The EU launched a public consultation on the Digital Services Act, a package to strengthen the Single Market for digital services, and foster innovation and competitiveness of the European online environment. The consultation, which is open until 8 September 2020, aims to collect views, evidence, and data from different stakeholders, including academia, civil society, private [...]

Following the announcement that the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26)  to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being postponed to November 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; a number of climate change experts have called for the digitalisation of climate change diplomacy. They highlighted that this moment is a unique opportunity [...]

Brussels-based European Digital Rights (EDRi) has released a position paper calling for a ban on biometric surveillance in the EU. The paper raises concern about the increasing use of biometric technologies such as facial recognition, fingerprinting in public functions, such as schools and law enforcement. The paper notes that the technologies affect many rights, including [...]

A new online platform offering information about the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) in Latin America has been launched. The platform  compiles information about the use of FRT in public and private spaces and sheds light on the work of various organisations who are exploring the implications of such technologies. It is also aimed [...]

Civil society organisations and experts in law, technology, and information in Israel sent a letter to the minister of justice and the attorney general of Israel asking them to include the Privacy Protection Authority(PPA) in the governmental decision-making process concerning the Coronavirus. The letter details government regulations that have so far violated citizens' privacy and [...]

Indian civil society group Internet Freedom Foundation warns that the government-run COVID-19 app ‘might be a privacy disaster in the making’. After India’s Prime Minister requested citizens to download the Aarogya Setu application (Hindi for Healthcare Bridge), Internet Freedom Foundation have analysed the application, highlighting how it is inconsistent with the right to privacy and [...]

The Alliance for Accountable Internet (A4AI) has in a policy brief made recommendations to various stakeholders on steps that can be taken to ensure that as many people as possible have access to the Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief highlighted shocking inequalities  COVID-19 helped expose when it came to Internet access and affordability [...]

In line with the UN secretary general’s initiative to help member states address the COVID-19 crisis, the UN Inter-agency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) launched a call for proposals on technology solutions for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its immediate impacts. Solutions from diverse sources and communities [...]

A joint statement was signed by 29 organisations to call upon the governments of the Gulf countries to permanently lift the ban on all Voice Over IP (VoIP) platforms used for voice and video Internet calls. The banned VoIP services, which have been blocked since 2017, have an adverse impact on the fundamental rights of [...]

According to a press release, the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has in an emergency virtual meeting adopted an Agenda of Action outlining how governments, industry, and civil society can pool network and infrastructure resources as an immediate measure to boost network access and inclusiveness in an effort to strengthen the global response to the [...]