Children disappearing from migration data face increased danger on Balkans Route (Save the Children International, 2026)
Official migration data may be significantly undercounting the number of people travelling on the Balkans route, putting thousands of children at greater risk of abuse and exploitation without systems to protect them, according to a new Save the Children report.
Europe

Meet three journalists from the Central Sahel who have been silenced by military authorities: “We’re in a dark hole” (Amnesty International, 2026)
Amnesty International spoke to journalists from the Central Sahel who described what journalism has become since the military took power
Africa

Sudanese journalists awarded UNESCO press freedom prize (UN News, 2026)
An independent organization for journalists in Sudan has been honoured for its commitment “to deliver accurate, lifesaving information” amid the ongoing civil war, the UN educational and cultural agency UNESCO announced.
Sudan

AI in advertising risks fuelling information crisis, UN warns (UN News, 2026)
With spending on advertising topping $1 trillion a year worldwide, the United Nations on Wednesday highlighted the untapped power of major brands to shape the future of Artificial Intelligence, warning that a failure to act could deepen a global information integrity crisis.
Worldwide

Transgender Rights Progress Stalls (Human Rights Watch, 2026)
Nepali authorities have stopped processing applications for transgender people to change their legal gender on identity documents, regressing on years of progress and undermining the fundamental right of recognition before the law. Policymakers in Nepal should reject attempts to undermine the fundamental rights of sexual and gender minorities.
Nepal

More private health records of UK Biobank volunteers appear on Chinese website - Devlin, Hannah (The Guardian, 2026)
Patrick Vallance says government working with Chinese officials to remove postings from Alibaba after Biobank data breach last week
China
Keywords: Alibaba; Asia Pacific; China; Data protection; House of Lords; Ian Murray; Patrick Vallance; Politics; Technology; UK news; World news

More private health records of UK Biobank volunteers appear on Chinese website - Devlin, Hannah (The Guardian, 2026)
Patrick Vallance says government working with Chinese officials to remove postings from Alibaba after Biobank data breach last week
United Kingdom
Keywords: Alibaba; Asia Pacific; China; Data protection; House of Lords; Ian Murray; Patrick Vallance; Politics; Technology; UK news; World news

Options for justice in Iran: The need to preserve evidence and plan for accountability - Kersten, Mark (Justice in Conflict, 2026)
It is not an exaggeration to say that Iranian civilians have been subjected to atrocities by every party involved in the conflict. The plight of Iranians demands accountability. But what options exist?
Iran

Britain becoming ‘soft target’ for Russian propaganda, says security expert - Sabbagh, Dan (The Guardian, 2026)
Fiona Hill tells MPs UK is ‘vulnerable’ because it does not educate people on how to deal with information warfare
Russian Federation
Keywords: Defence policy; Digital media; Russia; Social media; Technology; UK news; UK security and counter-terrorism; US news

Britain becoming ‘soft target’ for Russian propaganda, says security expert - Sabbagh, Dan (The Guardian, 2026)
Fiona Hill tells MPs UK is ‘vulnerable’ because it does not educate people on how to deal with information warfare
United Kingdom
Keywords: Defence policy; Digital media; Russia; Social media; Technology; UK news; UK security and counter-terrorism; US news

The technological transformation of Colombia's armed conflict - Mares, Kelly Chaib De (Global Voices, 2026)
More than simply a uniform adoption of artificial intelligence, a technological innovation has emerged that is transforming the battlefield, decision-making processes, local narratives, and forms of social control.
Colombia

Turkey Passes Legislation Barring Children Under 15 From Social Media - Hubbard, Ben; Timur, Safak (The New York Times, 2026)
The government says the measure, which must be signed into law by the president, will protect minors. Critics worry it will threaten free speech and privacy online.
Türkiye
Keywords: Children and Childhood; Consumer Protection; Erdogan; Recep Tayyip; Freedom of Speech and Expression; Law and Legislation; Legislatures and Parliaments; Politics and Government; Privacy; Social Media; Teenagers and Adolescence; Turkey

Journalist detained in Kuwait acquitted of ‘spreading false information’, says press monitor - Betts, Anna (The Guardian, 2026)
Committee to Protect Journalists says Ahmed Shihab-Eldin was found innocent after 52 days in detention
Kuwait
Keywords: Journalist safety; Kuwait; Media; Middle East and north Africa; Press freedom; World news

Foreign Office unit tracking Israel’s potential breaches of international law closes due to cuts - Wintour, Patrick; Campbell, Sinéad (The Guardian, 2026)
Officials warn department will also lose access to database of 26,000 verified incidents due to cuts
United Kingdom
Keywords: Foreign policy; Gaza; Israel; Lebanon; Politics; UK news

Foreign Office unit tracking Israel’s potential breaches of international law closes due to cuts - Wintour, Patrick; Campbell, Sinéad (The Guardian, 2026)
Exclusive: Officials warn department will also lose access to database of 26,000 verified incidents due to cuts
Israel
Keywords: Foreign policy; Gaza; Israel; Lebanon; Politics; UK news

Hungary's next government vows to open communist-era secret police archives (Reuters, 2026)
Hungary's new government will open up the historical archives of its communist-era secret police, according to the man who will run the office of Peter Magyar, winner ​of this month's parliamentary election, who is expected to become prime minister ​on May 9.
Hungary

Chernobyl at 40: Secret Stasi files reveal extent of Soviet misinformation campaign over nuclear disaster - Cassidy, Lauren (The Conversation, 2026)
Once classified files from East Germany reveal the extent of Soviet actions to hide the true extent of the Chernobyl catastrophe.
Europe

How War Crimes are Documented in Ukraine - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2026)
A Ukrainian human rights investigator explains how systematic detention, torture, and disappearances are documented and built into legal cases against perpetrators.
Ukraine

US saw record high of 5,668 books banned in libraries in 2025, says agency - Loffhagen, Emma (The Guardian, 2026)
Most-banned book was Sold, a 2006 novel by Patricia McCormick about sex trafficking in India
United States of America
Keywords: Books; Censorship; Culture; Libraries; US constitution and civil liberties; US news

Information as aid 2.0: lessons from Lebanon, Sudan and Myanmar (CDAC Network, 2026)
CDAC Network’s work in Lebanon, Sudan and Myanmar in 2025 shows a consistent pattern: when trusted information breaks down, humanitarian outcomes deteriorate. This policy brief identifies four major trends in the information environment in crises and makes recommendations for humanitarian systems.
Worldwide

National Archives Releases Troubles Records (Mirage News, 2026)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, has welcomed the publication today of approximately 1,000 Government records.
United Kingdom

Kremlin forcing big firms to join ‘witch-hunt’ against internet rebels, claims report - Down, Aisha (The Guardian, 2026)
Campaigners say banks and web platforms are being told to collect data on customers visiting blocked sites
Russian Federation
Keywords: Censorship; Europe; Internet; Russia; Social media; Technology; Ukraine

The ‘unregistered Americans’: because of their parents, they do not exist - Spencer, Bailey (The Guardian, 2026)
Hundreds in the United States have no birth certificate or Social Security number. Some covet this 'off-grid' status, but it means being barred from ordinary life.
United States of America

A Record for History - Walsh, Colleen (Harvard Law School, 2026)
Last November, Harvard Law School made the nearly complete set of evidentiary documents and trial transcripts from all 13 Nuremberg Trials publicly available online.
Worldwide

Russia uses WWII archives to justify aggression against Ukraine (Mezha, 2026)
The Russian Ministry of Defense has launched a propaganda campaign using WWII archival documents to portray Ukrainians as Nazi collaborators and to legitimize current military aggression, warns Ukraine's disinformation center.
Russian Federation

Russia uses WWII archives to justify aggression against Ukraine (Mezha, 2026)
The Russian Ministry of Defense has launched a propaganda campaign using WWII archival documents to portray Ukrainians as Nazi collaborators and to legitimize current military aggression, warns Ukraine's disinformation center.
Ukraine

