on Toshareproject.it - curated by Bruce Sterling
Dear supporters,
Last week, a chill down the digital rights community’s spine – and it wasn’t because of the unexpected snow in Brussels.
The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus proposals finally landed – and they were as appalling as expected. The proposals massively threaten EU’s core digital protections, especially targeting the GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive and the AI Act. This move – and the overall deregulation agenda – clearly panders to corporate and Big Tech interests, rather that prioritising people and communities. These changes would lower safeguards, expand intrusive data access, and give governments and corporations more leeway to track, profile, and automate decisions about all of us.
Rest assured, we’re not taking this sitting down. Earlier this month, we came together with 126 civil society organisations and unions to tell the European Commission that we see their ‘simplification’ attempts for what they really are – the biggest rollback of digital fundamental rights in EU history, being carried out using non-democratic mechanisms. On the day of the Digital Omnibus launch, thanks to our collective action with People vs Big Tech and WeMove Europe, the EU quarter in Brussels was buzzing with mobile billboards calling on European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen to stop giving in to pressure and to stand up for Europe’s citizens and democracy.
We will continue our ardent efforts to ensure that Europe’s digital future is protected. We do not need fewer rules: we need the political will to enforce the digital rulebook that is already in place.
Read about this and much more in the latest edition of EDRi-gram:
Privacy & Data protection
Press Release: Commission’s Digital Omnibus is a major rollback of EU digital protections
EU adopts Digital Trade Agreement with Singapore despite warnings: a setback for digital rights and democratic oversight
Why the Digital Omnibus puts GDPR and ePrivacy at risk
Europe is dismantling its digital rights from within
Mass surveillance & AI
Artificial intelligence is not as artificial as you might think
Open internet & inclusive technology
Why age verification misses the mark and puts everyone at risk
EDRi’s Recommendations
Jobs & Events
A collage-style image showing three people looking at their smartphones. In the foreground, two hands hold a torn paper that reads “EU digital rules”. Behind them is the European Commission building surrounded by clouds,
with small blue and purple squares scattered across a light blue background.
Press Release: Commission’s Digital Omnibus is a major rollback of EU digital protections
EDRi
On November 19, the European Commission published two Digital Omnibus proposals, reopening the EU’s core protections against harm in the digital age. This step risks dismantling the rules-based system that was hard-won over decades, endangering the very foundation of human rights and tech policy in the EU. Read more.
EU adopts Digital Trade Agreement with Singapore despite warnings: a setback for digital rights and democratic oversight
EDRi
The European Parliament has approved the EU–Singapore Digital Trade Agreement, rejecting a motion to seek a Court of Justice opinion on its legality. This decision weakens the Union’s capacity to safeguard privacy, data protection, and accountability over software systems, at a time when deregulation pressures are increasing across Europe. Read more.
Why the Digital Omnibus puts GDPR and ePrivacy at risk
Itxaso Domínguez de Olazábal (She/Her), Policy Advisor, EDRi
On November 19, the Commission presented a “Digital Omnibus” package, a series of measures to allegedly ease administrative burdens for businesses across areas like privacy, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. This long-read looks into what the Omnibus to reopen the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive really means, both on paper and in real life Read more.
Europe is dismantling its digital rights from within
Itxaso Domínguez de Olazábal (She/Her), Policy Advisor, EDRi for Context
The European Commission’s new Digital Omnibus is presented as simple “streamlining”, but in practice it dismantles key safeguards in the GDPR, ePrivacy rules and the AI Act. It would make access to device data easier, weaken limits on automated decision-making and lower protections against discriminatory AI. Read more.
Support the EDRi-gram, donate today!
“Mass surveillance & AI”
Three people look thoughtful or concerned, overlaid with a “I’m not a robot” CAPTCHA checkbox on a background of blue and purple squares.
Artificial intelligence is not as artificial as you might think
Julia Kloiber (she/her), Co-Founder and Managing Director & Zara Rahman (she/her) Managing Director, EDRi member, SUPERRR Lab
AI systems involve a huge amount of human effort, at the hands of millions of workers, often in Global South countries, working in precarious conditions. In this blog, EDRi member SUPERRR Lab dive into the lives of data workers, how they are exploited and undermined by tech companies, and how these workers are now collectively advocating for their rights. Read more.
“Open internet and inclusive technology”
A woman holds a phone displaying the text, “Are you under 18?” in a questioning manner.
