✍️ The Bill to Hand Parenting to Big Tech | EFFector 38.2

14 hours 42 minutes ago

Lawmakers in Washington are once again focusing on kids, screens, and mental health. But according to Congress, Big Tech is somehow both the problem and the solution. We're diving into the latest attempt to control how kids access the internet and more with our latest EFFector newsletter.

Since 1990, EFFector has been your guide to understanding the intersection of technology, civil liberties, and the law. This latest issue tracks what to do when you hit an age gate online, explains why rent-only copyright culture makes us all worse off, and covers the dangers of law enforcement purchasing straight-up military drones.

Prefer to listen in? In our audio companion, EFF Senior Policy Analyst Joe Mullin explains what lawmakers should do if they really want to help families. Find the conversation on YouTube or the Internet Archive.

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EFFECTOR 38.2 - ✍️ THE BILL TO HAND PARENTING TO BIG TECH

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Christian Romero

Raport i brendshëm i BE-së: Schengeni po kthehet në një fortesë

16 hours 5 minutes ago

Një raport i brendshëm i Bashkimit Evropian, i siguruar nga organizata monitoruese Statewatch, zbulon planet dhe prirjet për forcimin e mëtejshëm të kontrollit të kufijve dhe politikave të migracionit në zonën Schengen gjatë gjysmës së parë të vitit 2025, me theks të veçantë te dëbimet, mbikëqyrja dhe militarizimi i kufijve.

Full article: Raport i brendshëm i BE-së: Schengeni po kthehet në një fortesë

See our story: Schengen borders: more deportations, surveillance and militarisation in the works

Statewatch

Ue-Usa: l’accordo per i dati privati di tutti gli europei

16 hours 14 minutes ago

Non solo la Groenlandia e il Venezuela. Donald Trump vuole mettere le mani sui dati più sensibili dei cittadini italiani ed europei. Database di polizia con impronte digitali, dati biometrici e altri dati finirebbero nelle mani del Department of Homeland Security sotto cui operano gli agenti dell’Ice, la controversa polizia di frontiera Usa, finita sui...

Full article (paywalled): Ue-Usa: l’accordo per i dati privati di tutti gli europei

The story makes use of our work on the EU-USA Enhanced Border Security Partnership.

Statewatch

Ausweitung der Passagierdatenspeicherung: EU plant Überwachung von sämtlichen Reisewegen

16 hours 19 minutes ago

Nun hat die NGO Statewatch ein bislang als vertraulich eingestuftes Dokument des EU-Rates veröffentlicht, welches die Pläne der damaligen dänischen EU-Ratspräsidentschaft zur Ausweitung der Beschattung von Reisenden in Europa aufzeigt. Dabei werden in dem Schreiben mit dem Titel "Reiseinformationen: Ein möglicher Weg vorwärts" auch Einschätzungen der Mitgliedstaaten zusammengefasst, die zuvor schriftlich eingeholt wurden. Plan des dänischen Vorstoßes ist unter anderem die "Nutzung von Reiseinformationen über die Strafverfolgung hinaus, zum Beispiel für das Grenzmanagement und die Migration".

Full article: Ausweitung der Passagierdatenspeicherung: EU plant Überwachung von sämtlichen Reisewegen

Our story: EU member states want to expand police surveillance of travel

 

Statewatch

Surveillance of travel routes: EU plans to expand passenger data storage

16 hours 23 minutes ago

The digital surveillance of travelers within the EU is to be significantly expanded. What has so far primarily concerned air passengers, many member states want to extend to almost all cross-border means of transport. An internal document of the EU Council, published by the civil liberties organization Statewatch, reveals the plans of the former Danish EU Council Presidency for the further development of the shadowing of tourists and business travelers. The paper, initially classified as confidential, clarifies that security authorities are aiming for "transport-neutral" surveillance.

Full article: Surveillance of travel routes: EU plans to expand passenger data storage 

Our story: EU member states want to expand police surveillance of travel

Statewatch

DSA Human Rights Alliance Publishes Principles Calling for DSA Enforcement to Incorporate Global Perspectives

1 day 2 hours ago

The Digital Services Act (DSA) Human Rights Alliance has, since its founding by EFF and Access Now in 2021, worked to ensure that the European Union follows a human rights-based approach to platform governance by integrating a wide range of voices and perspectives to contextualise DSA enforcement and examining the DSA’s effect on tech regulations around the world.

As the DSA moves from legislation to enforcement, it has become increasingly clear that its impact depends not only on the text of the Act but also how it’s interpreted and enforced in practice. This is why the Alliance has created a set of recommendations to include civil society organizations and rights-defending stakeholders in the enforcement process. 

 The Principles for a Human Rights-Centred Application of the DSA: A Global Perspective, a report published this week by the Alliance, outlines steps the European Commission, as the main DSA enforcer, as well as national policymakers and regulators, should take to bring diverse groups to the table as a means of ensuring that the implementation of the DSA is grounded in human rights standards.

 The Principles also offer guidance for regulators outside the EU who look to the DSA as a reference framework and international bodies and global actors concerned with digital governance and the wider implications of the DSA. The Principles promote meaningful stakeholder engagement and emphasize the role of civil society organisations in providing expertise and acting as human rights watchdogs.

“Regulators and enforcers need input from civil society, researchers, and affected communities to understand the global dynamics of platform governance,” said EFF International Policy Director Christoph Schmon. “Non-EU-based civil society groups should be enabled to engage on equal footing with EU stakeholders on rights-focused elements of the DSA. This kind of robust engagement will help ensure that DSA enforcement serves the public interest and strengthens fundamental rights for everyone, especially marginalized and vulnerable groups.”

“As activists are increasingly intimidated, journalists silenced, and science and academic freedom attacked by those who claim to defend free speech, it is of utmost importance that the Digital Services Act's enforcement is centered around the protection of fundamental rights, including the right to the freedom of expression,” said Marcel Kolaja, Policy & Advocacy Director—Europe at Access Now. “To do so effectively, the global perspective needs to be taken into account. The DSA Human Rights Principles provide this perspective and offer valuable guidance for the European Commission, policymakers, and regulators for implementation and enforcement of policies aiming at the protection of fundamental rights.”

“The Principles come at the crucial moment for the EU candidate countries, such as Serbia, that have been aligning their legislation with the EU acquis but still struggle with some of the basic rule of law and human rights standards,” said Ana Toskic Cvetinovic, Executive Director for Partners Serbia. “The DSA HR Alliance offers the opportunity for non-EU civil society to learn about the existing challenges of DSA implementation and design strategies for impacting national policy development in order to minimize any negative impact on human rights.”

 The Principles call for:

◼ Empowering EU and non-EU Civil Society and Users to Pursue DSA Enforcement Actions

◼ Considering Extraterritorial and Cross-Border Effects of DSA Enforcement

◼ Promoting Cross-Regional Collaboration Among CSOs on Global Regulatory Issues

◼ Establishing Institutionalised Dialogue Between EU and Non-EU Stakeholders

◼ Upholding the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights in DSA Enforcement, Free from Political Influence

◼ Considering Global Experiences with Trusted Flaggers and Avoid Enforcement Abuse

◼ Recognising the International Relevance of DSA Data Access and Transparency Provisions for Human Rights Monitoring

The Principles have been signed by 30 civil society organizations,researchers, and independent experts.

The DSA Human Right Alliance represents diverse communities across the globe to ensure that the DSA embraces a human rights-centered approach to platform governance and that EU lawmakers consider the global impacts of European legislation.

 

Karen Gullo