What Public Records Reveal That Official Statements Don’t (HPR Online, 2026)
Public statements shape perception. Public records reveal sequence, internal concern, and institutional reality that official messaging often leaves out.
United States of America

AI: ‘African Governments Are Using “smart City” Systems to Monitor Dissent and Consolidate State Control’ (Inter Press Service, 2026)
CIVICUS discusses the spread of AI-powered surveillance in Africa with Wairagala Wakabi, executive director of the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)
Africa

US tech firms successfully lobbied EU to keep datacentre emissions secret - Niranjan, Ajit; Schmidt, Nico; Joyner, Ella (The Guardian, 2026)
Legally questionable confidentiality clause adopted almost word for word from demands of Microsoft and trade groups
Europe
Keywords: Cloud computing; Computing; Environment; Europe; European Commission; European Union; Internet; Lobbying; Microsoft; Pollution; Technology; Transparency; World news

US tech firms successfully lobbied EU to keep datacentre emissions secret - Niranjan, Ajit; Schmidt, Nico; Joyner, Ella (The Guardian, 2026)
Legally questionable confidentiality clause adopted almost word for word from demands of Microsoft and trade groups
United States of America
Keywords: Cloud computing; Computing; Environment; Europe; European Commission; European Union; Internet; Lobbying; Microsoft; Pollution; Technology; Transparency; World news

Language documentation needs community rights, consent, and recognition - Panigrahi, Subhashish (Global Voices, 2026)
Taukeer Alam, a writer of Van Gujjari, a vulnerable dialect with low documentation, shares the need for audio-visual documentation and safeguards to protect against AI and other exploitations
Worldwide

Bridging Knowledge Systems: How Pacific Communities Are Reclaiming Climate Solutions Through Nature - Sefeti, Sera (Inter Press Service, 2026)
The Pacific region is long defined by resilience; solutions are not being remembered, strengthened, and scaled.
Oceania

Proposed changes to digital media regulation would facilitate abusive powers over users’ content – new Amnesty legal analysis (Amnesty International, 2026)
Proposed amendments to India’s digital regulation rules would grant authorities wide-ranging powers to police, censor and remove users’ content, Amnesty International has warned in a new legal analysis of the proposals. The amendments to India’s IT rules – which govern digital media content – are currently open for public consultation before they are debated in the country’s parliament.
India

Research on Victims of Nazi Persecution Reached New High in 2025 (Arolsen Archives, 2026)
Eighty years after the end of World War II, more people than ever before turned to the Arolsen Archives in search of information on victims of Nazi persecution. Most inquiries still come from the relatives of victims of Nazi persecution. “Each year, more families are seeking information about what happened to their relatives,”.
Europe

Take part: Help to identify humanitarian archives, records and datasets at risk around the world and map the scale of the Humanitarian Archive Emergency (Elrha, 2026)
Across the humanitarian sector, significant bodies of knowledge are under threat. Part of the Humanitarian Archive Emergency initiative, this survey seeks to identify repositories of humanitarian knowledge to understand the extent of the emergency.
Worldwide

Norway’s state telecoms firm accused of helping Myanmar regime seize activists - Ahmed, Kaamil (The Guardian, 2026)
Lawsuit in Norway alleges Telenor passed on data helping Myanmar military arrest 1,200 activists, some in safe houses
Norway
Keywords: Human rights; Myanmar; South and central Asia; Technology; Telecoms; World news

Norway’s state telecoms firm accused of helping Myanmar regime seize activists - Ahmed, Kaamil (The Guardian, 2026)
Lawsuit in Norway alleges Telenor passed on data helping Myanmar military arrest 1,200 activists, some in safe houses
Myanmar
Keywords: Human rights; Myanmar; South and central Asia; Technology; Telecoms; World news

Flooding the zone: how inauthentic networks weaponise information in Sudan – and what humanitarians can do (CDAC Network, 2026)
In 2025, CDAC launched a new initiative in collaboration with Valent to use AI to identify inauthentic networks and monitor manipulation of online narratives in Sudan’s war. This report examines the project’s co-design ambitions, and reviews the integration of AI into humanitarian response.
Sudan

Global Leaders in Ankara Tackle Digital Identity Gaps for Migrants (International Organization for Migration, 2026)
More than 70 leaders and experts from around the world gathered in Ankara, Türkiye, on 14–15 April to address a critical gap in migrant protection: access to legal identity.
Worldwide

Sexual, Reproductive Healthcare Data Collection, Planning Must Be Based on Human Rights, Equity, Speakers Tell Population and Development Commission (UN Meetings Coverage and Press Releases, 2026)
While expanding data systems, it is crucial to protect privacy and prevent exploitative data practices. The speaker highlighted the phenomenon of “data colonialism”, where data from Global South communities is extracted and monetized without meaningful consent or equitable benefit sharing. Young persons today also face technology-facilitated violence, from doxxing to hate speech. In many countries, “we are still waiting for laws that reflect the realities of our digital lives”.
Worldwide

Content Authenticity and Provenance in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Call to Action for the Libraries, Archives and Museums Community - Brador, Isabel (The Library of Congress, 2026)
The white paper is not a “how-to” manual nor does it advocate for or against the use of AI. Rather, it examines the central question: Why should libraries, archives, museums and memory institutions and users care about content authenticity and provenance (CAP), especially for collections material impacted by AI? And more directly, what should my organization do? A few examples to ground the discussion are laid out in the introduction:
Worldwide

Should We Compensate LGBTQIA+ Victorians Who Are Victims Of Historic Gay Hate Crimes? - Lenton, Patrick (Star Observer, 2026)
A new report has put forward ways Victoria might reckon with its history of criminalisation, discriminatory policing, violence and institutional prejudice directed at the LGBTQIA+ community.
Australia
Keywords: Police Violence; Reparation; Victoria

A justice department opinion arguing the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional could revert the nation to a time when presidents freely burned their papers - Sarat, Austin (The Conversation, 2026)
Presidential records are the public’s property. The Justice Department wants to change that and revert to a time when presidents could do what they wanted with their papers, including burning them.
United States of America

V&A censored catalogues after demands by Chinese printer - Weaver, Matthew (The Guardian, 2026)
Victoria and Albert Museum has deleted maps and images deemed sensitive by Beijing censors from exhibition publications
China
Keywords: Censorship; China; Culture; Museums; UK news

V&A censored catalogues after demands by Chinese printer - Weaver, Matthew (The Guardian, 2026)
Victoria and Albert Museum has deleted maps and images deemed sensitive by Beijing censors from exhibition publications
United Kingdom
Keywords: Censorship; China; Culture; Museums; UK news

Open Call: Protection of Victims and Preservation of War Memory (fundsforNGOs, 2026)
Deadline: 11-May-2026 The Protection of Victims and Preservation of War Memory Grant supports Ukrainian civil society organizations working to assist war victims and document war-related crimes. The program funds activities such as victim support, archival preservation, transitional justice, and war memory initiatives.

