UK Online Safety Bill Passed; Critics Fear Impact on Free Speech
The UK’s Online Safety Bill (OSB), targeting social media companies’ user safety, has been passed after six years of deliberation. The legislation mandates platforms to protect from harmful content and remove illegal material. Critics argue it curtails free speech and gives excessive power to tech giants and regulators. Companies face fines up to £18m for […]
China Utilizes Global Shipping for Massive Surveillance and Intelligence Gathering
China has significantly expanded its influence in the global maritime trade, which accounts for 90% of worldwide trade, over the past three decades, now controlling a large portion of foreign ports and manufacturing most shipping containers and ship-to-shore cranes. This dominance enables China to gather strategic data globally, a move that blurs the lines between […]
New EU-US Data Transfer Agreement Faces Legal Challenges in EU Court
French MEP Philippe Latombe, backed by German Bundestag members, has initiated legal actions against the recent EU-US data transfer agreement, aiming to overturn it due to perceived inadequacies in US data protection standards, a stance supported by critics including FDP’s Maximilian Funke-Kaiser. The ongoing dispute underscores a history of unstable data transfer agreements between the […]
EFF: Warrantless Drone Surveillance Violates Fourth Amendment
The EFF has filed an amicus brief with the Michigan Supreme Court in the Long Lake Township v. Maxon case, urging the court to restrict warrantless drone surveillance, which they argue violates the Fourth Amendment and the Michigan Constitution. The EFF countered this argument, emphasizing the unique capabilities of drones to silently gather extensive data […]
Porn Censorship: India/Kerala High Court Rules Watching Porn in Private Not an Offence; Emphasizes Importance of Parental Supervision
India: The Kerala High Court has ruled that watching pornography in private is not a crime according to Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which addresses the distribution and public display of obscene materials. This landmark ruling emphasizes the right to privacy, stating that personal choices in private spaces should not be legally […]
Iran intensifies its crackdown on dissent ahead of the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death.
As the anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini’s death nears, Iran is ramping up its crackdown on civil society, aiming to suppress public commemoration of Amini, a symbol of the government’s systematic oppression, particularly against women. The educational sector is also facing repercussions with university instructors being dismissed and students facing disciplinary actions for their activism. […]
39 Groups Demand Bangladesh Release Rights Defenders Khan, Elan”
39 international organizations are calling on the Bangladesh government to release human rights defenders Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan, associated with the Odhikar group, who are facing imprisonment and fines over accusations of falsifying a 2013 report on extrajudicial killings. The groups criticize the government’s sustained harassment of the duo and other human […]
European Court Rules UK Accountable for Overseas Digital Spying
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the UK’s digital spying on individuals outside its territory is unlawful, marking a significant milestone in the protection of privacy and human rights in the digital era. The case highlighted the UK’s breach of privacy and freedom of expression rights through its bulk interception regime. The […]
DOD Releases 2023 Cyber Strategy Summary
The 2023 DOD Cyber Strategy, recently transmitted to Congress, delineates the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) strategic direction in operationalizing the priorities of various national strategies, building upon the learning from cyber operations experiences and observations from the Russia-Ukraine war. The strategy underscores the augmentation of collective cyber resilience by fostering allies and partners’ cyber […]
Apple Releases Emergency Update to Counter NSO Group Spyware
Apple has responded to two critical vulnerabilities in its mobile operating system exploited by NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, with one discovered by Citizen Lab and the other identified by Apple itself, forming an exploit chain called “Blastpass.” The vulnerabilities could potentially allow attackers to run malicious codes on various Apple devices, including compromising sensitive financial […]