Why age verification misses the mark and puts everyone at risk
Simeon de Brouwer (He/Him), Policy Advisor, EDRi
Age verification is a short-sighted, ineffective and dangerous way to protect young people form online harms. It is disproportionate when better alternatives are available, straightforward and rewarding to circumvent, and structurally impacts more people than it aims to protect. Read more.
DO
Stand up, Ursula
People vs Big Tech, WeMove Europe, Avaaz, and EDRi
Since returning to office, Donald Trump and his Big Tech cronies have launched a full-scale pressure campaign against the EU’s digital laws. Right now, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Commission are deciding whether to break up Google’s illegal adtech monopoly or cave to escalating pressure from Donald Trump and Big Tech CEOs. Europe’s digital laws were written to protect us. Now they risk being rewritten to protect them. Sign the petitions by WeMove Europe and Avaaz.
READ
Digital Rights Under Threat — The Impact of LinkedIn’s Biased Moderation Amid Genocide
EDRi member, 7amleh, Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media
This report documents how LinkedIn’s content moderation practices have disproportionately restricted Palestinian voices during the hostilities in Gaza. Based on fifteen user testimonies and interviews with LinkedIn and Microsoft employees, it highlights internal bias, account restrictions, content removals, and widespread self-censorship. Read more.
WATCH
How X Spreads Hate Against LGBTI People in Poland
EDRi observer, Amnesty International
This documentary investigates how X has enabled the spread of targeted hate and abuse against LGBTI people in Poland. It reveals how the platform’s failure to invest in Polish-language content moderation, disregard for human rights responsibilities, and non-compliance with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) have created an unsafe and hostile environment for the LGBTI community. Watch the video. Content warning: This video includes references to transphobia, suicide, self-harm, online abuse, violence and sexual violence.
LISTEN
There are now more Big Tech lobbyists than MEPs
EU Watchdog Radio by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and Counter Balance
In this episode, CEO’s researcher Bram Vranken talks about their new report which uncovered that there are now more Big Tech lobbyists operating in Brussels than there are members of the European Parliament. The sheer muscle power these companies have to target legislation and to lobby decision makers is unheard of and it is worth reminding ourselves that Big Tech’s lobby power only further entrenches its hold over key aspects of society. Listen to the podcast.
“Jobs and events”
Logos | Campaign Director | Remote (worldwide)
Kamara | Senior Digital and Information Security Specialist | Unspecified
Frontline Defenders | Event & Visa Assistant | Dublin, Ireland
7amleh | Programs Manager | Haifa or Ramallah
Liberties | Executive Director | Berlin, Germany
noyb | Data Protection Lawyer | Vienna, Austria
Wikimedia Foundation | Movement Communications Specialist | Remote
Mozilla | Senior Integrated Marketing Manager | Remote, Germany
Internet Society Foundation | Director, Administration and Travel Management & a Director, Fund Management and Compliance | Remote & Washington, District of Columbia
26/28-11-2025｜European Young Innovators Festival｜by WSA (World Summit Awards)
04-12-2025｜Finance For Society Forum 2025｜by Finance Watch
08-12-2025｜SplinterCon in Paris｜by eQualitie & National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
10.11-12-2025｜Collective Redress and Digital Fairness Conference｜by University of Amsterdam
10.11-12-2025｜International Digital Rights Days｜by Cities Coalition for Digital Rights
10-12-2025｜e-Society.mk 2025: Integrity at the core of digital transformation｜by Metamorphosis Foundation
27/30-12-2025｜39th Chaos Communication Congress (39C3)｜Chaos Computer Club (CCC) and volunteers
23/24-01-2026｜Political Tech Summit｜by Partisan
28-01-2026｜Data Privacy Day｜by Restena Foundation and the Digital Learning Hub
30-12-2026｜EU Open Source Policy Summit 2026｜by Open Forum Europe
16/17-02.2026｜The DSA and Platform Regulation Conference 2026｜The DSA Observatory
30/31-03.2026｜The Palestine Digital Activism Forum (PDAF)｜by 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media
05/08-05-2026｜RightsCon 2026｜by Access Now
About us
European Digital Rights is a dynamic collective of 50+ NGOs, experts, advocates and academics working to defend and advance digital rights across Europe. We advocate for robust and enforced laws, inform and mobilise people, promote a healthy and accountable technology market, and build a movement committed to digital rights in a connected world. Find EDRi on Mastodon for digital rights news updates.
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