23 Major News Sites Have Blocked the Wayback Machine – Digital History In Danger - Al Landes (Gadget Review, 2026)
Major news outlets are blocking the Wayback Machine, threatening your ability to verify claims and track editorial changes in digital journalism.
Worldwide

Tech gaps and budget cuts threaten global efforts to track and help the vulnerable - Conor Lennon (UN News, 2026)
Digital tools are changing the way countries manage everything from tracking refugees to caring for the elderly.
Worldwide

The RCMP’s surveillance of Indigenous groups exposes a centuries-long pattern in Canada - Sims, Daniel (The Conversation, 2026)
To be Indigenous in Canada has often meant living under continuous observation. Indigenous Peoples in Canada have been heavily monitored for hundreds of years in ways that non-Indigenous Canadians might find shocking.
Canada
Keywords: Colonialism

Stateless at Home: Kenyan Somalis Struggle to Reclaim Citizenship from Refugee Records - Okata, Jackson (Inter Press Service, 2026)
Thousands of Kenyan Somalis living in refugee camps are trapped in a painful paradox of officially being recorded as refugees.
Somalia

Stateless at Home: Kenyan Somalis Struggle to Reclaim Citizenship from Refugee Records - Okata, Jackson (Inter Press Service, 2026)
Thousands of Kenyan Somalis living in refugee camps are trapped in a painful paradox of officially being recorded as refugees.
Kenya

'Comfort My People': The Isaiah Scroll was removed from view due to the war, when Israel needs it more than ever - Gilad, Moshe (Haaretz, 2026)
With its poignant passages about beating swords into plowshares, this biblical manuscript is powerfully resonating. A rare exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript at the Israel Museum opened – and closed – within days
Israel
Keywords: Bible; Dead Sea scrolls; Hebrew language; Israel archaeology; Jerusalem

Guatemala’s Stolen Dead Speak - Angelica Macario; Emily Taylor (Sri Lanka Guardian, 2026)
As a human rights activist, Angélica Macario was used to the hubbub and noise of protests and to seeing her people take their clamor for justice from the mountains of El Quiché to the streets of Guatemala City. For the past 20 years, however, she has carried on that legacy in another way—one which began with her father and dozens of other community activists in the 1980s. Since 2003, she has safeguarded the archives of las Comunidades Étnicas Runujel Junam (Council for Ethnic Community Runujel Junam, CERJ), a community organization founded in 1988 to resist state-sponsored genocide.
Guatemala

Justice Department says law requiring president to turn over records at end of administration is unconstitutional - Melissa Quinn (CBS News, 2026)
The opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel said that because it believes the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional, President Trump does not need to comply with it.
United States of America

Inspiring the Authentic Journalist: The Pentagon’s Renewed Attack on Press Credentials - Kampmark, Binoy (International Policy Digest, 2026)
A federal judge struck down the Pentagon’s restrictive press credential policy as unconstitutional, even as officials moved to tighten control over journalists’ access and information flow.
United States of America

A Disappearing Data Chronology - Rachel Santarsiero (National Security Archive, 2026)
The Disappearing Data Chronology documents fundamental changes to the federal information landscape under the Trump administration, including major data losses and restorations, legal challenges to information takedowns, and threats to archival collections. The purpose of this chronology is to keep the public—including journalists, researchers, litigators, and anyone concerned about their right to know—up to date on the current state of data and archival access across the federal government.
United States of America

Blocking millions in MENA: internet shutdowns in 2025 (Access Now, 2026)
Across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), authorities and other actors imposed at least 52 internet shutdowns across 15 countries in 2025, highlighting the continued rise of digital repression across the region.
Worldwide

A Cat-and-Mouse Game of Russian Internet Restrictions and Evasion - Hopkins, Valerie; Sonne, Paul; Matsnev, Oleg (The New York Times, 2026)
As the Kremlin spends heavily on censorship technology, Russians are scrambling to find new ways to circumvent the limits.
Russian Federation
Keywords: Censorship; Computers and the Internet; Mobile Applications; Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Communications; Information Technology and Mass Media) (Russia); Russia; Telegram LLC; Wireless Communications; internal-open-access-from-nl

A DNA archive critical to identifying missing migrants has itself gone missing - Tracey, Caroline, Gabbriel Schivone (High Country News, 2026)
A key database of migrant DNA has gone missing, after the organization that started it shut down.
Mexico

A DNA archive critical to identifying missing migrants has itself gone missing - Tracey, Caroline, Gabbriel Schivone (High Country News, 2026)
A key database of migrant DNA has gone missing, after the organization that started it shut down.
United States of America

Tennessee library director fired after refusing to move LGBTQ+-themed kids’ books to adult section - Yang, Maya (The Guardian, 2026)
Luanne James said as a librarian she had an obligation to protect the public’s right to access information
United States of America
Keywords: Books; Censorship; LGBTQ+ rights; Libraries; Tennessee; US news

Syrian-Led Accountability Efforts Cannot Function in Isolation - Neistat, Anya, Rebecca Hamilton (Just Security, 2026)
The conflict in Syria is one of the most documented in modern history. From citizen journalists to local activists, international NGOs to official investigative mechanisms, the amount of information collected on war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict is unprecedented. For years, however, the avenues for turning this documentation into tangible action for accountability remained extremely limited. Syria’s transition does not occur in isolation, and its justice process will depend on how well domestic efforts connect with the global accountability landscape.
Syria

President Lee Pledges Extended Victim Registration, Archive Center for Jeju 4·3 - Jong-Ho, Song (Seoul Economic Daily, 2026)
President Lee Jae-myung pledged to extend victim registration for the Jeju 4·3 Incident, abolish statutes of limitations for state violence crimes, and build an archive center for UNESCO-listed records.
Republic of Korea

Securing every child’s identity: NRC’s efforts to strengthen birth registration in Cameroon (NRC, 2026)
Birth registration establishes the existence of a child under law and provides the foundation for ensuring many of the child's rights.
Cameroon

Hungary charges journalist after claims minister was in touch with Moscow - Garamvolgyi, Flora; Kassam, Ashifa (The Guardian, 2026)
Investigative reporter Szabolcs Panyi covered a story alleging foreign minister had passed information to Sergei Lavrov
Hungary
Keywords: Europe; Hungary; Viktor Orbán; World news

Hungary charges journalist after claims minister was in touch with Moscow - Garamvolgyi, Flora; Kassam, Ashifa (The Guardian, 2026)
Investigative reporter Szabolcs Panyi covered a story alleging foreign minister had passed information to Sergei Lavrov
Russian Federation
Keywords: Europe; Hungary; Viktor Orbán; World news

Hong Kong police can demand phone and computer passwords under amended national security law (The Guardian, 2026)
Refusing to comply could lead to year in jail and hefty fine, while providing false information carries up to three years in prison
China
Keywords: Asia Pacific; China; Cybercrime; Hong Kong; Privacy; Technology; World news

More Russian snooping allegations (POLITICO, 2026)
After Hungary was accused of leaking sensitive EU discussions to the Kremlin, the spotlight is now shifting to Germany.
Worldwide

Sweden’s Digital ID System Hacked, Public’s Data Sold on Dark Web - Independent News Roundup (Voice Media, 2026)
Sweden’s sweeping national digital ID system has been hacked, with the public’s sensitive data already being sold on the dark web.
Sweden

Prisoner number 804: the plot to erase Imran Khan - Samiuddin, Osman (The Guardian, 2026)
It’s one thing to remove a PM from office, as happened to the former cricketer in 2022. But it’s another thing to try to eradicate the most famous person in Pakistan’s history
Pakistan
Keywords: Imran Khan; Pakistan

Palantir extends reach into British state as it gets access to sensitive FCA data - Booth, Robert (The Guardian, 2026)
Allowing US tech firm to analyse intelligence in name of tackling fraud raises fresh concerns over privacy.
United Kingdom
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); Business; Computing; Data protection; Financial Conduct Authority; Palantir; Privacy; Regulators; Technology; UK news

Iran social media strategy pivots to information war amid US-Israel attack - Tait, Robert (The Guardian, 2026)
Cyber experts say influence operations in ‘asymmetric’ campaign to intensify moral pressure on US and Israel
Iran
Keywords: Digital media; Social media; US news; US-Israel war on Iran; World news

Quand « l’apartheid de genre » devient une loi d’État - Khillo, Imad (The Conversation, 2026)
Le 4 janvier dernier, les talibans ont promulgué un nouveau code pénal en Afghanistan, institutionnalisant les violences conjugales.
Afghanistan

Internet Blackout Keeps Iranians From Reaching Loved Ones During New Year Holiday - Mahoozi, Sanam; Dahir, Abdi Latif (The New York Times, 2026)
The current restrictions on the internet in Iran are coinciding with Nowruz, the observance of the Persian New Year.
Iran
Keywords: Communications and Media Blackouts; Computers and the Internet; Iran; Miaan Group; Tehran (Iran)

How the FBI can conduct mass surveillance – even without AI - Robins-Early, Nick (The Guardian, 2026)
Anthropic fought against the government’s misuse of its technology, but authorities are buying Americans’ data, enabling them to surveil citizens at scale
United States of America
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); FBI; Technology; US news

