out proposals to strengthen the protection of fundamental rights in the European Commission’s Artificial Intelligence Act. The statement, drafted by European Digital Rights (EDRi), Access Now, AlgorithmWatch, and others, outlines several recommendations. Among them is a call to introduce robust mechanisms to deal with unacceptable and limited-risk AI [...]

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EU rules needed against abusive lawsuits targeting critical voices

By |2021-11-18T00:00:00+00:00November00 18, 2021|

The EU Parliament is looking to reform Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). In a report adopted with 444 votes in favour, 48 against and 75 abstentions, MEPs propose a series of measures to counteract the threat that SLAPPs pose to journalists, NGOs and civil society in Europe.  MEPs worry about the effect of these [...]

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