Experts: Apple’s removal of news apps in Russia sets “dangerous precedent”

In a blow to free expression, Apple has removed two news apps, including one from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), from its app store in Russia — once again bowing to Roskomnadzor, the country’s censorship agency. Apple previously removed multiple popular VPN apps in Russia, jeopardizing the work of journalists, academics, and human rights defenders. Repeatedly toeing Roskomnadzor’s line condemns people in Russia to unbounded digital dictatorship. We urge Apple to push back, including by being more transparent about its decisions. Read more via VOA

A bad treaty is worse than no treaty

EU member states should vote “no” on UN cybercrime treaty

With the UN General Assembly set to vote on the dangerous Cybercrime Convention before the end of the year, Access Now joined 28 other civil society organizations in a letter urging EU leaders to reject it outright. As Access Now’s Raman Jit Singh Chima has been warning, adopting this convention “will actually provide an excuse for many states to justify current repression and constitute a flawed global standard, poisoning the design of national cybercrime laws for decades to come.” Read more via HRW

ICYMI: FAQ on the UN Cybercrime Convention

Why is civil society united against this treaty? If you missed it, our FAQ gives you the basics, explaining why it would make everyone less safe — legitimizing harmful surveillance, undermining vital security research, and endangering whistleblowers, journalists, and human rights defenders worldwide. Read more via Access Now

Seeking safety is not a crime

EU leaders: Change course and end your war on migrants

The push to build “Fortress Europe” has been gaining momentum of late. Several EU member states are adopting more restrictive border policies and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is promising to expand agreements with third countries to keep people out, despite growing evidence of ongoing, related human rights abuses. Now, migrant-led organizations are demanding the EU change course, ending “a trajectory of worsening demonization of migrants and the complete erosion of international law.” Read their letter, which we strongly support. Read more via Equinox

Digital surveillance at Europe’s edges — a case study from Greece

Technology is a cornerstone of “Fortress Europe.” Check out our recent three-part blog series in which Access Now’s Caterina Rodelli examines how digital borders are deployed in Greece; from harmful innovation and rights-infringing research programs, to detention centers that provide a blueprint for mass surveillance anywhere. Read more via Access Now

Not so fast, Sandvine

Sandvine must make good on its commitments and stop harming human rights

Canadian surveillance firm Sandvine has a long and well-documented history of facilitating alleged human rights violations in countries including Egypt, Belarus, and Russia. Yet after Sandvine recently announced plans for reform, the U.S. swiftly removed the company from its Entity List. We worry that this removal is premature, and we want to see evidence that Sandvine will follow up on its commitments to protect human rights. Read our new coalition open letter to Sandvine with 21 other leading civil society organizations and individuals, demanding that the company explain its next steps in detail. Read more via Access Now

Legal barriers complicate justice for spyware victims

Seeking accountability for spyware abuse in court is extremely challenging. CybersScoop provides a helpful overview of recent litigation against spyware makers in the U.S. and elsewhere, digging into the reasons why. According to the Citizen Lab, almost 60 legal actions have been brought against spyware makers since 2011; of these, 39 are against the Israeli firm NSO Group, maker of the infamous Pegasus spyware. Read more via CyberScoop

Access Now’s Natalia Krapiva wins CyberScoop award

We’re thrilled to share the news that our Senior Tech-Legal Counsel, Natalia Krapiva, has been selected as a 2024 CyberScoop award winner for her leadership in cybersecurity. Natalia works to prevent and mitigate risks to Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline and leads our work engaging courts and legal processes to defend digital rights. She has also co-authored a number of Access Now’s investigations on spyware abuse. She is one of five recognized in the “Most Inspiring Up-and-Comer” category. Congratulations to Natalia and the other honorees! Read more via CyberScoop

The destruction is deliberate

REPORT: "Gaza telecommunications infrastructure: damage assessment and humanitarian impact”

Since the start of the war in Gaza more than a year ago, an estimated 75% of Gaza's telecommunications infrastructure has been damaged, with at least 50% completely destroyed, according to service providers Palestine Telecommunications Company (Paltel) and Ooredoo. A new report from 7amleh dives into the damage, noting that only 30% of the communication towers and telecommunications infrastructure components in Gaza are currently operational. As the report highlights, this is having a debilitating impact on the people trapped in Gaza, as they struggle to stay connected with each other and the world. Read more via 7amleh

Opportunities and other highlights

WE’RE HIRING: Program Associate - MENA

We’re looking for a Program Associate to assist our MENA Policy and Advocacy Director and the wider MENA policy team in delivering on regional advocacy priorities. If you are proficient in both English and Arabic, and have a deep understanding of the digital rights issues and challenges people in the MENA region are facing, check out the position description and apply. Read more via Access Now

Share a story to stop surveillance copaganda

There’s less than a month to go until the deadline for submissions to our first-ever literature showcase, organized in partnership with Fight for the Future, Strange Horizons, and COMPOST Magazine, which will be launched at RightsCon 2025 (Taipei and online, February 24-27). Submit a maximum 5,000-word, unpublished, original piece of fiction that highlights the realities and harms of surveillance technologies; inspire the creation of a new anti-surveillance toolkit; and maybe even win a trip to Taipei for RightsCon! Read more via Access Now