Médias : les atteintes à la liberté de la presse de plus en plus fréquentes en région - Pauline Amiel (The Conversation, 2026)
Les menaces, les violences ou les entraves d’accès à l’information sont en hausse, empêchant certains journalistes de couvrir la campagne municipale.
France

Preserving the Sharpeville play: Survivors’ voices as living archives (OHCHR, 2026)
Each year in Sharpeville, survivors of the 1960 massacre and the families of the victims retell history through song, testimony and theatre. With support from UN Human Rights’ Southern Africa Regional Office, this living archive has been recorded and preserved for future generations.
South Africa

'The State Is Using Generative AI to Engineer Reality Through Informational Gaslighting’ (Inter Press Service, 2026)
These AI systems erode the rights to freedom of expression, privacy and a fair trial. Historically, online censorship meant deleting a post. Today, generative AI engages in ‘informational gaslighting’. When ASPI researchers showed an Alibaba LLM a photograph of a protest against human rights violations in Xinjiang, the AI described it as ‘individuals in a public setting holding signs with incorrect statements’ based on ‘prejudice and lies’. The technology subtly engineers reality, preventing users accessing objective historical truths.
China

Authorities must reverse closure of SOS Disappeared and uphold civil society’s demands for truth and justice (Amnesty International, 2026)
The forced closure of SOS Disappeared is a devastating blow to the fight for truth, justice and reparations in Algeria. By sealing the offices of the main organization advocating for accountability for enforced disappearances -an ongoing crime under international law- Algerian authorities are once again using them to stifle human rights work.
Algeria

Cybercrime Bill Entrenches Censorship, Surveillance (Human Rights Watch, 2026)
The Chinese government’s proposed law to combat cybercrime extends far beyond addressing legitimate legal concerns and contains sweeping provisions that pose a significant threat to human rights.
China

‘The world’s memory’: why Nigeria is burying its history under a mountain in Svalbard - Opara, Gabriella (The Guardian, 2026)
It is the first African country to deposit data in the Arctic World Archive, a storage facility designed to protect records of everything from cultural practices to historical events
Nigeria
Keywords: Africa; Culture; Global development; Nigeria; Norway; World news

Rapid Rise of Smart City Surveillance Tech Across Africa to Spy on Citizens - Studies, The Institute of Development (Inter Press Service, 2026)
A massive expansion of AI-enabled surveillance of public spaces across Africa is violating citizens’ freedoms and the fundamental human right to privacy.
Africa

Strengthening disaster data systems in the Indian Ocean (UNDRR, 2026)
Seychelles hosted a regional peer learning workshop on building methodological foundations for national disaster tracking systems powered by DELTA-Resilience. Participants from Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar attended.
Asia

Court Affirms Adolescents’ Right to Gender Recognition (Human Rights Watch, 2026)
Ecuador’s Constitutional Court’s ruling that people under 18 cannot automatically be refused a request to modify their gender on identity documents is an important victory for the rights of transgender youth.
Ecuador

Digital Iron Curtain Falls on Internet Freedom Protection Day (Human Rights Watch, 2026)
Russian authorities have escalated their internet censorship efforts over the past month, a day marked by free speech defenders as World Day Against Cyber Censorship.
Russian Federation

US School Attack Findings Show Need for Reform, Accountability (Human Rights Watch, 2026)
Reported findings that the United States is responsible for the recent deadly school attack in Iran, and that it was based on outdated targeting data, highlight the need for reform and accountability within the US military to minimize civilian harm during conflict.
Iran

US School Attack Findings Show Need for Reform, Accountability (Human Rights Watch, 2026)
Reported findings that the United States is responsible for the recent deadly school attack in Iran, and that it was based on outdated targeting data, highlight the need for reform and accountability within the US military to minimize civilian harm during conflict.
United States of America

‘Invasive’ AI-led mass surveillance in Africa violating freedoms, warn experts - Ahmed, Kaamil (The Guardian, 2026)
Countries across the continent have spent more than $2bn on Chinese tracking technology that is not ‘necessary or proportionate’, new report finds
Africa
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); Africa; Computing; Global development; Human rights; Protest; Surveillance; Technology; World news

Dismay as ancient heritage sites across Iran damaged in US-Israel bombing - Borger, Julian; Parent, Deepa (The Guardian, 2026)
Golestan Palace world heritage site in Tehran and palace in Isfahan harmed despite Unesco sending coordinates.
United States of America
Keywords: Architecture; Art and design; Culture; Heritage; Iran; Middle East and north Africa; US-Israel war on Iran; Unesco; United Nations; World news

Dismay as ancient heritage sites across Iran damaged in US-Israel bombing - Borger, Julian; Parent, Deepa (The Guardian, 2026)
Golestan Palace world heritage site in Tehran and palace in Isfahan harmed despite Unesco sending coordinates.
Israel
Keywords: Architecture; Art and design; Culture; Heritage; Iran; Middle East and north Africa; US-Israel war on Iran; Unesco; United Nations; World news

Dismay as ancient heritage sites across Iran damaged in US-Israel bombing - Borger, Julian; Parent, Deepa (The Guardian, 2026)
Golestan Palace world heritage site in Tehran and palace in Isfahan harmed despite Unesco sending coordinates.
Iran
Keywords: Architecture; Art and design; Culture; Heritage; Iran; Middle East and north Africa; US-Israel war on Iran; Unesco; United Nations; World news

Unexplained Moscow internet blackouts spark fears of web censorship plan - Sauer, Pjotr (The Guardian, 2026)
Kremlin appearing to ramp up control over online activity, as it tests new ‘whitelist’ system of website restrictions
Russian Federation
Keywords: Censorship; Europe; Internet; Russia; World news

Walid Khalidi: The Historian Who Turned Palestinian Memory into a Human Right (Countercurrents, 2026)
Walid Khalidi devoted his century-long life to a simple but radical principle: that the memory of a people is a human right, and that documenting their erasure is an act of historical justice.
Palestine

'Unprecedented step:' In first, Poland returns Nazi-looted Jewish property - Aderet, Ofer (Haaretz, 2026)
Last week, Poland officially returned to Greece 91 artifacts stolen from Greek Jews by the Nazis and stored in Poland
Poland
Keywords: Europe Jews; Greece; Holocaust; Nazis; Poland

The ICA Joins Partner Organizations in Calling for the Protection of Archives and Cultural Heritage Amid Conflict in Iran, the Gulf Region, and the Eastern Mediterranean - Almeras, Clemence (ICA, 2026)
ICA expresses its deep concern over the escalation of hostilities affecting Iran, the Gulf Region, and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Worldwide

This Sunshine Week, Florida reflects an alarming national trend of blocking the public’s access to information - Cuillier, David (The Conversation, 2026)
A lack of transparency at both the federal and state level is making it increasingly difficult for journalists and citizens to hold government to account.
United States of America

Minab school bombing: what evidence is there that the US was responsible? - McClure, Tess (The Guardian, 2026)
Trump has blamed Iran for the mass killing at Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school but geolocation, videos, satellite imagery and fragments apparently recovered from the site indicate otherwise.
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Human rights; International law; Iran; Law; Middle East and north Africa; US news; US-Israel war on Iran; World news

Minab school bombing: what evidence is there that the US was responsible? - McClure, Tess (The Guardian, 2026)
Trump has blamed Iran for the mass killing at Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school but geolocation, videos, satellite imagery and fragments apparently recovered from the site indicate otherwise.
Iran
Keywords: Donald Trump; Human rights; International law; Iran; Law; Middle East and north Africa; US news; US-Israel war on Iran; World news

‘No one should be a hibakusha’: Young Japanese activist’s mission to share atomic bomb survivor stories (UN News, 2026)
A Japanese peace activist is hoping to promote global nuclear disarmament by keeping alive the stories of the atomic bomb survivors through the creation of a mobile museum.
Japan

Congress must prevent AI surveillance. The Anthropic feud proves it - Gorski, Ashley; Toomey, Patrick (The Guardian, 2026)
The company’s clash with the Pentagon is a fight over the future of American privacy
United States of America
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); OpenAI; Surveillance; Technology; Trump administration; US Congress; US news

