Electronic Frontier Foundation
This open letter to the UK government from over 80 national and international civil society organisations, including APC, academics and cyberexperts raises concerns about the serious threat to the security of private and encrypted messaging posed by the Online Safety Bill.
APC and the other signatories of this open letter urge the Department of Telecommunications to withdraw the Draft Indian Telecommunication Bill and to prepare a new rights-respecting version, in consultation with stakeholders.
APC and the other signatories of this open letter stress that India – as the world’s largest democracy, and second largest base of internet users – has an opportunity to draft an exemplary legislation that ensures the protection of human rights in the digital age.
APC and other civil society organisations are concerned that the gateway will supercharge the government’s censorship capabilities, allowing it to scale up its website blocking, and could generate self-censorship online among critical voices and independent media outlets.
As the final stage of the trialogue negotiations on the Digital Services Act (DSA) is approaching, ECNL, as part of the DSA Human Rights Alliance, is calling for the Act to truly comply with international human rights standards.
APC and other organisations believe the draft regulations are inconsistent with the international human rights framework, imperil people’s freedom of expression and right to privacy, and could put journalists, dissidents, activists and vulnerable communities, in particular, at greater risk.
In 2020, Facebook (now Meta) commissioned the law firm Foley Hoag to conduct a Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) to evaluate its role in spreading hate speech and incitement to violence on its services in India. A year and a half later, the HRIA has not yet been released.
A joint letter urges members of the UN Ad Hoc Committee drafting a potential Cybercrime Treaty to ensure that human rights protections are included at every step and global civil society is provided opportunities to participate in the development process.
Following revelations that Israeli NSO Group’s Pegasus Spyware was used to hack the devices of six Palestinian human rights activists, we urge the EU to take serious and effective measures against NSO Group, including its designation under the EU’s global human rights sanctions regime.
APC joins other organisations and individuals to express concern over Digital Platforms Regulation Bill Nº 14.561-19, which is being discussed in the Chilean congress. The bill establishes rules that end up being dangerous for the exercise of fundamental rights on the internet.
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2022
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