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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.

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.

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.

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.

How is a lack of multistakeholder discussions, a digital divide, and pro-surveillance legislation impacting the internet in the Philippines?

The growth of artificial intelligence has raised numerous concerns about its ethicality. What should users be on the lookout for - both positive and negative?

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.

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.

Are apps and websites that cater to vulnerable communities failing to adequately address the inherent security risks faced by their users?

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?

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.

NDI requests suggestions and inputs on the draft open internet principles framework to ensure its contents are led by diverse stakeholders.