AI allows hackers to identify anonymous social media accounts, study finds - Tomkins, Isaaq (The Guardian, 2026)
New research suggests tech behind AI platforms such as ChatGPT makes it easier to perform sophisticated privacy attacks
Worldwide
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); ChatGPT; Computing; Privacy; Research; Social media; Technology

Vast scale of overseas human remains held in UK museums decried by MPs and experts - Batty, David (The Guardian, 2026)
Guardian study finds UK museums hold more than 260,000 items of remains, often in sacrilegious ways
Worldwide
Keywords: Archaeology; Colonialism; Culture; Museums; Politics; Universities

Cambridge University's historic women's prison records transcribed - Katy Prickett (BBC News, 2026)
Volunteers are transcribing records of women imprisoned by Cambridge University in the 19th Century.
United Kingdom

Departments refuse to give institutional abuse records to archive project set up by State - Coyne, Ellen (The Irish Times, 2026)
Archivists at State’s own project blocked from looking at records by Government over legal concerns
Ireland

Bureau submits evidence to UN expert’s Indigenous rights investigation - Grace Murray (TBIJ, 2026)
Our landmark project gave us more info that we could publish. Now we’ve shared it with the UN special rapporteur on Indigenous rights
Worldwide

ProPublica Wins Lawsuit Over Access to Court Records in U.S. Navy Cases - Rose, Megan (ProPublica, 2026)
A judge ruled that the Navy’s long-standing policy to withhold records from its criminal trials violated the First Amendment.
United States of America

IFRC warns harmful information is putting lives at risk during crises (IFRC, 2026)
Harmful information is undermining life-saving humanitarian action at a time when disasters are affecting more people, more often.
Worldwide

Iran’s internet blackout could worsen human toll of war, say rights groups - Down, Aisha; Parent, Deepa (The Guardian, 2026)
Experts say government’s shutdown means civilians are not seeing evacuation warnings before bombs hit
Iran
Keywords: Internet; Iran; Middle East and north Africa; US-Israel war on Iran; World news

Petition calls on Parliament to save files on residential school abuse before they're destroyed - Schwientek, Samantha (CBC News, 2026)
An attempt to preserve files documenting some of the worst harms caused by Indian Residential Schools could soon head to Parliament.
Canada

USCBS Releases Statement on the Iran Conflict and Cultural Heritage - Dewan, Rachel (US Committee of the Blue Shield, 2026)
The USCBS further underscores the critical importance of advance coordination with cultural heritage professionals, deployment of cultural property protection lists, and engagement with relevant international bodies — including UNESCO and The Blue Shield International (BSI) — to safeguard at-risk sites. The destruction of cultural heritage is irreversible. It erases identity, history, and the shared memory of civilizations. No military or political objective justifies the willful or negligent destruction of humanity’s common inheritance. Such destruction is also one of the actions that can make returning to a state of peace more difficult.
Iran

USCBS Releases Statement on the Iran Conflict and Cultural Heritage - Dewan, Rachel (US Committee of the Blue Shield, 2026)
The USCBS further underscores the critical importance of advance coordination with cultural heritage professionals, deployment of cultural property protection lists, and engagement with relevant international bodies — including UNESCO and The Blue Shield International (BSI) — to safeguard at-risk sites. The destruction of cultural heritage is irreversible. It erases identity, history, and the shared memory of civilizations. No military or political objective justifies the willful or negligent destruction of humanity’s common inheritance. Such destruction is also one of the actions that can make returning to a state of peace more difficult.
United States of America

Preserving U.S. Indigenous Government Websites: From Directory to Digital Archive - Haupt Fugate, Tracee (The Signal, 2026)
As a 2025 Junior Fellow, Maggie Jones helped build the United States Indigenous Government Websites Web Archive with the guidance of her mentor, Giselle Aviles. In this interview, they describe how the collection developed from a list of over 500 tribes and what that process taught them about web archiving. They also share examples of how Indigenous government websites often extend beyond administrative functions to document culture, history, language, and community life.
United States of America

Concept of Lustration and the Establishment of the Institute of National Remembrance presentation in Vilnius (Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, 2026)
The Institute of National Remembrance will focus on opening the archives of repression, establishing facts of gross human rights violations, supporting victims and their families, and integrating verified information into education and the public sphere in a new Belarus. A sustainable democratic state cannot be built without establishing the truth, opening the archives, and providing institutional recognition of past violations.
Belarus

US State Revokes Gender-Affirming Identification - Ryan Thoreson (Human Rights Watch, 2026)
Across the state of Kansas, transgender people are receiving letters informing them that their driver’s licenses are invalid following the passage of a law that invalidates birth certificates and driver’s licenses that do not reflect the bearer’s sex assigned at birth.
United States of America

‘The digital colonization of flyover states’: how datacenters are tearing small-town America apart - Starr, Stephen (The Guardian, 2026)
The rapid rollout of datacenters across the US is creating a divide between municipal governments and residents
United States of America
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); Amazon; Computing; Michigan; Minnesota; Ohio; OpenAI; Oregon; Technology; US news; US politics; Wisconsin

Unlocking Timor-Leste's history - Fiona Churchman (ABC International Development, 2026)
Huddled around an old computer, a group of Timor-Leste archivists share a moment of celebration as they watch a tape of old news footage, capturing the early days of their nation.
Timor-Leste

Behind the numbers: The truth about Gaza's death list - Hasson, Nir (Haaretz, 2026)
Gaza's fatalities list is an explosive and controversial document. Critics claim the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry duplicates names, counts Hamas militants as civilians and inflates the number of women and minors. Even if the list has weaknesses, including the fact that it does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, it reflects the scale of the disaster inflicted on Gaza and its people. It also forms the basis for allegations that Israel committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and even genocide.
Palestine
Keywords: Gaza; Hamas; IDF; Israel-Gaza War; October 7; Palestinians

Who owns the memory of struggle? - Azeezah Adekanmbi (Africa is a Country, 2024)
An exhibition in Ibadan recovers Nigeria’s buried history of activism, raising urgent questions about access, erasure, and whether archives can inspire new political action.
Nigeria

CFP: Witnessing State Violence: Oral History and Liberatory Praxis (OHMAR Conference 2026) - Cheryl (Archives Publishing, 2026)
Witnessing State Violence: Oral History and Liberatory PraxisOral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region (OHMAR) Conference 2026 Dates: May 7-8, 2026 Location: Arlington, Virginia.

Russia may interfere in Danish election, exploiting chaos sown by US, spies warn - France-Presse, Agence (The Guardian, 2026)
US threats to seize Greenland have created ‘new international fault lines’ that can be used to spread disinformation, Danish intelligence agencies say
Denmark
Keywords: Denmark; Europe; Greenland; Russia; US news; Ukraine; World news

Russia may interfere in Danish election, exploiting chaos sown by US, spies warn - France-Presse, Agence (The Guardian, 2026)
US threats to seize Greenland have created ‘new international fault lines’ that can be used to spread disinformation, Danish intelligence agencies say
Russian Federation
Keywords: Denmark; Europe; Greenland; Russia; US news; Ukraine; World news

Inside Ukraine’s Campaign to Expose Russian War Crimes - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2026)
Anna Trushova discusses how Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties is documenting Russian war crimes, protecting survivors, and sustaining accountability through civil society and women-led advocacy in wartime Ukraine.
Ukraine

Inside Ukraine’s Campaign to Expose Russian War Crimes - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2026)
Anna Trushova discusses how Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties is documenting Russian war crimes, protecting survivors, and sustaining accountability through civil society and women-led advocacy in wartime Ukraine.
Russian Federation

‘A living, moving exhibition’: Ukraine Museum opens in Berlin air-raid bunker - Connolly, Kate (The Guardian, 2026)
Exhibits pay homage to Ukrainians’ resilience and bring home the reality that war is going on in Europe
Ukraine
Keywords: Europe; Germany; Museums; Ukraine; World news

