Meet new APC member LaLibre.net Tecnologías Comunitarias in Ecuador, which is committed to social justice, autonomy, digital sovereignty, human rights, the rights of nature, and a free and feminist internet.
Welcome to the 43rd monthly round-up of developments impacting your local access networks and community-based initiatives.
How have women found self-expression through community radio? On 1 February at 10:00 UTC, IIT Bombay will present and discuss a new research report focusing on diverse experiences in India.
Report
Community radio enabling women's empowerment in remote communities of IndiaHow have women found self-expression through community radio as a low-cost technology while enabling local communities to voice themselves during the pandemic? The experiences and learnings from eight initiatives in India are the focus of this new research report.
Open letter
Civil society stakeholders’ position on the modalities for the appointment of the UN Tech EnvoyIn this letter, APC and a diverse range of organisations from around the world reiterate what they consider the key characteristics of the UN Tech Envoy profile based on their experience and mandates as civil society groups working to improve inclusive internet governance and digital cooperation.
Joint letter
Joint NGO letter: Civil society’s expectations for the Human Rights Council in 2022In this open letter to the incoming president of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), APC and other organisations take the opportunity to voice a series of recommendations to ensure effective civil society participation in the upcoming 16th cycle of the HRC.
Open letter
Release of the Human Rights Impact Assessment of Facebook in IndiaIn 2020, Facebook (now Meta) commissioned the law firm Foley Hoag to conduct a Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) to evaluate its role in spreading hate speech and incitement to violence on its services in India. A year and a half later, the HRIA has not yet been released.
Submission
APC's reflections on the 2021 Internet Governance Forum and suggestions for 2022This document summarises APC's reflections on the 2021 IGF in terms of what worked well and what did not work so well, in areas such as the preparatory process, the hybrid format, the programme, logistics, inclusion, diversity and safety. It also offers recommendations for the 2022 IGF.
Joint statement
Exposed: Civil society condemns use of Pegasus in El Salvador to spy on journalists and activistsThe undersigned organisations condemn the use of NSO Group’s Pegasus technology in El Salvador for the surveillance of journalists and civil society, as initially flagged by local independent media and confirmed through a joint investigation by global and regional civil society organisations.
Report
Hashtag Palestine 2021The seventh annual report “Hashtag Palestine” illuminates the digital rights violations of Palestinians and pro-Palestinian advocates online, at the hands of the three authorities as well as different social media companies in relation to the escalations and developments on the ground.
Joint letter
Over 100 public interest organisations and experts urge the UN to include human rights safeguards in proposed cybercrime conventionA joint letter urges members of the UN Ad Hoc Committee drafting a potential Cybercrime Treaty to ensure that human rights protections are included at every step and global civil society is provided opportunities to participate in the development process.
As gig work becomes more widespread, a look at how it fits with employment rights and how we should be looking at such relationships between our digital and non-digital lives.
The emergence of general purpose AI will be “the most profound change in human history,” according to the BBC's latest Reith lectures. How should we think through the potential risks and opportunities of all this AI in the coming future?
APC members in Africa respond to the discriminatory travel bans due to Omicron and how we must fight vaccine inequities, disinformation and colonial mindsets.