[ALT-Plus] RightsCon News

[Maureen Hilyard]

Thank you Olivier.

Sounds like something the RALO Chairs could organise, do you think?

Pity we didnt get notification a week or so earlier, the Chairs could have
organised something for ICANN70. But a webinar type activity on RightsCon
would follow on very well from some very energetic discussion on the event,
was it last year (?)

Anyone keen??

M

On Sat, 27 Feb 2021, 7:09 am Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond, <ocl at gih.com> wrote:

> Dear Maureen,
>
> some news forwarded from Brett Solomon, whose organisation is in charge of
> RIGHTSCON.
> I know that there was discussion in the past in at least some regions, to
> have people doing outreach at RightsCon. Perhaps a virtual meeting could be
> an opportunity?
> Kindest regards,
>
> Olivier
>
>
> -------- Forwarded Message --------
> Subject: It's almost March?!
> Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2021 18:45:08 -0500 (EST)
> From: Brett Solomon <brett at accessnow.org> <brett at accessnow.org>
> Reply-To: Brett Solomon <brett at accessnow.org> <brett at accessnow.org>
> To: ocl at gih.com
>
> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
>
>
> What a year already? From the military coup in Myanmar
> <https://www.accessnow.org/update-internet-access-censorship-myanmar/> to the
> shutdown in Uganda
> <https://www.accessnow.org/the-world-is-watching-uganda-elections/>, and
> the insurrection attempt in the United States
> <https://www.accessnow.org/how-does-parler-control-information-access-now-calls-for-transparency/>
> to the ongoing pandemic <https://www.accessnow.org/issue/covid-19/>, it
> seems like this year will be no easier than the last.
>
>
>
> On a personal note, I’m fortunate to have just returned from the last part
> of a sabbatical. I’m feeling refreshed and am back full-time in my role as
> Access Now’s Executive Director, ready to help take on the challenges to
> human rights that we’re facing across the world in this very digital age.
>
>
>
> Here’s an update on what Access Now has been up to so far this year. If
> you haven’t already, check out last year’s digital rights wins
> <https://www.accessnow.org/2020-digital-rights-wins/> -- we wanted to end
> the year on a good note, and it really wasn’t all bad!
>
>
>
> All links below are to Access Now original content or press that quotes or
> refers to us:
>
>
>
> RightsCon 2021 <https://www.rightscon.org/>
>
>
>
>    - The RightsCon team closed its Call for Proposals at the end of
>    January, receiving 1,050 proposals from over 105 countries! Please put
>     7-11 June 2021 in your calendar.
>    - Registration for RightsCon 2021 will be launching very soon -- so
>    keep an eye out, and subscribe to the RightsCon Rundown newsletter if
>    you haven’t already <https://www.rightscon.org/rundown/>!
>    - Leading up to the 10th edition of RightsCon this year, Access Now is
>    looking at milestone events from the past decade for digital rights. On
>    February 17th we hosted a live panel
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/arab-spring-ten-years-in-how-can-reclaim-the-internet-as-an-open-space/>,
>    “Arab Spring: ten years in, how can we reclaim the internet as an open
>    space?” View the video here.
>    <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVu4qnQ-yP4>
>
>
>
> New Access Now Reports, Publications and Releases
>
>
>
>    - MENA: Our new report, Exposed and exploited: Data protection in the
>    Middle East and North Africa,
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/mena-data-protection-report> explores the
>    privacy dangers burgeoning in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Tunisia.
>    Check out our bonus report snapshot
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/exposed-and-exploited-data-protection-mena>
>    too!
>    - MENA: When Google announced it was going to open a new Google Cloud
>    in Saudi Arabia, we raised the alarm
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/google-cloud-in-saudi-arabia-human-rights-concerns/>
>    .
>    - MENA: The Tunisian government responded to protests on the 10th
>    anniversary of the Tunisian revolution with violence and repression of
>    basic rights <https://www.accessnow.org/tunisia-protests/>; we urge
>    the government to instead protect the right to freedom of expression, stop
>    prosecuting internet users for criticizing the government, and adopt a
>    strong data protection law.
>    - MENA: Access Now joined over 100 civil society and human rights
>    organizations <https://www.accessnow.org/egypt-human-rights-un/> in
>    calling on governments to take action on the human rights crisis in Egypt.
>    - Asia-Pacific: As the nation’s military seized control, Myanmar shut
>    down the internet
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/myanmar-internet-shutdown-military-coup/>
>    and blocked social media. We condemn this attack on human rights and are regularly
>    updating our work on it here.
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/update-internet-access-censorship-myanmar/>
>    - Asia-Pacific: The government of India is escalating censorship
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/internet-shutdown-in-delhi-on-indias-republic-day/>
>    efforts by cutting the internet and ordering Twitter to block hashtags and
>    handles. At the same time, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information
