mastodon 4.6.9European Center for Not-for-Profit Law: empowering civil society through legal and policy frameworks that protect civic freedoms.
🚨 No more AI Act loopholes!
🚫 Letting AI providers hide the fact that they exempted themselves from the #AIAct’s high-risk requirements is not simplification. This is the weakening of transparency safeguards.
W/ 60 orgs we call on EU to uphold rights safeguards and reject harmful proposals as part of the AI Omnibus:
@edri@eupolicy.social
@article19
@CenDemTech
@bitsoffreedom
@LaQuadrature
@HomoDigitalisGR
@epicenter_works
@digitalcourage@digitalcourage.social @panoptykon@eupolicy.social
🎙️ New #podcast by ECNL and TAI: Let’s rethink #resilience
💡 Hear from civil society leaders from Ukraine, Serbia, Kenya, Brazil and the global human rights field on what resilience means to them.
🎧 Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0eFNJn1RP0NrVziFvW4vmM
💡 How can civil society ensure new technologies protect rights?
Fundamental Rights Impact Assessments (FRIAs) are a key tool, now required for high-risk AI.
We’ve launched a new learning package to help you understand and engage with FRIAs.
📖 Start learning today: https://learningcenter.ecnl.org/learning-package/fundamental-rights-impact-assessments-accountability-paper-and-practice
Dive deeper with the full guide:
https://ecnl.org/publications/guide-fundamental-rights-impact-assessments-fria
📢 What does #CivilDisobedience look like for migrants and migrant-rights defenders?
💡Our new paper explores protest rights, migration control, civil disobedience and digital surveillance. How do existing legal frameworks apply? Are current safeguards enough?
👉 https://ecnl.org/publications/civil-disobedience-digitally-networked-spaces
📢 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 #𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Repression no longer stops at national borders. Our new report explores how AI is making #TNR faster, more scalable, and harder to detect.
🔍 It looks at
🔹AI-enabled surveillance
🔹AI platforms
🔹gaps in #TechPolicy
📥 Read the full report here: https://ecnl.org/publications/how-ai-powering-transnational-repression
Technology knows no borders - and neither should the efforts to protect #HumanRights.
🌐 Call for nominations to become a member of the #IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group is now open!
📆 Apply by 26 February: https://www.intgovforum.org/en/content/mag-2026-renewal
📖 Want to learn more? Check out our IGF guidance to discover who can apply and how: https://ecnl.org/publications/practical-guidance-engaging-internet-standardisation-and-governance-bodies
❗ Experienced editor/proofreader (5+ yrs experience in reviewing analytical reports, civic freedoms terminology) wanted for the Monitoring Action for Civic Space (#MACS) project.
📖 You will review 7 country reports to ensure clarity, consistency, accuracy, and alignment with our standards.
💡 Our goal is to advance democratic rights and European values by empowering civil society.
Apply by 8 December: https://ecnl.org/job-openings
#Hiring #JobOpportunity #Editor #Proofreading #HumanRights
🚀 Out now: Framework for Meaningful Engagement 2.0
Civil society & affected communities must be part of #AI development to ensure that platforms & developers create rights-based products.
The #FME 2.0 provides practical suggestions on how to do this: https://ecnl.org/publications/framework-meaningful-engagement-20
✨ Make your voice stronger in shaping #DigitalPolicy!
✍ Apply to a new #CADE training to help you build policy expertise and diplomatic skills!
📅 Ddl: 30 Nov 2025
➡️ Apply now: https://cadeproject.org/in-focus/capacity-development-programme-for-csos-20252026/
👀 #AI -driven #surveillance and #security programs that governments may justify under #NationalSecurity exemptions need urgent limits, argue Ashwin Prabu and ECNL's Marlena Wisniak in Tech Policy Press:
https://www.techpolicy.press/when-national-security-becomes-a-shield-for-evading-ai-accountability/
💡 New report by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network BIRN on how invasive #surveillance technology is used against pro-democracy protesters in #Serbia #Georgia:
https://balkaninsight.com/2026/01/28/from-georgia-to-serbia-surveillance-is-being-weaponised-against-dissent/
🌟 Join us in shaping the next chapter of ECNL's journey! 🌟
We’re looking for dedicated and forward-thinking individuals to 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥.
