Hoje há #DigitalRightsDrinks!

#DigitalRights

https://masto.pt/@ubuntuportugal/114269378918526652

Congress is reviving site-blocking laws—and EFF says it’s as reckless as ever.

Proposals like the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act (FADPA) would empower courts to order ISPs and DNS providers to block entire websites—without due process.

Why it matters:
・ Site-blocking doesn’t just target piracy—it silences speech
・ It can unintentionally take down thousands of innocent sites
・ Evading blocks is trivial—using VPNs, alternate DNS, etc.
・ Many cases would be handled ex parte, with no one to defend the accused

EFF calls this an internet kill switch in disguise, and it’s a dangerous precedent for free expression and open web access in the U.S.

The entertainment industry is thriving without these laws. So why hand them censorship power?

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/04/congress-reviving-site-blocking-and-its-just-dangerous-ever

"In a stunning reversal, the European Commission is once again poised to undermine the privacy of citizens across Europe in the ongoing eIDAS reform process. After promising to close a dangerous loophole in the eIDAS implementing acts, the Commission has yielded to powerful industry lobbyists and reintroduced an optional regime for “relying party registration certificates.” This dramatic backslide threatens the core principle of the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet project: namely, giving users across the EU secure digital identities under reliable and uniform protections."

https://epicenter.works/en/content/eu-commission-undermines-eidas-protections-again

So here we go again: "EU: These are scary times – let's backdoor encryption!"

Now #chatcontrol is rebranded with the excuse of threats like terrorism, organized crime, surging cybercrime and attacks against our critical infrastructure, instead of child sexual abuse.

1/2
https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/03/eu_backdoor_encryption/

I really like this 'Digital Platform Charter of Rights'.

https://respectfulplatforms.org

The #Fediverse projects @pixelfed and @loops have voluntarily signed up to (and helped write/create it seems).

Worried About Device Searches at the U.S. Border? You Should Be.

As CBP searches of personal electronics increase, experts are urging travelers to prepare in advance—especially noncitizens, journalists, and human rights defenders.

What you can do:
・Power down & log out before crossing
・Disable biometrics—use a strong passcode
・Travel with temporary devices and encrypt key data
・Avoid SMS-based 2FA; opt for app-based alternatives
・Protect sensitive contacts or use clean persona accounts

Digital privacy isn’t just for hackers—it’s a necessary skill for anyone navigating international borders in the surveillance era.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/29/customs-us-border-travel-airports-phone-searches/

#Privacy #TravelSecurity #CyberSecurity #DigitalRights #InfoSec #BorderSearches @eff

I found these rules in a public group chat.

Kirby's Rules of Moderation:

1. Stay Neutral - Moderators should act fairly and avoid personal bias.

2. Transparency Matters - Decisions should be clear and explainable.

3. Rules Before Power - Enforce guidelines, not personal opinions.

4. Context Is Key - Consider intent before taking action.

5. Encourage Discussion - Promote healthy conversations, not silencing.

"In technology policy circles, the EU is often positioned as the “third way” — an alternative to the laissez-faire approach in America, where market forces steer tech development, and China’s state-controlled model, where technology is instrumentalised for political control. The EU’s rights-based regulatory approach offers a democracy-driven alternative. But India is keen to claim its own role offering an alternative to Chinese and American tech governance. After a decade of Digital India policies, this is well under way.

Since its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2015, the Digital India initiative has delivered spectacular results. The uptake of digital identities, payment systems and internet access has steadily climbed, although a significant gender gap remains.

Nearly 6mn Indians work in the technology sector, and the country is now exporting its digital public infrastructure model to emerging economies. From Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric ID system, to Unified Payments Interface, the payments network, Indian tech is gaining traction across the global south.

But there is a flip side. India also holds the dubious distinction of being the global leader in internet shutdowns — with more than 800 reported in the past decade. Critics argue that these shutdowns are human rights violations, as are restrictions to press freedom, digital rights and data privacy. Significant numbers of content moderation requests are made by the government itself. Elon Musk’s X is suing over what it considers illegal requests to censor content on the platform."

https://www.ft.com/content/10ac3203-c694-409e-b053-73c418fca827

Joint statement by a coalition of authors, performers and other rightsholders active across the EU’s cultural and creative sectors regarding the third draft of the EU AI Act’s GPAI Code of Practice" https://fep-fee.eu/Rightsholders-joint-statement-on-the-third-draft-of-the-Code-of-Practice #AIAct, #CopyrightCompliance, #GPAICode, #CreativeRights, #EUlaw, #AIPolicy, #ResponsibleAI, #DigitalRights, #AIRegulation, #FairAI

WhatsApp’s €225M Privacy Fine Battle Heats Up: EU Court Adviser Backs Appeal.

