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Monthly update on human rights & tech: August 2023

The umpteenth social media monitoring fail, Meta ordered to hand over user information, and storm Poly teaches government a valuable lesson about social media: a quick read through the most interesting developments at the intersection of human rights and technology from the Netherlands. This is the sixth in a series.

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Monthly update on human rights & tech: May 2023

Criticism piling onto Dutch mass surveillance plans, GDPR lows and highs, and a vigilant Parliament speaks out against client-side device scanning: a quick read through the most interesting developments at the intersection of human rights and technology from the Netherlands. This is the fifth in a series.

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Monthly update on human rights & tech: April 2023

Good and bad news for Dutch surveillance powers, and a promising position on the AI Act: a quick read through the most interesting developments at the intersection of human rights and technology from the Netherlands. This is the fourth in a series.

DOSSIER: Jouw data post

GDPR-compliance research within the ten largest municipalities

Bits of Freedom has done research on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)-compliance within the ten largest municipalities of the Netherlands. Unfortunately, most municipalities scored a failing grade, despite the fact that the GDPR has celebrated its fourth anniversary.

DOSSIER: Platformen post

8 new rules that will protect you from online platforms

At the start of 2024, the Digital Services Act (DSA) will come into effect. That means that there will be many new rules that will benefit users of platforms like Google, Instagram, and TikTok. We read the textRead the final text of the DSA here! –which has just been final–which has just been finalized– and list 8 rules that will soon protect your rights from online platforms.

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Preliminary report on the tooling of the European digital rights field

Between June and July 2022 we interviewed 10 civil society organizations about their use of digital tooling. With still a number of interviews to go, we wish to report back on our first findings in order to allow for early and easy feedback. This report, therefore, offers a summary of our first findings.

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What’s going on in Brussels?

A quick overview of the EU legislative proposals we are involved with, and what to expect.

DOSSIER: Freedom of communication post

European Commission wants to eliminate online confidentiality

The Commission wants platforms and internet providers to do the impossible. With its proposal, it threatens to eliminate confidentiality online.

DOSSIER: State surveillance post

The secret services try again

Crises are easily used to legitimise sweeping powers.

DOSSIER: State surveillance post

Academics call for binding supervision of secret services

This scientific opinion also recommends binding powers for the supervisor of the secret services.

DOSSIER: Data justice post

The European Commission does not sufficiently understand the need for a better AI Act

The Dutch Senate shares the same concerns we’ve expressed about the AI Act and wrote to the European Commission about it. The response of the Commission is not exactly reassuring.

DOSSIER: State surveillance post

Unfriendly reminder: The secret services are still stealing our data

The secret services are unlawfully holding our data. This is not allowed by law and not by the oversight committee. The system fails to protect us.

DOSSIER: State surveillance post

Update on the Dutch “Dragnet-Act”: One step forward, two steps back?

The Amendment Act to the Dragnet-Act passed the Senate. The improvements therein do not go far enough, but they are in the right direction. The newly acquired safeguards must not be overturned.

DOSSIER: State surveillance post

Dutch Senate votes in favor of dragnet surveillance powers

Dragnet surveillance in the Netherlands is a fact. Last night a new bill for the secret services was passed that allows for the systematic and large-scale interception of citizens’ communication.

DOSSIER: State surveillance post

Dutch House of Representatives passes dragnet surveillance bill

On February 14, 2017 the bill for the new Intelligence and Security Services Act was passed by the Dutch lower house. Despite being met with serious opposition from experts, regulators, civil society, political parties and citizens, the revised bill passed virtually unchanged from the proposal submitted to the lower house. It’s beyond disappointing that a bill with such momentous consequences is rushed through the lower house with such relentless determination.