Rising anger over ‘lop-sided’ and ‘immoral’ US health funding pacts with African countries - Lay, Kat (The Guardian, 2026)
Zimbabwe refuses to sign agreement and Kenya faces a court case over data sharing as new aid deals come under scrutiny
Worldwide
Keywords: Africa; Aid; Aids and HIV; Data protection; Global development; Health; Medical research; Trump administration; US politics; World news; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Two transgender men sue Kansas over ‘dehumanizing’ driver’s license law - Press, Associated (The Guardian, 2026)
Law demanding IDs must match ‘sex at birth’ invalidated the driver’s licenses of about 1,700 people in the state
United States of America
Keywords: Kansas; LGBTQ+ rights; Transgender; US news; US politics

South Korea Clears Way for Google Maps to Fully Operate - Yoon, John (The New York Times, 2026)
South Korea approved Google’s request to export detailed map data, reversing a longstanding restriction that made the tool largely nonfunctional.
South Korea
Keywords: Geography; Global Positioning System; Google Inc; Google Maps; Maps; Mobile Applications; Naver.com; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry; South Korea

Greece: Convictions in ‘Predatorgate’ scandal offer rare accountability in abuse of surveillance technology (Amnesty International, 2026)
A Greek court has found four individuals linked to spyware maker Intellexa, guilty of unlawful access to private information.
Greece

NHS maternity units often cover up harmful errors in childbirth, report finds - Campbell, Denis (The Guardian, 2026)
Damning inquiry into services in England reveals falsification of medical records after ‘negligent’ care
United Kingdom
Keywords: Childbirth; England; Health; Health & wellbeing; Life and style; NHS; Politics; Society; UK news

A.I. Complicates Old Internet Privacy Risks - Chen, Brian X. (The New York Times, 2026)
Artificial intelligence is convenient and easy to use, but you should think about what you say to the chatbots.
Worldwide
Keywords: Amazon.com Inc; Artificial Intelligence; Cambridge Analytica; Computers and the Internet; OpenAI Labs; Privacy; Ring Inc; Whittaker; Meredith

Digital Humanitarianism in Crisis – Lessons from UNRWA - Myles Mordaunt (LSE International Development, 2026)
One particularly striking moment recounted how UNRWA staff smuggled vital paper records (documents confirming families as descendants of those displaced in 1948) out of their offices just days before the buildings were destroyed. Those records have since been digitised. Without them, many people’s refugee status, and with it their eligibility for aid, would have been thrown into doubt. For all its vulnerabilities, digitised data can better survive displacement.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Trump Administration Moves to Allow Intelligence Agencies Easier Access to Law Enforcement Files - Golden, Tim (ProPublica, 2026)
“None of this has been thought through very carefully,” one official said of the plans, which upend long-standing restrictions meant to protect Americans’ privacy.
United States of America

45 Years After Botched Coup, Spain Declassifies Files About Why It Failed - Horowitz, Jason (The New York Times, 2026)
Ending more than four decades of conjecture, the Spanish government moved to publish documents from a long-secret investigation of a failed 1981 coup.
Spain
Keywords: Coups D'Etat and Attempted Coups D'Etat; Juan Carlos I; King of Spain; Spain

Judge blocks DoJ from searching Washington Post reporter’s seized devices - Nowell, Cecilia (The Guardian, 2026)
Court itself to search devices for documents related to national security inquiry as newspaper calls ruling ‘victory’
United States of America
Keywords: Media; Newspapers; Trump administration; US news; US politics; Washington Post; World news

Leaked documents show Meta cracking down on access to abortion information - Parmar, Tekendra (Mother Jones, 2026)
Its AI chatbot won't discuss the subject with teens—even as Meta fights claims it exposed kids to actual harm.
Worldwide

Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine has now lasted 1,462 days. 48 months. 4 years. - Daria Dergacheva (Global Voices, 2026)
Today, NGOs the Help Desk Media, Memorial, Kronika, and Zimin Foundation published online an archive of testimonials by the eyewitnesses to the Russian invasion gathered during the period 2022 –2024.
Ukraine

Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine has now lasted 1,462 days. 48 months. 4 years. - Daria Dergacheva (Global Voices, 2026)
Today, NGOs the Help Desk Media, Memorial, Kronika, and Zimin Foundation published online an archive of testimonials by the eyewitnesses to the Russian invasion gathered during the period 2022 –2024.
Russian Federation

How Bookbinders Used Old Records to Help the Nazis Find Their Victims - Moses, Claire (The New York Times, 2026)
Conservation experts helped the Nazi regime inspect church and civil archives to track down people they sought to persecute, a researcher concluded.
Germany
Keywords: Archives and Records; Arts and Antiquities Looting; Books and Literature; Germany; Jews and Judaism; Research; Restoration and Renovation; United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Worcester Art Museum; World War II (1939-45)

The Crimson Winter: A 50 Day Record of Iran’s 2025–2026 Nationwide Protests (Hrana, 2026)
Large scale protest cycles generate two parallel dynamics: an unprecedented volume of documentation and a coordinated effort by state authorities to restrict communications, shape narratives, and intimidate sources. In this environment, the central risk is not only undercounting violations, but losing the ability to verify identities, locations, dates, and patterns while evidence remains recoverable. This report adopts a disciplined human rights methodology centered on documenting minimum verifiable cases rather than publishing maximal estimates.
Iran

US AI giant accuses Chinese rivals of mass data theft - France-Presse, Agence (The Guardian, 2026)
Anthropic says three Chinese firms used ‘distillation’ technique to extract information from its Claude chatbot
United States of America
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); China; Computing; Technology; World news

US AI giant accuses Chinese rivals of mass data theft - France-Presse, Agence (The Guardian, 2026)
Anthropic says three Chinese firms used ‘distillation’ technique to extract information from its Claude chatbot
China
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); China; Computing; Technology; World news

How Homeland Security’s subpoenas and databases of protesters threaten the ‘uninhibited, robust, and wide-open’ free speech protected by Supreme Court precedent - Martin, Stephanie A. (Sam) (The Conversation, 2026)
It’s difficult to measure what is lost when an opinion is never voiced and impossible to catalogue the arguments that never form because a speaker calculates the risk and decides silence is safer.
United States of America

Global Standardizing AI: The Impact of Data Labeling and Testing on Global AI Deployment - Hossein Hassani & Steve Macfeely (The Living Library, 2026)
The rapid evolution and widespread deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) necessitate robust standardization to ensure AI systems’ reliability, fairness, and safety. This chapter explores the critical role of data labeling and testing in the global standardization of AI. Accurate data labeling forms the backbone of AI development.
Worldwide

‘We can see that courage’: Greece recovers long-lost photos of Nazis’ May Day executions - Smith, Helena (The Guardian, 2026)
Culture ministry hails ‘exceptional historical importance’ of prints that show resistance fighters’ final moments
Greece
Keywords: Europe; Greece; May Day; Nazism; Second world war; World news

The Impact of Mental Health Challenges on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Young People (International Council on Archives, 2026)
To inform the Office of the High Commissioner’s study on the impact of mental health challenges on the enjoyment of human rights by young people, to be presented at the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council in September 2026
Worldwide

Russia Takes the Gulag Out of the Gulag History Museum in Moscow - MacFarquhar, Neil (The New York Times, 2026)
The museum had preserved the history of brutality inflicted by the Soviet Union on its people. It will now focus on Nazi war crimes.
Russian Federation
Keywords: Antonov-Ovseyenko; Anton (1920-2013); Forced Labor; Gulag History Museum; Memorial; Moscow (Russia); Museums; Solzhenitsyn; Aleksandr I; Stalin; Joseph; World War II (1939-45)

‘A love letter to Beirut’: Lana Daher on sifting 20,000 sources and 70 years of film to make Do You Love Me - El-Moudden, Yassin (The Guardian, 2026)
Remembering and documentation are radical acts in Lebanon, a country with a tumultuous history and no national archive. Daher’s effervescent cultural collage is a direct challenge to collective amnesia
Lebanon
Keywords: Culture; Film; Lebanon; Middle East and north Africa; World news

