May 27, 2020
The use of facial recognition technology is on the rise, particularly among governments who claim that it helps keep their citizens safer. But how do these technologies impact an individual's right to privacy? A new research paper by Olga Kyryliuk explores how facial recognition is being deployed across the European Union, what arguments citizens have used to push back against their use, and how the legal community has responded.
May 26, 2020
The rapid spread of COVID-19 has led many governments to enact emergency measures that temporarily expand their powers in an effort to combat and contain the virus. However, the measures taken in response - such as citizen surveillance or restrictions on movement - must be carefully monitored to ensure that their "temporary" nature, justified in the name of public health, don't instead become a pathway for the permanent restriction or abuse of an individuals' rights.
April 16, 2020
Disinformation can also have less immediately visible but equally dangerous results that undermine democracy by distorting public discourse and interfering with democratic decision-making. Furthermore, because disinformation has polluted online channels of communication in Africa and beyond, fundamental digital rights such as freedom of expression, information, and privacy in the digital age are increasingly under threat.
April 7, 2020
Ukraine's proposed legislative amendments raise concerns about the future of freedom of speech and the free flow of information.
March 5, 2020
The beginning of February was marked by a pivotal case in which the District Court of The Hague declared the Dutch legislation regarding an algorithmic risk assessment model – the System Risk Indication (SyRI) – to be in violation of the right to privacy. SyRI, enacted through legislation in 2014, enabled the analysis of 17 different categories of an individual’s personal data, ranging from employment history and property records to their health insurance information and amount of debt. The February ruling comes after policy and human rights advocates questioned whether individuals subject to the algorithm’s analysis knew they were under such surveillance, and whether SyRI’s “findings” led in fact to further discrimination of those already facing marginalization in society.
October 28, 2019
The fight towards a free and democratic internet has numerous battlefields, but equally important is the creation of a network representative of different cultures and societies and in compliance with human rights standards.
October 21, 2019
An electorate ought to be empowered to make their own political and socio-economic decisions, and as such, a public sphere where information is transmitted, received and debated should be protected and augmented by policy-makers as a bipartisan issue to guard against any potential anti-democratic forces that technological proliferation has the potential to foster, particularly in times of heightened pressure including elections. Botswana, often heralded as the so-called “African poster child”, is no exception.
October 17, 2019
With a marked increase in digital rights violations across the African continent since 2016, citizens have found various ways to protest against governments from using internet restriction as a way to both oppress and repress.
October 7, 2019
How is a lack of multistakeholder discussions, a digital divide, and pro-surveillance legislation impacting the internet in the Philippines?
September 30, 2019
How can Facebook's Community Standards harm freedom of expression in a global context? This case study from Paraguay explores this topic.
August 27, 2019
The growth of artificial intelligence has raised numerous concerns about its ethicality. What should users be on the lookout for - both positive and negative?
June 17, 2019
To promote a deeper understanding of internet governance and digital rights by local communities in the Philippines, Womenpowered Digital and ICT Davao partnered with the Foundation for Media Alternatives and Internet Society to host an Internet Governance Symposium.
May 22, 2019
Imagine you are a digital rights organization that has developed a series of materials on digital rights literacy, and now your organization is ready to conduct a digital rights advocacy campaign on a pressing threat to an open internet in your community, country, or region. The task of conducting a campaign on digital rights can seem daunting to some organizations, but there is a five-step approach you can follow to assist you in the advocacy process.
May 15, 2019
If internet shutdowns become the norm across Africa, the economic development of the continent will severely stagnate, as a large majority of African entrepreneurs, business owners, and technology innovators rely on an open and trusted internet to thrive.
May 6, 2019
Being experts in the design and use of internet platforms, tech communities can provide valuable insights for policymakers on the development of the internet. By playing this type of advisory role, diverse stakeholders play a role in accountability so that decision-makers can create optimal solutions to global internet-related issues.
January 30, 2019
The pervasiveness of digital technology has exponentially increased the potential for intrusions into personal privacy, but users are often unaware of how their actions - and the data they inadvertently share - put them at risk.
December 13, 2018
Are apps and websites that cater to vulnerable communities failing to adequately address the inherent security risks faced by their users?
November 29, 2018
The Global Network Initiative's (GNI) David Sullivan summarizes the joint GNI and Open Internet for Democracy Initiative-led session at the 2018 Internet Governance Forum, calling for a broader array of actors to join the movement.
October 16, 2018
Despite the fact that nearly 50 million Pakistanis now use the internet and the number of cybercrime cases is increasing, why do some people in Pakistan consider digital rights as a non-issue?
February 8, 2018
At the Internet Governance Forum, CIPE discusses inclusive online dialogue, disinformation, and democratic governance.
December 21, 2017
The panel will include discussions of technical censorship and throttling by ISPs, the legal implications of surveillance and cyber laws, and the challenges posed by digital disinformation, fake news, and online trolling.
November 15, 2017
CIMA's new digital report provides on the ground examples of groups that have successfully fought for policies and norms that strengthen Internet freedom and digital rights.
November 7, 2017
NDI requests suggestions and inputs on the draft open internet principles framework to ensure its contents are led by diverse stakeholders.
October 26, 2017
CIMA seeks input on open internet principles for media stakeholders and real-world examples of what they look like in practice.
September 19, 2017
CIPE calls for feedback on draft open internet principles.