Spying on journalists? Just say no

This week the Council of the E.U. adopted its position on the European Media Freedom Act, a proposal intended to “safeguard media freedom, pluralism and independence.” But the text includes carve-outs that would allow E.U. governments to surveil journalists on spurious “national security” grounds. Along with EDRi and other civil society partners, we urged lawmakers to close the dangerous loopholes that threaten free expression and journalists’ personal safety. Now that the council’s position is final, these loopholes must be fixed during the trilogue negotiations. Read the open letter here. Read more via EDRi

Spyware vs. press freedom

Khashoggi’s widow sues NSO over phone hacking

Around the world, spyware is used to intimidate and silence journalists working to expose corruption, uncover human rights abuses, and hold governments to account. From Armenia to Togo, more than 180 journalists in over 20 countries have been targeted. This must stop. We stand with those fighting for accountability – including Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, widow of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has filed a lawsuit against spyware firm NSO Group. Read more via Reuters

The ghost in the machine

How existential risk became the biggest meme in AI

It's rare to see an article about AI these days that doesn't include the words “existential threat." While some dismiss this language as harmless hyperbole, it's a dangerous distraction from the real risks of AI technologies. So why are some tech company leaders engaging in this kind of fear-mongering? It may be part of a strategy to gain power, argues Signal's Meredith Whittaker: “Ghost stories are contagious [...] It’s a significant thing to cast yourself as the creator of an entity that could be more powerful than human beings.” Read more via MIT Technology Review

Watch: Meredith Whittaker, ghostbuster

In an in-depth interview with The Wire at RightsCon Costa Rica earlier this month, Whittaker explained why tech industry leaders and government agencies often push for tech policy based on “fantasy not reality” – and why defending human rights entails busting those myths. Watch the full interview here. Read more via The Wire

Exclusive: OpenAI lobbied the E.U. to water down AI regulation

A week after the European Parliament voted to approve the E.U. AI Act, TIME broke the news that while OpenAI – the maker of ChatGPT – was publicly calling for stronger AI regulations, it was also working behind the scenes to weaken the proposed legislation. “It’s very confusing because they’re talking to politicians saying, ‘Please regulate us,’ they’re boasting about all the [safety] stuff that they do, but as soon as you say, ‘Well, let’s take you at your word and set that as a regulatory floor,’ they say no," says Access Now's Daniel Leufer. Read more via TIME

Algorithmic injustice

In Jordan, poverty-targeting algorithms harm rights

Social security nets are supposed to protect people from poverty. But what happens when an algorithm decides who gets help? A new Human Rights Watch report reveals that Jordan’s automated cash transfer system, which was developed with support from the World Bank, uses flawed and discriminatory socio-economic indicators to rank people's worthiness for assistance — leading to denial of funds even as people "go hungry, fall behind on rent, and take on crippling debt." Read more via Human Rights Watch

Humans are biased. Generative AI is even worse

A Bloomberg investigation looked at 5,000 images generated by Stable Diffusion, revealing that the model generates images of lighter-skinned people when prompted with terms such as “CEO,” “lawyer,” or “architect,” while the terms “housekeeper” or “janitor” consistently produce images of darker-skinned subjects — with three times as many female subjects as men. Read more via Bloomberg

Watch: How to address the risks of generative AI

A new report from Forbrukerrådet, the Norwegian Consumer Council, examines the real-world risks of generative AI in detail, offering policy recommendations to ensure that its development and use are "safe, reliable, and fair." Watch the launch webinar for an overview of the report and analysis from a panel of experts, including Access Now's Daniel Leufer. Watch Now via Forbrukerrådet

When no internet = no food, no pay, no vote

“Digital India” keeps shutting down the internet

Even as Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi touts the country’s tech credentials during a state visit to the U.S. this week, Indian authorities continue to reflexively impose internet shutdowns like the one in Manipur. These disruptions have reportedly caused more economic damage in the first half of this year than they did in the whole of 2022. As Access Now’s Raman Jit Singh Chima observes, “A country cannot seek to provide global digital leadership without stopping being the world's worst perpetrator of shutdowns.” Read more via Access Now

Report: “No internet means no work, no pay, no food”

Every time Indian authorities order an internet shutdown, ordinary people pay the price. In a new report, Human Rights Watch and the Internet Freedom Foundation document just how devastating deliberate network disruptions can be. The Indian government’s increasing push to digitize almost all services – from applying for food rations, to recording work attendance for salary payment purposes – means that when the internet is cut off, access to all these services is too, leaving people without access to information, vital government services, and even food. Read more via Human Rights Watch

As Sierra Leone votes, authorities must #KeepItOn

Authorities in Sierra Leone repeatedly shut down the internet last year during anti-government protests. Now, as voters prepare for the contentious general election this weekend, Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition are closely watching to ensure the government maintains open, secure, and accessible internet access. “Open internet access is a gateway to democracy,” says Access Now’s Felicia Anthonio. “Internet shutdowns are attempts to barricade the power of the people.” Read more via Access Now

Our data, our rights

The GDPR, but with more teeth

Last month, we celebrated the 5th anniversary of the E.U.'s landmark General Data Protection Regulation, publishing a report outlining how it should be strengthened. Now, we've joined 10 other civil society organizations in an open letter to the European Commission that details the minimum steps they must take to improve GDPR enforcement and protect Europeans' rights. Read more via Access Now

Opportunities and other highlights

Help us improve STOP, the Shutdown Tracker Optimization Project

As the #KeepItOn campaign enters its eighth year, Access Now is committed to improving our documentation, verification, and reporting of internet shutdowns around the world. If you'd like to help, please fill out this quick survey. We thank you for your time and valuable feedback. Read more via Access Now

AI to content moderation: Five highlights from RightsCon

What are the top takeaways from this year's RightsCon? While the Access Now team continues to reflect on the summit, outcomes, and next steps, Context offers a useful overview of some of the most-discussed themes. If you want to dive deeper into a specific subject, check out the sessions we’re sharing on our YouTube channel. Read more via Context

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