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AI-accelerated warfare must stop
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From Gaza to Iran, embedding AI systems into military kill chains is rapidly accelerating the speed and scale of military assaults — threatening accountability in conflict and increasing the risk of international criminal, human rights, and humanitarian law violations. Together with Amnesty International and 200+ civil society organizations and experts worldwide, we call on governments and tech companies to halt the use of these systems. “We need the hollow ethical posturing to stop, and real accountability to begin,” says Access Now’s Daniel Leufer. Read more via Access Now
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Data, decisions, and death: examining AI in contemporary warfare
What happens when war moves at machine speed? The Arab Reform Initiative details how AI-enabled systems are reshaping modern warfare in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. As one analyst warns, AI can enable “the effective results of carpet bombing without losing the legitimacy of a data-driven assault with targets and objectives” — turning automated decisions into devastating human consequences. Read more via Arab Reform Initiative
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Surveilled, targeted, and now hacked: WFP must protect Palestinians in Gaza after massive data breach
Data is fuel for militarized AI and surveillance systems. We condemn the cyberattack on the World Food Programme (WFP) that exposed the personal data of 600,000 Palestinian households in Gaza, including their names, ID numbers, and locations. Together with our partners, we’re calling on WFP to urgently ensure transparency, investigate the breach, and take immediate steps to prevent further harm. In some contexts a data breach can be a matter of life or death, and humanitarian organizations must put protection, accountability, and the safety of affected communities first. Read more via Access Now
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READ: “Palantir and the World Food Programme: the egregious partnership at the heart of the world’s largest humanitarian supply chain”
When humanitarian organizations embark on tech partnerships without building in the necessary human rights safeguards, they open the door to privacy violations, surveillance and targeting, and other forms of exploitation and abuse. A new report from the research and advocacy collective Tech for Bad takes a close look at the WFP’s longtime partnership with data analytics and military tech supplier Palantir, highlighting the risks of embedding military-linked technology into humanitarian data ecosystems and calling on WFP to rethink the partnership and prioritize people’s safety over corporate tech solutions. Read more via Tech for Bad
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EU approves home raids and surveillance to increase deportations
Imagine having your home invaded by police with no court order, and being asked to turn over your phone, or provide your biometric data — like your fingerprints — through “coercion” if necessary. On Wednesday, the European Parliament ignored warnings from civil society and adopted a dangerous position on the proposed Deportation Regulation that would expand powers to conduct surveillance and deportation raids in ways that put people’s sensitive data at risk, legitimize racial profiling, and undermine fundamental rights. Follow We Keep_Us Safe to stay informed on how to push back. Read more via We Keep Us Safe
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Tell us what you think: Does this newsletter work for you?
While we have your attention, we’d also love to get your feedback. If you haven’t yet taken our short six-question survey, please do so now, and we’ll use your feedback to deliver the information you need in the fight for digital rights. Take the survey via Access Now
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Opportunities and other highlights
APPLY: AI Accountability Fellowships
The Pulitzer Center is accepting applications for its AI Accountability Fellowships, supporting journalists investigating how AI systems shape decisions across policing, medicine, social welfare, criminal justice, and beyond. Fellows receive up to USD $25,000 in funding, mentorship, and training to pursue in-depth accountability reporting on AI’s real-world impacts. Learn more and apply by July 12. Read more via the Pulitzer Center
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