Notices by EDRi (edri@eupolicy.social)

1/2 🇸🇪 Today, the Swedish Parliament is voting on a dangerous bill that expands the scope of sx work criminalisation to online platforms and third-parties facilitating sex work 🚨

Not only will this make sx workers less safe by pushing them into more dangerous environments, it also massively effects their #DigitalRights.

Together, European Sex Workers Rights' Alliance and Red Umbrella Sweden are calling on the Swedish Parliament to reject this misguided proposal ➡️ https://www.eswalliance.org/open_letter_sweden_must_reject_the_expansion_of_sex_work_criminalisation_protect_rights_not_repression

🚨 Hungary’s new #BiometricSurveillance laws violate the EU #AIAct 🚨

The expansion of the use of #FacialRecognition technology in Hungary is incredibly concerning. The government plans to use it to track and identify people attending peaceful assemblies, such as #BudapestPride, and for minor infractions.

The EU must act urgently to protect our #FundamentalRights ✊🏽

Read our full analysis with @ecnl, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, & Civil Liberties Union for Europe ⤵️ https://edri.org/our-work/hungarys-new-biometric-surveillance-laws-violate-the-ai-act/

🗓️ One year after entry into force of the #DigitalServicesAct, #Musk's platform #X is still not complying with the law.

Together with @apti we alerted X that its 'Help' pages in most EU languages except English are misleading. They're sending #TrustedFlaggers who want to notify infringing content to a submission form that does not work.

Means to flag infringing content is mandatory under the #DSA. We have asked X to correct its pages by March 3, 2025 and will keep you posted on their response ⌛

Time for action! 💪🏾

Today, we filed a formal #DSA complaint against X in Ireland, together with our Romanian member @apti.

We show how X misleads #TrustedFlaggers to use a wrong, non-functional online form in all EU languages but English.

Reminder: A few weeks ago we asked #X to rectify their faulty online forms, but while they thanked us for the info they didn't actually do anything about it 🤷🏾♀️

Read more here ⤵️ https://edri.org/our-work/edri-files-dsa-legal-complaint-against-x/

#DigitalServicesAct #PlatformAccountability

Stay tuned for the #ProtectNotSurveil position paper on the #Europol reform TOMORROW!

The European Commission is claims to protect vulnerable asylum seekers, but beneath this veneer lies a far more insidious reality. In truth, this approach fuels harm and discrimination towards people on the move while empowering the EU’s policing agency with unprecedented surveillance capabilities and insufficient oversight.

We know you can’t wait to read it. So here’s a sneak peek:
➡️ https://euobserver.com/migration/ar62dea65a

#ProtectNotSurveil position paper:
We demand the full rejection of the #Europol reform! 👎

Here’s why:

❌ Fails to protect migrants or reduce border deaths
👁 Power grab by Europol
🛑 Criminalisation of migrants and solidarity organisers

Read more:
https://protectnotsurveil.eu/uploads/ProtectNotSurveil-Europol_Paper.pdf

How much does the #Europol reform cost and what is it for? Let’s talk 💰

Large 💸 increase for:
▪️ Developing biometric systems,
▪️ increasing both the collection and exchange of data and
▪️ generally upgrading the agency’s surveillance capabilities.

We demand #ProtectNotSurveil instead of #FortressEurope!

Learn more:
https://www.equinox-eu.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Ending-Fortress-Europe.pdf

Natalie Gruber helped people in need who suffered violent pushbacks – and experienced first hand what it is like to be falsely criminalised and land in a #Europol database.

The latest Europol reform proposal would worsen the criminalisation of solidarity.

In a powerful article she shares her experience and reminds us of the agency’s role in the violent European border regime.

Read more: ⤵️
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/greece-accused-me-of-espionage-i-was-helping-people-theyd-violated-migrants-turkey-border/

#ProtectNotSurveil #Frontex

Remember how #Europol got involved in #ChatControl, one of the EU’s most controversial proposals of all time?
The so called “Chat Control” legislation would have providers scan private messages on the devices of users. Europol asked to extend the scope of content scanned for, requested unfiltered access to the data and asked to be able to use it for any purpose, e.g. extending their AI surveillance capabilities.