>    Technology is attempting to develop a framework for use of data without
>    first securing data protection of all Indians
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/india-personal-data-protection/>.
>    - Asia-Pacific: Facebook has blocked an unknown number of news and
>    civil society organizations’ accounts
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/australia-facebook-ngos-news-blocked/> --
>    including Access Now’s page (now live again) -- in Australia.
>    - Asia-Pacific: The conviction in Malaysia of a news media company for
>    user comments
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/malaysiakini-malaysia-conviction/>published
>    on its site must not be allowed to set a precedent!
>    - Latin America: Costa Rica: proponen una moderna ley de datos
>    personales
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/costa-rica-proponen-una-moderna-ley-de-datos-personales/>!
>    A victory for privacy! Congratulations!
>    - Latin America: Ecuador es de los pocos países de América Latina que
>    no cuenta con una ley de protección de datos personales
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/lo-que-ecuador-necesita-proyecto-de-ley-de-proteccion-de-datos-personales/>!
>    La Asamblea puede revertir esa situación al aprobar un proyecto de ley que
>    en los próximos días tendrá su primer debate.
>    - EU: The European Commission is set to present a regulation on
>    artificial intelligence in a few months, and seems likely to base it on a
>    risk-based approach that will not be adequate to protect human rights.
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/eu-regulation-ai-risk-based-approach/>
>    - EU: Human rights groups to U.N. Special Rapporteur on Belarus: it’s
>    time to stop internet shutdowns, website blocking, anti-extremism laws
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/u-n-special-rapporteur-on-belarus-internet-shutdowns/>
>    .
>    - EU: The agreement on ePrivacy reform
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/after-four-years-of-talks-eu-states-reach-underwhelming-agreement-on-eprivacy-reform/>
>    reached by EU states lost forward-looking provisions for privacy
>    protection, added surveillance measures, and generally missed the mark.
>    - North America: Facebook’s removal of Trump, though justified, reinforces
>    the need for meaningful transparency
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/trump-facebook-decision-transparency/> in
>    Facebook’s decision-making processes.
>    - North America: Free Press and Access Now together urged the U.S.
>    Federal Communications Commission to quickly deliver Emergency
>    Broadband Benefit to people in need.
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/fcc-emergency-broadband-benefit/>
>    - Africa: In Kenya, the right to privacy is already in jeopardy, but a
>    new amendment to the law is deepening the crisis
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/kenya-right-to-privacy/>.
>    - Africa: Uganda shut down the internet
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/the-world-is-watching-uganda-elections/> on
>    the eve of the general elections. Read the stories of some of the
>    Ugandans who experienced the shutdown
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/internet-shutdown-stories-from-uganda/>.
>    - Global: Will the internet shutdowns in Uganda, Myanmar, and India
>    set the precedent for 2021? We’ve launched the #KeepItOn 2021
>    Elections tracker
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/keepiton-2021-elections-watch/> and we’re
>    keeping watch.
>    - Global: We celebrated Data Protection Day on January 28! To mark the
>    occasion, we explored what the future of data protection
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/the-future-of-data-protection-what-we-expect-in-2021/>
>    could look like!
>    - Global: Access Now welcomes a new resolution on privacy in the
>    digital age <https://www.accessnow.org/un-privacy-resolution/> adopted
>    by consensus at the UN General Assembly, but there are areas to strengthen.
>    - Global, North America: We’re telling US courts to hold NSO Group
>    accountable
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/nso-group-whatsapp-lawsuit-civil-society-amicus-brief/>!
>    From India to Rwanda, the victims of NSO Group’s WhatsApp hacking are speaking
>    out <https://www.accessnow.org/nso-whatsapp-hacking-victims-stories/>.
>
>
>
> Select Access Now Campaigns
>
>
>
>    - #KeepItOn: 2021 Elections Watch: We’re tracking carefully the
>    elections in 2021
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/keepiton-2021-elections-watch/> where
>    there’s risk of internet shutdowns and are helping to organize efforts to
>    prevent, circumvent, and document these violations of human rights and free
>    expression.
>    - Biden Era Digital Rights Tracker: The new US administration
>    campaigned on promises to put people first. Our Digital Rights Tracker
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/biden-era-tech-policy-tracker/> is covering
>    the major US themes we’re following in 2021 — and helping hold the
>    government to account!
>    - US’s Section 230: After terrorists stormed the Capitol, 70
>    organizations sent a letter to US Congress warning against responding by renewing
>    attacks on Section 230
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/section-230-u-s-congress-capitol-attack/>.
