European Digital Rights was founded in June 2002. Currently 35 privacy and civil rights organisations have EDRi membership. They are based or have offices in 21 different countries in Europe.
Members of European Digital Rights have joined forces to defend civil rights in the information society. The need for cooperation among organisations active in Europe is increasing as more regulation regarding the internet, copyright and privacy is originating from European institutions, or from international institutions with strong impact in Europe.
News & announcements
Leaked Regulation: Schrödinger's net neutrality on its way in Europe
11 July, 2013
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A curious text is currently circulating in the Brussels bubble: It is the draft Regulation for a telecoms single market (pdf) mentioned by Commissioner Neelie Kroes, responsible for Europe's Digital Agenda, in her speech in front of the European Parliament last Tuesday, 9 July (Update: Consolidated version, pdf). During this speech, she emphasised the necessity to include “the right to net neutrality” in the upcoming instrument. “Blocking or throttling services isn't just unfair and annoying for users – it's a death sentence for innovators too. So I will guarantee net neutrality” she stressed.
We have written many articles and have waited for years for concrete actions from Commissioner Kroes. We patiently responded to consultation after consultation, despite the facts already being known to the Commission. Since 2010, there has been an increasing number of calls from the European Parliament to guarantee net neutrality by law. In January 2013, the report (pdf) by the Commission's own "High Level Group on Media Pluralism" recommended legislation to safeguard net neutrality in Europe. Now the Commission is taking the first important steps – or so Commissioner Kroes would have us believe.
British Conservative's report demands long list of EU actions on gambling, including web blocking
8 July, 2013
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The European Parliament has a committee dedicated to enhancing the European single market and consumer protection. This is a good thing. Imagine how such a committee would react to an industry that is hampered by protectionism, national monopolies and the blocking of foreign services that offer better value for money. Well, you don't have to imagine, because the so-called IMCO Committee recently adopted a report on Online Gambling (PDF). The result should be great, right? Unfortunately not.
The ACTA Archive
4 July, 2013
Today is the first anniversary of the rejection of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in the European Parliament – after months of debates, a large majority of Parliamentarians voted against the adoption. This is the perfect time to gather all documents that have ever been produced by EDRi on this Agreement, to recall who were the stakeholders involved in the negotiation process within the EP and the NGOs who fought along with EDRi against ACTA.
A little bit of history
Many NGOs and international organisations advocated for the rejection of ACTA, which was a plurilateral agreement for the purpose of establishing international standards for the enforcement of intellectual property rights. It aimed to establish an international legal framework for targeting counterfeit goods and medicines and copyright infringements on the Internet.PRISM / NSA – Will the European Parliament be able to think strategically?
3 July, 2013
The European Parliament will vote tomorrow (4 July) on a Resolution on the alleged spying activities of the United States National Security Agency.
Ever since European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding sent a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder, Europe has been waiting for a response to the extensive and serious allegations of abuse of European citizens' data and even of spying on the offices of the EU and Member States.
Data protection in TTIP/TAFTA – how to make a bad situation worse
13 June, 2013
Data protection in TTIP/TAFTA – how to make a bad situation worse
The Financial Times and Washington Post reported on 13 June that the European Commission – before the full scope of PRISM became known – watered down its proposed Data Protection Regulation to weaken rules for transferring data to law enforcement authorities outside the EU.
If these rules had been maintained, the position of the European Union in future negotiations with the USA on law enforcement access to data would have been f
The Data Protection Archive
12 June, 2013
This archive gathers all documents and material produced by EDRi on the Data Protection Regulation and Directive.