Nazi letters reveal paper restorers’ role in compiling Holocaust ‘hitlist’ - Alberge, Dalya (The Guardian, 2026)
Research uncovers programme to make centuries-old records legible to detect people’s ancestry
Germany
Keywords: Europe; Holocaust; Nazism; Second world war; World news

Epstein files suggest acts that may amount to crimes against humanity, say UN experts - Reuters (The Guardian, 2026)
Independent experts appointed by human rights council speak of ‘grave’ nature regarding scale of atrocities against women and girls
Worldwide
Keywords: Jeffrey Epstein; US news

‘Can I come over and take your picture?’: a decade-long archive captures cross-cultural womanhood - Wolfson, Sam (The Guardian, 2026)
Through more than 300 photos, the New York City artist Clémence Polès Farhang captures the immigrant story and unconventional womanhood
Worldwide
Keywords: Art and design; Culture; Life and style; New York; Photography; Society; US news; Women

Israel's approval of West Bank land registration sparks outrage (Le Monde, 2026)
The Israeli government has approved a process to register land in the region as 'state property,' drawing condemnation from Arab nations and critics who said it would accelerate annexation of the Palestinian territory. The European Union called on Israel to reverse the move.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Israel's approval of West Bank land registration sparks outrage (Le Monde, 2026)
The Israeli government has approved a process to register land in the region as 'state property,' drawing condemnation from Arab nations and critics who said it would accelerate annexation of the Palestinian territory. The European Union called on Israel to reverse the move.
Israel

‘It’s a protest movement behind windows’: tribute to the Iranians risking their lives to film dissent - Cole, Deborah (The Guardian, 2026)
Inspired by the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising that gripped Iran in 2022, two film students created a documentary, Memories of a Window, about onlookers who anonymously record footage as proof of state violence
Iran
Keywords: Activism; Berlin film festival; Berlin film festival 2026; Culture; Documentary films; Film; Human rights; Iran; Middle East and north Africa; Protest; World news

Guatemala’s Ongoing Memory Battles - Emily Taylor, & Angélica Macario (North American Congress on Latin America, 2026)
For over ten years, Angélica Macario has sought to preserve the archive of the Council for Ethnic Community Runujel Junam in a struggle to keep the memory of the genocide alive.
Guatemala

‘The goal has been to demystify’: how a colonial Nairobi library was restored and given back to the people - Reynés, Diego Menjíbar (The Guardian, 2026)
Once a whites-only enclave, the grand McMillan Memorial library is one of three in the Kenyan capital that have been transformed for the community
Kenya
Keywords: Africa; Books; Cities; Culture; Documentary films; Film; Global development; Heritage; Kenya; Libraries; Literacy; World news

Israel approves proposal to register West Bank lands as ‘state property’ (Al Jazeera, 2026)
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Israel approves proposal to register West Bank lands as ‘state property’ (Al Jazeera, 2026)
Israel

Elon Musk’s xAI faces second lawsuit over toxic pollutants from datacenter - Kerr, Dara (The Guardian, 2026)
NAACP alleges artificial intelligence firm is violating Clean Air Act and polluting Black communities in Mississippi
United States of America
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); Elon Musk; Environment; Law (US); Mississippi; Pollution; Race; Technology; US justice system; US news

AfricaMuseum refuses to release Congo geological archive to US mining company, despite pressure from President Trump - Colin Clapson (VRTNWS, 2026)
The AfricaMuseum in Tervuren (Flemish Brabant) is refusing to hand over geological archive material on Congo to an American mining company that wants to use the data to map valuable raw materials. ‘We want to digitalise the archives ourselves and not leave it to a private company,’ the museum says. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is increasing pressure through diplomatic channels.
United States of America

AfricaMuseum refuses to release Congo geological archive to US mining company, despite pressure from President Trump - Colin Clapson (VRTNWS, 2026)
The AfricaMuseum in Tervuren (Flemish Brabant) is refusing to hand over geological archive material on Congo to an American mining company that wants to use the data to map valuable raw materials. ‘We want to digitalise the archives ourselves and not leave it to a private company,’ the museum says. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is increasing pressure through diplomatic channels.
Congo

House members seek inquiry into DoJ’s tracking of their Epstein files research - Gedeon, Joseph (The Guardian, 2026)
US attorney general displayed records of Congress members’ searches into Epstein files during House hearing
United States of America
Keywords: House of Representatives; Jeffrey Epstein; Pam Bondi; Trump administration; US Congress; US justice system; US news; US politics

Top Lesotho Home Affairs officials face fraud and corruption charges - Mokhethi, By Sechaba (GroundUp News, 2026)
They are accused of unlawfully issuing asylum and refugee documents
Lesotho

Deepfakes and Division: Inside the Campaign to Rebrand Iran’s Revolt - Trivelloni, Serena (International Policy Digest, 2026)
Iran’s protest movement faces a sophisticated new threat as evidence mounts of a coordinated campaign using artificial intelligence and information warfare to distort its aims and divide its ranks.
Iran

Artificial Insecurity: threats to information integrity - Vlad, Daniel Leufer (Access Now, 2026)
In the second part of our series on AI and digital security, we examine how LLMs threaten information integrity.
Worldwide

Google backs African push to reclaim AI language data - Dosunmu, Damilare (Rest of World, 2026)
A new 21-language data set gives African institutions ownership and control in a field long dominated by Big Tech.
Africa

Diaspora elections under way amid low registration, data‑protection fears - Lester Hinds (Jamaica Gleaner, 2026)
Jamaicans across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have begun voting in elections for the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC), amid concerns from some leaders about what they describe as disappointingly low voter registration – and lingering unease about data security.
Jamaica

MIP Participates in webinar on the IRMCT archive for civil society organisations from the Western Balkans (IRMCT, 2026)
On 10 February, the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) participated in the online webinar “How to use the IRMCT/ICTY archive for inclusive memorialisation?”. The event was organised by the British Council as the first in a series of webinars under the project “Different Memories, Shared Futures: Towards Inclusive Memorialisation in the Western Balkans.”
Eastern Europe

ICE List: the small European website exposing US immigration agents - Kassam, Ashifa (The Guardian, 2026)
Netherlands-based site uses public information and tips to reveal identities of agents involved in crackdowns across US
United States of America
Keywords: Europe; ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement); Minneapolis; Minnesota; Netherlands; US news; World news

ICE List: the small European website exposing US immigration agents - Kassam, Ashifa (The Guardian, 2026)
Netherlands-based site uses public information and tips to reveal identities of agents involved in crackdowns across US
Netherlands
Keywords: Europe; ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement); Minneapolis; Minnesota; Netherlands; US news; World news

The Conservative Researcher Being Linked to the FBI’s Seizure of Election Records in Georgia - Clark, Doug Bock (ProPublica, 2026)
Kevin Moncla has tried repeatedly to prove that the 2020 vote in Fulton County, Georgia, was tainted by fraud. While state election overseers have rejected his claims, his work may be fueling the federal government’s ongoing investigations.
United States of America

Caring for data: ethnographic study of data care work in Finland - Iiris Lehto (The Living Library, 2026)
The datafication of healthcare and social welfare services has increased the demand for data care work. Data care work denotes the practical, hands-on labour of caring for data. Drawing on ethnographic material from a data team, this article examines its mundane practices within a wellbeing services county in Finland.
Finland

Grant Guidelines for Libraries and Museums Take “Chilling” Political Turn Under Trump - Seaton, Jaimie (ProPublica, 2026)
Former Institute of Museum and Library Services leaders from both political parties expressed concern that the new funding guidelines could encourage a more constrained or distorted view of American history.
United States of America

Two Resign From Human Rights Watch Over Shelved Report Criticizing Israel - Kershner, Isabel (The New York Times, 2026)
Omar Shakir and Milena Ansari said they had quit over the stalled publication of a report that concludes it is a crime against humanity to deny Palestinians the ability to return to the territory that is now Israel.
Worldwide
Keywords: Human Rights Watch; Human Rights and Human Rights Violations; Israel; Milena Ansari; Palestinians; Shakir; Omar; West Bank