>    - Transparency reports: We want transparency from Parler
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/how-does-parler-control-information-access-now-calls-for-transparency/>
>    on how its policies affect human rights, and will keep pushing
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/parler-ignores-human-rights-transparency/>
>    Parler and all social media companies
>    - Reclaim Your Face: Access Now, Edri, and the Reclaim Your Face
>    coalition are calling for a Europe-wide ban of the use of dangerous
>    facial recognition technologies
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/reclaim-your-face/>. In the U.S., we joined
>    a letter with over 40 other civil society organizations to call for a
>    federal moratorium
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/biden-facial-recognition-moratorium/> on
>    the use of facial recognition technology.
>
>
>
> Access Now in the News (just a handful - see full list here
> <https://www.accessnow.org/content-type/access-now-in-the-news/>)
>
>
>
>    - Financial Times: Myanmar junta pushes punitive cyber security bill
>    <https://www.ft.com/content/7b02059f-d6b7-4b69-9612-80683b849424>
>    - Bloomberg: India’s Internet Crackdown Fuels Anger as Farmers Block
>    Highways
>    <https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-05/modi-internet-crackdown-fuels-india-anger-before-farmer-protests>
>    - Reuters: 100 hours in the dark: How an election internet blackout
>    hit poor Ugandans
>    <https://www.reuters.com/article/uganda-internet-rights/100-hours-in-the-dark-how-an-election-internet-blackout-hit-poor-ugandans-idUSL4N2JU2YQ>
>    - Fast Company: Browsers are rushing to stop shadowy ‘supercookies’
>    that spy on your activity
>    <https://www.fastcompany.com/90602566/browser-supercookies-chrome-firefox-safari>
>    - Times of India: Why ordering internet shutdown is outrageous
>    <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/why-ordering-internet-shutdown-is-outrageous/articleshow/80568188.cms>
>    - Forbes: Getting News in the time of internet shutdown
>    <https://www.forbesindia.com/article/take-one-big-story-of-the-day/getting-news-in-the-times-of-internet-shutdown/66291/1>
>    - Politico EU: How Europe’s new privacy rules survived years of
>    negotiations, lobbying and drama
>    <https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-privacy-rules-survived-years-of-negotiations-lobbying/>
>    - Al Jazeera:
>    <https://globalvoices.org/2021/01/28/googles-plans-for-saudi-based-cloud-is-dangerous-says-access-now-a-digital-right-advocacy-group/>‘TRACK
>    IT’ - WHEN SURVEILLANCE TOOLS GO VIRAL
>    <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PQka4l-iZI&feature=youtu.be>,
>    - Reuters: Coalition of human rights groups joins suit against Israeli
>    firm NSO
>    <https://www.reuters.com/article/nso-cyber/coalition-of-human-rights-groups-joins-suit-against-israeli-firm-nso-idUSL1N2J32EG>
>    .
>    - New York Times: After Barring Trump, Facebook and Twitter Face
>    Scrutiny About Inaction Abroad
>    <https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/technology/trump-facebook-twitter.html?referringSource=articleShare>
>    - BBC: Tanzania 'using Twitter's copyright policy to silence activists'
>    <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55186932>
>    - Voice of America: Media Covering Myanmar Coup Face Harassment,
>    Restrictions
>    <https://www.voanews.com/press-freedom/media-covering-myanmar-coup-face-harassment-restrictions>
>
>
>
> (Digital) Events
>
>
>
>    - Access Now was well represented at Computers, Privacy & Data
>    Protection (CPDP) 2021. Read more
>    <https://www.accessnow.org/cpdp-2021/>!
>    - Estelle Massé, Senior Policy Analyst and Global Data Protection
>    Lead, spoke at The Schrems II Decision: Mission Impossible?  Video here
>    <https://www.asil.org/events/schrems-ii-decision-mission-impossible-implications-schrems-ii-decision-international-trade-national>
>    .
>    - Daniel Leufer, Europe Policy Analyst, spoke at Expectations for AI
>    regulation within the Council of Europe and beyond.
>    - Peter Micek, General Counsel and UN Policy Manager, spoke at Anti-Surveillance
>    & the Duty to Encrypt: Practical Lessons for Nonprofit Organisations.
>    - Felicia, Campaigner for #KeepItOn, took part in Oxford University’s
>    <http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/event/the-changing-landscape-of-internet-shutdowns-in-africa-a-roundtable-discussion/>The
>    Changing Landscape of Internet Shutdowns in Africa
>    <http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/event/the-changing-landscape-of-internet-shutdowns-in-africa-a-roundtable-discussion/>
>    roundtable.
>    - And too many other zoom meetings, conferences, and roundtables to
>    list ….
>
>
>
> There is a lot more to report on the Helpline
> <https://www.accessnow.org/help/>, our Grants program
> <https://www.accessnow.org/grants/> and our emerging legal team, but for
> now, thank you as always to our staff, partners, funders, communities, and
> to each of you for supporting our work.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> Brett
>
>
>
> Brett Solomon
>
> Executive Director
>
> Access Now | accessnow.org <https://www.accessnow.org>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
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