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When will Meta #StopCensoringPalestine?
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Israel-Hamas conflict sparks Meta Oversight Board's first emergency case
In the three weeks following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 7, Meta’s Oversight Board, which reviews complaints about Facebook and Instagram content moderation decisions, reportedly received 20 times the usual number of appeals. Now the board is taking on two expedited cases to investigate the removal and subsequent reinstatement of posts dealing with the Gaza war. The outcome should give civil society more information about whether and how Meta’s response to conflict is evolving. “It’s not clear why some of these exceptions are made for some conflicts [such as Russia/Ukraine] and not others,” Access Now’s Marwa Fatafta told WIRED. “We’re seeing videos and photos, sometimes just from bystanders or journalists, being removed and it’s not clear why. We’re really advocating for more context-specific content moderation.” Read more via WIRED
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LEARN: Gaza media resources
This Sunday is Human Rights Day, and it marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But the crisis in Gaza is only highlighting the continuing struggle for a world where everyone, everywhere is free to enjoy these basic rights. If you’re a human rights defender or journalist documenting rights violations in Gaza, check out these resources from 7amleh, SMEX, Meedan, and WITNESS, explaining how to operate under communications blackouts, document human rights abuses, preserve digital evidence, work with distressing imagery, and stay safe from Israeli spyware, among other expert tips and guidance. Read more via Gaza media resources
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The human cost of digital warfare
Inside Israel’s AI-enabled “mass assassination factory”
A joint investigation by independent media organizations +972 Magazine and Local Call has revealed Israeli use of an AI system called “Habsora” (“The Gospel”) that automatically "generates" military targets in Gaza, reportedly leading to vastly increased bombing of residential homes suspected of harboring Hamas operatives. Read more via +972 Magazine
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How the E.U.’s AI Act could stumble at the last hurdle
As we prepared this newsletter, E.U. policymakers in Brussels had paused final-stage trilogue negotiations on the AI Act, after 22 hours of discussions with no agreement. It's imperative that the necessary human rights protections survive the process. In this X thread, Access Now’s Daniel Leufer explains why the deal currently on the table is not acceptable, pointing out that its purported “ban” on real-time remote biometric identification would actually serve as “a guidebook on how to legitimize a dystopian surveillance technology." Meanwhile, Access Now’s Caterina Rodelli details the specific risks for migrants and refugees if the government ultimately allows dangerous uses of AI— emotion recognition, predictive policing, and biometric profiling — in the migration context. Read more via Access Now
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How nations are losing a global race to tackle AI’s harms
E.U. negotiators aren’t the only ones whose attempts to regulate AI appear to be veering off course. The New York Times looks at the state of play among regulators worldwide, noting that tech companies’ continued pursuit of self-interests and diverging national regulatory efforts could further stymie progress on a “shared code of conduct.” Read more via The New York Times
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Warning: U.S. law enforcement can spy on your phone push notifications
The U.S. government and foreign law enforcement can demand that Apple and Google turn over metadata related to your notifications, allowing authorities to figure out which apps and services you use. That's according to court records and information shared with WIRED by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, who is asking the Department of Justice to allow both companies to be transparent about the surveillance requests they receive. Read more via WIRED
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He wanted privacy. His college gave him none
In the U.S., you can live under constant surveillance without knowing it — even if no one gets a court order or warrant. An investigation from The Markup examines how the average U.S. college student is tracked throughout their school day — including via extensive routine data collection, facial recognition cameras, and license plate readers — and how some students are fighting back. Read more via The Markup
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#KeepItOn: Internet ban lifted in much of Manipur
People in Manipur, India have endured a mobile internet shutdown that lasted more than 200 days, with devastating impacts. This week authorities finally began to restore connectivity, but in some border areas of the state, access is still restricted. While we welcome the end of the shutdown, we urge the government to restore mobile internet across all of Manipur immediately. Read more via India Today
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Opportunities and other highlights
GET HELP: Your digital first aid kit
Worried about your digital safety? CiviCERT and RaReNet – an international network of rapid responders and digital security experts that includes Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline – have updated the Digital First Aid Kit, a free resource to help you get assistance for the most common types of digital emergencies. The kit is now available in 14 languages, and new sections have been added to cover issues like surveillance, defamation, doxxing, and non-consensual sharing of intimate media. Learn more via CiviCert
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LEARN: How to fight internet shutdowns
If you’re a grassroots activist or human rights defender who wants to learn how to campaign against internet shutdowns, Advocacy Assembly’s latest online course is for you. Led by Felicia Anthonio, #KeepItOn Campaign Manager at Access Now, this course will teach you how regimes around the world enact internet shutdowns, and explore the tactics activists are using to fight back. Learn more via Advocacy Assembly
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