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CJEU in surprise judgment: zero rating is illegal under EU law

Submitted by Anonymous on 14 September 2021 - 3:31pm

katarina_dzurekova/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Contribution by: Jesper Lund, Chairman EDRi member, IT-Political Association of Denmark

Europe’s highest court has put an end to a long-standing legal battle around the EU’s Net Neutrality Regulation. In a landmark judgement published last week, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) confirmed what EDRi and its members have argued for years: that zero rating is illegal under EU law because it violates the neutrality obligations of internet access providers.

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Net Neutrality

The Deterrent Effect of the Julian Hessenthaler Case: Criminal Prosecution Must Not Lead to Diminished Freedom of Opinion

Submitted by Anonymous on 7 September 2021 - 6:00am

Sueddeutsche Zeitung | Der Spiegel

At the start of the trial against security adviser Julian Hessenthaler, who played a key role in the making of the so-called Ibiza video1, 18 Austrian and international human rights organisations express their concern that his excessive criminal prosecution could – intentionally – have a deterring effect on future sources or whistleblowers and the exercise of freedom of opinion, freedom of the press and freedom of information.

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Privacy and Data Protection
Überwachung
Whistleblowing

NGO demands disclosure of A1 Telekom Austria Group’s entanglements in Belarus

Submitted by nina on 17 June 2021 - 12:17pm

epicenter.works/Rizar.photo

The civil rights NGO epicenter.works protested in front of the A1 Telekom Austria Group’s building yesterday to raise awareness of the involvement of the partially state-owned company in the Internet shutdowns in Belarus that unfolded around the controversial election of the long-term dictator Lukaschenka. The protest was accompanied by attacks by the company against the non-profit NGO.

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Net Neutrality

Five reasons to claim victory on the EU Digital COVID Certificate

Submitted by Anonymous on 8 June 2021 - 4:29pm
Nataliya Vaitkevich

Today, the European Parliament votes on the interinstitutional compromise text on the regulation(s) on the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EU DCC, also known as the Digital Green Certificate and the European Green Pass). The proposed legislation regulates the “framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable certificates on vaccination, testing and recovery” with aim of facilitating free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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COVID-19
Privacy and Data Protection

Data retention, location data, cookie banners: the ePrivacy Regulation is coming

Submitted by ben on 3 June 2021 - 10:45am

Timo Wielink

Even though its effects are very visible, the ePrivacy Directive is hardly known to the wider public. Cookie consent dialogues, familiar to every web user, are often associated with GDPR and widely complained about since 2018. However, they are really a consequence of the ePrivacy Directive's "cookie clause", Article 5(3), which was added to the Directive already in 2009.

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Privacy and Data Protection
Data Retention

BVT: a lot of power, no trust and too little control

Submitted by nina on 31 May 2021 - 6:12pm

succo

Despite being one of Austria's most powerful institutions, the Federal Agency for State Protection and Counterterrorism (abbreviated BVT in German) does not enjoy a good reputation. Numerous past incidents have branded the BVT and damaged its international standing. Among foreign intelligence services, Austria is considered a "security gap." An audit report by the "Club de Berne", which includes directors of all domestic intelligence services of the EU member states, Norway and Switzerland, identifies severe deficiencies.

Tags: 
State Protection Act
Surveillance Package

Telecom reform in Austria: consumers must benefit from Router Freedom

Submitted by nina on 6 May 2021 - 12:26pm

Stephen Phillips

Austria is reforming its telecommunications law to incorporate the new European directives on electronic communications. The Austrian government has now an unique opportunity to leverage router freedom at the legislative level to protect consumers and the market.

Tags: 
Net Neutrality