If you share our vision, send us an Expression of Interest before 𝟏𝟎 𝐅𝐞𝐛 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔.
Find all details here: https://ecnl.org/openings
💫 Look back at 2025 with us with our year-end newsletter!
This edition brings together a few snapshots of the efforts and solutions we are part of, inc.:
🟢 a global initiative to mobilise support for environmental human rights defenders #LEADInitiative,
🔵 new guide on how to do innovation right with Fundamental Rights Impact Assessments #FRIAs,
🟡 the monitoring tools we power: #MACS and #CSOMeter...and much more.
Read and sign up for 2026: https://mailchi.mp/ecnl/2025-in-review-looking-ahead?e=6e193cc95b
🚀 New: Guide to Fundamental Rights Impact Assessments 🚀
How can #FRIAs be conducted meaningfully & in line with the #AIAct?
👉 Here's a clear roadmap from ECNL & DIHR for deployers of high-risk #AI systems - and anyone seeking to deploy AI responsibly - to do so.
🔗 Download the guide and the template: https://ecnl.org/publications...
🫶 Responsible #AI works best when people collaborate.
In #Amsterdam, the municipality, technical team and citizens co-created an AI system using ECNL’s Framework for Meaningful Engagement: putting public interest and trust at the centre.
Find out more here: https://ecnl.org/news/amsterdams-journey-participatory-ai-development
📢 See you in court? Join us for a new Civic Journalism Coalition Webinar on 27 Nov. 📢
🤔 Are you a journalist or work for a civil society org? Are you interested in how to use journalistic evidence in litigation? And how to defend yourself against #SLAPPs?
➡️ https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/o7Yd4CRuT_akRtTQInKStg#/registration
Our new step-by-step guide walks you through concrete process recommendations for public institutions and private providers designing or using AI tools for public participation.
⏩ Find out more here: https://ecnl.org/news/blueprint-rights-centered-ai-public-participation
Interested in piloting this tool? Get in touch: info@ecnl.org.
🙏 Thank you to everyone who joined our AI & Democracy webinar.
We were thrilled to see over 80 participants contributing to such engaging and fruitful discussions about how to make AI safe for democracy.
📹 Missed the webinar? Don't worry, you can watch the full recording here: https://youtu.be/a9aJHBdrVOY
We're grateful to our knowledgeable speakers, whose insights made this webinar possible!
#AI #Democracy #CivicSpace #CivilSociety #Webinar #ECNL #HumanRights #Technology
5 lessons from 3 years of #RiskAssessments under the #DSA
🔖 Read our new policy brief on how #BigTech platforms' reports, and the implementation of the Digital Services Act, can be strengthened: https://ecnl.org/publications/five-critical-lessons-three-years-dsa-risk-assessments
AI Office Advisory Forum: civil society still waiting for a seat at the table
Important #AIAct implementation talks are already underway - but without civil society or communities most affected by AI risks being heard.
That's why, with @edri@eupolicy.social & 30+ orgs, we call on the EU AI Office to prioritise setting up the forum.
Read the open letter: https://ecnl.org/news/eu-ai-office-must-prioritise-setting-advisory-forum
💡 Can AI innovation benefit society?
📽️ Check out this new video explainer by #RefrAIme initiative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5UNEpt4WS0
💻 Digital transnational repression is changing how governments monitor, intimidate, and silence people across borders from diaspora communities to journalists. AI is becoming a powerful tool for control.
Read more in our new Tech Policy Press piece:
👉 https://www.techpolicy.press/how-ai-is-powering-transnational-repression/
