A human rights-based approach to standards
I really enjoyed this conversation with colleagues in which I got to go into some of the specific threats to human rights in the current technical landscape. Video formats are fun, and so is reaching out to a new audience:
And on the theme of non-English contexts I also spoke with Anne Roth about NetMundial+20, who published her piece in German for Netzpolitik: https://netzpolitik.org/2024/netmundial10-internet-governance-10-jahre-nach-dem-snowden-schock/
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New this week
- The .gov zone now uses DNSSEC signing algorithm 13, bringing much needed security assurances to the CISA-run TLD: https://lists.dns-oarc.net/pipermail/dns-operations/2024-May/022554.html
- Turns out Apple's location tech, such as what's used by the AirTag network, is mapping every SSID on the planet. “[E]very access point is being tracked, without opting in, whether they run an Apple device or not.” This excellent report ties the impacts directly to the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts. https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/05/why-your-wi-fi-router-doubles-as-an-apple-airtag/
- A report on Pakistan's new Internet firewall and what activists and journalists know so far: https://www.geo.tv/latest/544980-ministry-pta-refuse-to-disclose-details-of-controversial-internet-firewall
- Excellent opinion piece from my colleague Silvia Lorenzo Perez, "Governments spying on citizens: Who is to blame, what can the EU do?" https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/opinion/governments-spying-on-citizens-who-is-to-blame-what-can-the-eu-do/
- The xz-utils incident explainer from Tara Tarakiyee https://tarakiyee.com/what-i-learnt-from-what-we-learnt-from-the-xz-utils-incident
- African Digital Rights Network has an open call for expressions of interest in its new research project on Digital-ID in Africa https://www.africandigitalrightsnetwork.org/news
- Call for Papers on DMA enforcement: Trends and gaps in the first year of application https://www.article19.org/dma-enforcement-2024
- There's still time to apply to be the Head of Global Digital Programme at ARTICLE 19 https://article.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=6fccb075-87fb-455c-bad2-9e4ecbf76cd2
- Very niche crowdfunding alert if you've ever wanted to run your own mail server: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mwlucas/run-your-own-mail-server/posts/4107752?ref=ksr_email_mktg_auto_backer_project_update_registered_users
- Metadata kills. Israel is conducting WhatsApp traffic analysis to find assassination targets in Gaza. https://theintercept.com/2024/05/22/whatsapp-security-vulnerability-meta-israel-palestine/
See you online and in Geneva next week for the WSIS+20 High Level Event and the AI for Good Summit
I'll be on a panel Thursday with the Global Network Initiative to talk about what multistakeholder internet governance is really like in practice for advocates who fall across both civil society and the technical community https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2024/Agenda/Session/307
Tuesday's main session with the ITU SG and OHCHR Director will be held to talk about a rights-based approach to standard setting in "Trust in Tech: Navigating Emerging Technologies and Human Rights in a Connected World" https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2024/Agenda/Session/246
Finally the focus of my engagement is a similar session on Wednesday hosted by the Dutch government, US government, CDT and ARTICLE 19 on human rights in tech standards. https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2024/Agenda/Session/172
Please forward and share!