Catch up on the full story here:
https://balkaninsight.com/2023/09/29/europol-sought-unlimited-data-access-in-online-child-sexual-abuse-regulation/

#ProtectNotSurveil

The European Commission plans to expand #Europol’s digital surveillance powers under the guise of “preventing and fighting migrant smuggling”. Reality check: The EU’s own border and migration policies force people on the move into life-threatening situations.
“Anti-smuggling” narratives are used to conceal the EU’s responsibility for putting migrant’s lives at risk and to legitimise data sharing with third countries.
#Frontex #FortressEurope #ProtectNotSurveil

Read more:
https://www.equinox-eu.com/towards-a-safer-migration-ending-the-criminalisation-of-migration-and-solidarity/

We will publish our position paper on the EU’s #Europol reform soon!
In the week leading up to the launch, we reflect on this controversial European police cooperation agency.

As Protect Not Surveil coalition, we challenge the use of digital technologies at different levels of EU policies and advocate for the ability of people to move and to seek safety and opportunity without risking harm, surveillance or discrimination.

Follow us and #ProtectNotSurveil to learn more!

Did you know #Europol is a “data black hole”? ⚫

In 2022 the European Data Protection Supervisor (Europol's watchdog) ordered the agency to delete personal data amassed unlawfully.

But Europol wanted to use it to train AI policing systems and sat out the order until the last Europol reform retroactively legalised this illegal data collection.

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/10/a-data-black-hole-europol-ordered-to-delete-vast-store-of-personal-data

#ProtectNotSurveil demands to hold Europol accountable instead of granting it more surveillance powers!

🚨 40+ civil society organisations, across the EU and the US, have an urgent message for the #EuropeanCommission and President Von der Leyen: Now is the time to stand up to bullying by #BigTech and its allies in the #Trump administration.

Europe must commit to strong enforcement of the #DSA, #DMA and other digital laws to protect people, our #democracy and #economy 💪🏾

Read our open letter ➡️ https://edri.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/EU-resist-Big-Tech-bullying-open-letter-Jan-2025.pdf

Today we are joining #DPD2025: the @CPDPconferences #DataProtectionDay, hosted by the Council of Europe, CPDP and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS).

We look forward to a day full of discussions on #DataProtection and broader #DigitalRights .

Tune in and follow the event online here:
https://cpdp-dataprotectionday.eu/

Our Chloé Berthélémy @chlobemy will join the panel “Access to data: balancing between effective law enforcement and mass surveillance“ at 2pm today and discuss the outcome of the High-Level Group #GoingDark.
https://cpdp-dataprotectionday.eu/
#DPD2025

Itxaso Domínguez de Olazábal @itxaso of EDRi is joining the panel "Beyond Privacy: unveiling the true stakes of data protection", also at 2pm) Follow her remarks on #DataProtection and how it relates to protecting democracy and people in the EU.
#DPD2025
https://cpdp-dataprotectionday.eu/

🚨 #X, #Meta and other corporate social media have been in the news for scandal after scandal recently.

With X's owner, #ElonMusk now effectively a part of the US government under the #Trump administration, and Meta degrading their #ContentModeration policy, what should the #EU do next? 🤔

Read more to find out ⤵️
https://edri.org/our-work/meta-and-x-are-going-rogue-here-is-what-europe-should-do-now/

We ask the @EUCommission to halt an agreement negotiated between #Europol and #Egypt that could legitimise illegal Egyptian police practices and open the door to a harmful sharing of personal data.

The EU is negotiating a working agreement between Europol and Egypt in the field of law enforcement. This happens despite flagrant human rights violations and political repression by Egyptian authorities.

Read our open letter, co-signed by 41 organisations and experts:
https://edri.org/our-work/civil-society-raises-concerns-over-europol-egypt-cooperation-agreements

States & corporations' techno-solutionist promises further the climate crisis, and amplify colonial dynamics of labour and resource extraction.

Read this @euobserver opinion by @edri's @CFerKic and @green_europe's Katy Wiese 👇 https://euobserver.com/Digital/ar125f5e3f

A #EUTravelApp proposal by the European Commission would let you upload your biometric data to a database for pre-travel controls.
Many of you have told us you share the concerns we raised about the proposed regulation such as data protection risks.
📣 You can participate in a public consultation to voice your opinion until tomorrow (January 8) and share this blog to inform more people about the proposal.
https://edri.org/our-work/pre-travel-controls-digitalising-travel-documents/