#WhatsApp #DataPrivacy #EURegulations #TechLaw #DigitalRights #PrivacyPolicy #GDPR #LegalTech #CyberSecurity #BigTech #WhatsAppFine #EDPB #RegulatoryCompliance #EUCourt #TechNews

https://www.techi.com/whatsapp-wins-support-against-eu-privacy-fine/

Attending #RightsCon2025 was incredible, so many wonderful encounters and happenings!

- A Local Network Workshop with #g0v
- A DWeb Community Roundtable
- Stop Surveillance Copaganda Sessions
- DWeb Community dinner

Especially if you couldn’t be there, learn more about it by reading @mai’s recap article: https://blog.archive.org/2025/03/26/dweb-and-digital-rights-a-report-back-from-rightscon-in-taipei/

Why I'm Boycotting AI

https://unherd.com/2025/03/why-im-boycotting-ai/

The Polish government has suggested new EU rules to ban the #anonymous purchase of #prepaid #SIMcards.

“The main threat associated with prepaid SIM cards is #anonymity,” says a document obtained by @statewatch and one cannot make one's disdain for #humanrights any clearer.

Extensive research has found no evidence that bans on anonymous purchases of SIM cards contribute to reducing #crime.

https://www.statewatch.org/news/2025/march/eu-officials-discuss-banning-anonymous-use-of-mobile-phones/

How to protect your phone and data privacy at the US border

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/26/phone-search-privacy-us-border-immigration

"Big Tech’s influence in Washington, DC, is not new, but private tech and governmental interests are merging in ways that represent a concerning reconfiguration. In part two of our series on the Trump administration’s first 100 days, we highlight three key trends:

- Large tech companies have long sought influence in Washington, but many are now bending to state power because they know the administration is picking winners and losers.

- Today’s dynamic between the private sector and our government started taking shape well before November 2024.
Large tech companies’ acquiescence offers the government unprecedented power over communications platforms and infrastructure.

In analyzing the Trump administration’s first 30 days, we unpacked efforts to weaken the federal government’s pillars of independent oversight, undermine institutions protecting consumers and their data, and access sensitive data across government without regard for privacy and security. Each of these efforts persists—as dramatically demonstrated by President Trump’s attempts to fire Democratic Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. These trends are also part of a dangerous new dynamic in tech governance."

https://www.newamerica.org/oti/blog/trumps-tech-governance-making-sense-of-the-administrations-first-60-days/

- How was digital rights advocacy strengthened at RightsCon 2025?

> Taysir Mathlouthi of @7amleh shares very relevant insights, from claiming an independent Palestinian ICT sector to online censorship and weaponising AI in armed conflicts:

https://www.apc.org/en/blog/strengthening-digital-rights-advocacy-rightscon-2025

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/230-protects-users-not-big-tech

This article by the #EFF argues against the misconception that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act only protects big tech companies.

Instead, it maintains that Section 230 benefits all platforms, including small ones and individual users, by protecting them from being held liable for content created by others.

Section 230 Protects Users, Not Big Tech

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/230-protects-users-not-big-tech

The hacker ethic is not just about breaking into systems. It is about curiosity, freedom of information, and pushing boundaries. Whether in coding, electronics, or security research, hackers have shaped technology by challenging limitations and advocating for an open digital world.

At its core, the hacker ethic believes that information should be free, access to computers should be unrestricted, and knowledge should be shared, not hoarded. This philosophy led to the rise of open source software, community driven development, and even movements like WikiLeaks and the fight for digital privacy.

From early phone phreakers exploring the telephone networks to modern security researchers uncovering vulnerabilities, hacking has always been about understanding and improving systems, not just exploiting them. Whether you are tweaking Linux, reverse engineering hardware, or finding creative workarounds, if you seek knowledge and believe in sharing it, you are embracing the hacker spirit.