#DigitalRights#HumanRights#Refugees#Migrants: "Amnesty International has today published an introductory briefing on the pervasive and rapid deployment of digital technologies in asylum and migration management systems across the globe including the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union.
Defending the Rights of refugees and Migrants in the Digital Age, highlights some of the key digital technology developments in asylum and migration management systems, in particular systems that process large quantities of data, and the human rights issues arising from their use.
“This is a snapshot of some of the key digital technology developments in asylum and migration management systems focusing on the increasing digital alternatives to detention, border externalisation technologies, data software, biometrics and algorithmic decision-making systems,” said Matt Mahmoudi, Amnesty International Adviser on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights Technology.
“The proliferation of these technologies risk perpetuating and reinforcing discrimination, racism, disproportionate and unlawful surveillance against racialised people.”"
Reflecting on the past month, I've decided to make some changes. Farewell to #meta, #google, #X, and even #Microsoft. Transitioning to services like #protonmail and embracing the #fediverse has been surprisingly smooth for me. And it could be for others, friends, and families online. All we need is a spark of conversation, introducing folks to spaces they might not have explored yet.
And, finally, I'm a criminology masters student in my 40s, returning to university, with an interest in researching digital #surveillance and #privacy.
#CPJ è preoccupato per la decisione del 4feb2024 delle autorità di #Senegal di interrompere l'accesso a Internet mobile, in un contesto di tensione politica conseguente al rinvio a tempo indeterminato delle elezioni nel paese.
Le chiusure di #Internet lasciano i giornalisti in difficoltà nel riportare le notizie in modo tempestivo, nel verificare i fatti sulla disinformazione e nel contattare le fonti in modo sicuro. #KeepItOn#DigitalRights
cc: @quinta@informapirata@sbarrax@laura@oKolobos
#EU#AI#AIAct#CivilSociety#DigitalRights: "Since even before the release of the original AI Act proposal, civil society have been demanding a clear framework of human rights protection for the use of dangerous AI systems. In November 2021, over 100 civil society organisations called for concrete changes in the Act to put fundamental rights first.
If the AI Act passes, it will introduce some important improvements designed to enhance technical standards and increase accountability and transparency for the use of high-risk AI. It will even take (very limited) steps to prohibit some AI uses. However, there are also severe causes for concern with the final AI Act text. Putting aside those areas where the EU has simply not gone far enough to prevent harm, the AI Act may contribute to broader shifts which expand and legitimise the surveillance activities of police and migration control authorities, resulting in major implications for fundamental rights in the face of AI systems." https://edri.org/our-work/council-to-vote-on-eu-ai-act-whats-at-stake/
#DigitalRights#Privacy#AI: "Since EFF was formed in 1990, we’ve been working hard to protect digital rights for all. And as each year passes, we’ve come to understand the challenges and opportunities a little better, as well as what we’re not willing to accept.
Accordingly, here’s what we’d like to see a lot more of, and a lot less of, in 2024."
There is a lot to build in
the digital rights and data privacy realm.
Embrace the arrival of
more trustworthy end-to-end encrypted and privacy-focused messaging apps, email services, VPN services, browsers, operating systems, mobile devices, security tokens, etc.
Embrace the development of
more organizations, groups, and projects growing to defend our digital rights and fight to make the future a brighter place.
🗓️ The 24 January 2024, online or in Brussels, explore the systems that shape the field of #privacy and #DigitalRights!
🤝#PrivacyCamp24 is organised by EDRi along with LSTS, Privacy Salon, Institute for European Studies at UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles, Institute for Information Law (IViR) & the Racism and Technology Centre.
Every time I look at the drawers of 'put away' items, especially old cell phones and tablets, I see still-functioning devices that could continue to serve a purpose. Take, for example, the old Motorola phone my mother discarded due to years without security updates. I believe it's no less efficient than an old Raspberry PI - it even has a screen, good built-in WiFi, various sensors, a camera, etc. Yet, this Android terminal has been abandoned since 2018, and I feel quite insecure running software on it.
The European Union, often too focused on bureaucracy and not enough on the real world, did make progress with USB-C. It would be wonderful if they could mandate manufacturers to open up their devices once they are abandoned. I dream of being able to install an updated OpenSource OS (not necessarily *BSD, but at least Linux) detached from Android, or at least an AOSP version of Android, without resorting to questionable binaries from XDA.
Essentially saying: 'You've bought my device, I won’t update it anymore, but since the hardware still works, you're on your own but you can keep it running.'
My drawers are full of high-quality, still usable but abandoned devices. I'd rather use my old Huawei as a surveillance camera (which now has outdated and unupdated software) than any device sending my images to obscure clouds in countries with questionable laws.
I'm considering starting a petition – not sure if there are any yet, will do some research – but I'm fairly certain it won't lead to much. Planned obsolescence is a concept too ingrained in today's technology, and there are too many interests behind it.