Immigration agents' surveillance tools and tactics raise questions about civil liberties - William Brangham; Azhar Merchant (PBS News, 2026)
United States of America

‘Inoculation’ helps people spot political deepfakes, study finds - Zhang, Bingbing (The Conversation, 2026)
Priming people to watch out for political deepfakes helps them question the AI-generated videos.
United States of America

New York to create team of legal observers to document ICE raids - Reuters (The Guardian, 2026)
Attorney general Letitia James says observers will monitor if Trump enforcement ‘remains within bounds of the law’
United States of America
Keywords: ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement); New York; Trump administration; US news; World news

The Deportation Data Project (The Living Library, 2026)
The Deportation Data Project collects and posts public, anonymized U.S. government immigration enforcement datasets. We use the Freedom of Information Act to gather datasets directly from the government, and we also post datasets that the government has posted proactively or in response to others’ requests.
United States of America

Parents are paying $2500 to falsify vaccine records. It's endangering babies like Riley - Olaya, Kayla (The Age, 2026)
Parents are paying anti-vaccine doctors and nurses to falsify Medicare records to enrol their children in childcare and fraudulently claim government payments.
Australia
Keywords: Australian Health Practitionor Regulation Agency (AHPRA); Australian Immunisation Register (AIR); Medicare

Chinese man who filmed evidence of Xinjiang rights abuses is granted asylum in US (The Guardian, 2026)
Lawyer for Guan Heng, whose exposed evidence of persecution of Uyghurs, says he is ‘textbook example of why asylum should exist’
China
Keywords: Asia Pacific; China; US foreign policy; US immigration; Uyghurs

United Arab Emirates plans to bankroll first ‘planned community’ in south Gaza - Brown, Cate (The Guardian, 2026)
Blueprints describe a ‘case study’ community where residents submit biometric data to gain entry
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)
Keywords: Gaza; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; United Arab Emirates; World news

Governance of Indigenous data: implementation plan - Government of Australia (The Living Library, 2026)
Australian Government entities are now required to embed the Australian Government Framework for governance of Indigenous data.
Oceania

CFAs: Documenting Atrocities and Human Rights Violations Workshop (fundsforNGOs, 2026)
The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) invites students, journalists, researchers, and human rights practitioners from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia to a three-day regional workshop on documenting and archiving human rights violations and international crimes in Sarajevo from 11–13 March 2026.

Leaving a permanent record of humanity on the moon – in 100 billion pixels - Nick Hilden (Al Jazeera, 2026)
Sanctuary on the Moon is a new international effort to establish a lunar time capsule that will offer its finder a detailed guide to our present civilisation. It is set to launch moonward in just a few years with the support of NASA and UNESCO.
Worldwide

The League of Nations archives go online, reopening history to the world - Stéphane Bussard (Geneva Solutions, 2026)
In 2022, a major digitisation effort reached completion: the entire archive of the League of Nations was placed online. Long mainly consulted by western scholars, the collection is now open to historians worldwide — a shift that could gradually reshape how the institution is studied and understood.
Worldwide

Confronting the Challenges of Sensitive Open Data - Danton, Cheryl M.; Graziul, Christopher (Katina Magazine, 2026)
When governments collect sensitive data about private individuals, personal privacy and governmental transparency come into conflict. How should we resolve this tension?
Worldwide

MSF will not share staff information about its colleagues in Palestine with Israeli authorities (Doctors Without Borders, 2026)
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) will not share a list of its Palestinian and international staff with Israeli authorities as part of the registration process to work in Gaza and the West Bank. This decision comes after many months of unsuccessful engagement with Israeli authorities, and in the absence of securing assurances to ensure the safety of our staff and the independent management of our operations.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

FBI’s Search of Georgia Election Center Is “Dangerous,” Experts Warn - Fifield, Doug Bock Clark and Jen (ProPublica, 2026)
The search warrant, which sought 2020 election ballots, tabulator tapes, digital data and voter rolls from Fulton County, marked what experts described as a significant escalation in President Donald Trump’s breaking of democratic norms.
United States of America

Iran appears to ease internet blackout as cost of shutdown mounts - Down, Aisha (The Guardian, 2026)
Experts say uneven connectivity suggests regime is throttling and filtering data as losses said to hit $36m a day
Iran
Keywords: Censorship; Human rights; Internet; Iran; Middle East and north Africa; Protest; World news

Dissident Who Daringly Documented Uyghurs’ Repression Wins Asylum - Qin, Amy (The New York Times, 2026)
Heng Guan, a Chinese national, will not be released immediately, as Homeland Security said it was reserving the right to appeal.
China
Keywords: China; Deportation; Heng Guan; Illegal Immigration; Immigration Detention; Political Prisoners; Trump; Donald J; Uganda; United States

Africa CDC Establishes Central Data Repository to Strengthen Public Health Surveillance (Africa CDC, 2026)
Public health data in Africa remains fragmented and dispersed across multiple systems that are often not interoperable. This limits the ability of countries and regional institutions to rapidly synthesise information, identify emerging risks and translate data into timely and coordinated public health action. The CDR addresses this challenge by providing a secure and interoperable platform that integrates surveillance, laboratory and programme data from national and regional systems.
Africa

AI systems could use Met Office and National Archives data under UK plans - Milmo, Dan (The Guardian, 2026)
Ministers plan to license content from institutions such as National History Museum and National Library of Scotland
United Kingdom
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); Culture; Heritage; Imperial War Museums; Kew Gardens; Labour; Met Office; Museums; National Archives; Natural History Museum; Politics; Technology; UK news; University of Oxford; V&A

Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’ - Mike McIntire (The New York Times, 2026)
Genetic researchers were seeking children for an ambitious, federally funded project to track brain development — a study that they told families could yield invaluable discoveries about DNA’s impact on behavior and disease. They also promised that the children’s sensitive data would be closely guarded. The scientists did not keep it safe.
United States of America

Sudan civil war: 'Half of my friends were killed' in el-Obeid school shelling - Mohamed Osman, Mohamed (BBC, 2026)
Twins whose classmates were killed by shelling say their deaths have made them determined to finish their studies.
Sudan

Women filmed in secret for social media content - then harassed online - Stazicker, Molly (BBC, 2026)
So-called manfluencers wearing smart glasses approach women and then post videos to TikTok and Instagram.
Worldwide

United Arab Emirates plans to bankroll first ‘planned community’ in south Gaza - Brown, Cate (The Guardian, 2026)
Exclusive: Blueprints describe a ‘case study’ community where residents submit biometric data to gain entry
United Arab Emirates, Palestine
Keywords: Gaza; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; United Arab Emirates; World news

United Arab Emirates plans to bankroll first ‘planned community’ in south Gaza - Brown, Cate (The Guardian, 2026)
Blueprints describe a ‘case study’ community where residents submit biometric data to gain entry
United Arab Emirates
Keywords: Gaza; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; United Arab Emirates; World news

Smithsonian Exhibition Showcases Hidden Archives of Historically Black Colleges - Chera Watson (The EDU Ledger, 2026)
New exhibit reveals how HBCUs have served as stewards of African American history and culture for generations.
United States of America

Philadelphia sues US government for removal of slavery-related exhibit - Dunbar, Marina (The Guardian, 2026)
Display at President’s House site, residence to George Washington, had information on people enslaved by him
United States of America
Keywords: Philadelphia; US news

Pentagon contractor indicted over alleged leak tied to raided Washington Post reporter - Luscombe, Richard (The Guardian, 2026)
Worker illegally provided classified information ‘related to national defense’ to journalist, justice department says
United States of America
Keywords: FBI; Maryland; Media; Newspapers; Press freedom; Trump administration; US military; US news; US politics; US press and publishing; Washington Post

The Beauty of the Archives for the Disability Rights Movement - Samantha Greenaway (Her Campus, 2026)
On Saturday, Jan. 10, the Positive Exposure Gallery presented the Disability Rights Archive.
Worldwide