Human rights centered global governance of quantum technologies: advancing information for all - UNESCO (2025)
Quantum technologies—encompassing quantum computing, communications, sensing, and materials—represent a groundbreaking frontier with the potential to revolutionize industries such as healthcare, energy, finance, and communications. However, like all transformative innovations, they come with opportunities, challenges and implications for human rights.
Worldwide

Gathering the Red Record: Linking Racial Violence Archives - Northeastern Law’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project (School of Law, 2025)
Northeastern Law’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project (CRRJ) will host a two-day conference in July to mark the launch of the Burnham-Nobles Digital Archive 2.0.
United States of America

US immigration authorities collecting DNA information of children in criminal database - Bhuiyan, Johana (The Guardian, 2025)
Collection of migrants’ DNA has increased by 5,000% in three years in a ‘massive expansion of genetic surveillance’
United States of America
Keywords: Children; Migration; Privacy; Surveillance; Technology; US immigration; US news

‘Like touching climate change’: glaciers reveal records of the way the world was - Giuffrida, Angela (The Guardian, 2025)
Scientists drill for ice cores containing information on preindustrial pollutants, but they are in a race against time
Worldwide
Keywords: Climate crisis; Environment; Glaciers; Polar regions

More than half of top 100 mental health TikToks contain misinformation, study finds - Hall, Rachel; Keenan, Rachel (The Guardian, 2025)
Guardian investigation reveals promotion of dubious advice, questionable supplements and quick-fix healing methods
Worldwide
Keywords: Digital media; Health; Media; Mental health; Social media; Society; Technology; TikTok

She Got an Abortion. So A Texas Cop Used 83,000 Cameras to Track Her Down. - Alajaji, Rindala (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2025)
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Lawmakers who support reproductive rights must recognize that abortion access and mass surveillance are incompatible. The systems built to track stolen cars and issue parking tickets have become tools to enforce the most personal and politically charged laws in the country.
United States of America

Un an plus tard, les Houthis doivent libérer les membres du personnel de l’ONU et de la société civile - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
Les autorités houthies de facto doivent libérer immédiatement et sans condition les dizaines de membres du personnel des Nations unies et d’organisations de la société civile yéménite et internationale placés en détention arbitraire au cours de l’année écoulée, ont déclaré Amnesty International et Human Rights Watch le 30 mai 2025. Les arrestations arbitraires d’employé·e·s humanitaires par […]
Yemen

Parties promise to shut down any false info flowing from their camps - Sashana Small (Jamaica Gleaner, 2025)
Recognising the threat the use of disinformation and misinformation poses to Jamaica’s democratic process, the island’s two main political parties say they have committed to rooting out any instances of this among their ranks.
Jamaica

A year on, Huthis must free UN, civil society staff - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
Huthi de facto authorities should immediately and unconditionally release dozens of staff from the UN, and Yemeni and international civil society organizations who were arbitrarily detained over the course of the past year, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today.
Yemen

SAFEnet Slams Indonesia's Block on Archive.org as Digital Rights Violation - Ananda Ridho Sulistya (Tempo, 2025)
Indonesian ministry said the decision to block Archive.org was made after discovering content related to online gambling and pornography on the site.
Indonesia

In Japan, newly released archives reveal the scale of human experimentation between 1938 and 1945 - Philippe Pons (Le Monde, 2025)
Newly uncovered documents confirm Japan's ambition to develop biological weapons during the Pacific War. The infamous Unit 731 of the Imperial Army in Harbin, China, was not the only group to use human test subjects.
Japan

Photos: Preserving Oualata’s fragile manuscript legacy amid desert threats - Al Jazeera (Al Jazeera, 2025)
Centuries-old manuscripts in Oualata libraries face destruction as desert sands encroach on ancient Mauritanian town.
Mauritania

Being monitored at work? A new report calls for tougher workplace surveillance controls - Blackham, Alysia; Goldenfein, Jake; Tham, Joo-Cheong (The Conversation, 2025)
Australian employers are monitoring employees, frequently without workers' knowledge or consent. A new report found workers are being watched using optical, listening, data, tracking and physical surveillance. Poor regulation means there is a lack of control on surveillance and the collection of data.
Australia

Armas, mordazas y troles: Desinformación y censura moldean el conflicto entre India y Pakistán - GV South Asia (Global Voices en Español, 2025)
La "Operación Sindoor" de India provocó represalias pakistaníes y acercó a ambas naciones nucleares a la guerra, mientras los canales de televisión indios desinformaban, con sirenas a todo volumen, presentadores vociferantes y videos virales falsos.
Pakistan

Armas, mordazas y troles: Desinformación y censura moldean el conflicto entre India y Pakistán - GV South Asia (Global Voices en Español, 2025)
La "Operación Sindoor" de India provocó represalias pakistaníes y acercó a ambas naciones nucleares a la guerra, mientras los canales de televisión indios desinformaban, con sirenas a todo volumen, presentadores vociferantes y videos virales falsos.
India

Una comisión del Parlamento Europeo analizará en Roma un escándalo en torno a un software espía - Peretti, Alessia (Euractiv.es, 2025)
A pesar de las reiteradas peticiones de transparencia, el gobierno de derechas de la primera ministra italiana, Giorgia Meloni (Fratellli d´Italia/ECR), se ha negado a revelar detalles en público.
Italy

Trust is critical to EU health data success, says WHO - Verbeeck, Nicole (Euractiv, 2025)
As the EU enacts its landmark health data law, officials warn that public trust, not just infrastructure, will determine its success, citing past misuse cases, such as 23andMe, as a cautionary tale.
Europe

Strengthening the linkages between social registries and climate risk data in Asia and the Pacific - World Food Programme (World Food Programme, 2025)
Explore how climate risk data enhances social registries and supports shock-responsive protection systems, with lessons from Sri Lanka, Lao PDR, and regional experiences across Asia and the Pacific.
Asia

Diez años de derechos digitales: ¿Adónde han ido a parar los avances de las grandes empresas de tecnología? - Giovana Fleck (Global Voices en Español, 2025)
En un mundo en el que aumenta el autoritarismo, el informe muestra que muchas grandes empresas tecnológicas siguen en gran medida "actuando como de costumbre", sin tratar cuestiones críticas.
Worldwide

Hide the Numbers, Control the Message - Joseph Chamie (Inter Press Service, 2025)
In the past, Shakespeare famously wrote in his play Henry VI that the first step for those seeking power was to “kill off the lawyers”. Today, the first step taken by those seeking power is to hide the numbers and control the message.
United States of America

Des eurodéputés à Rome pour enquêter sur l’utilisation d’un logiciel espion - Peretti, Alessia (Euractiv FR, 2025)
Une délégation d’eurodéputés de la commission des Libertés civiles, de la Justice et des Affaires intérieures du Parlement européen se rendra à Rome vendredi 30 mai pour enquêter sur l’utilisation d’un logiciel espion par l’Italie.
Italy

MEPs head to Rome demanding clarity on spyware scandal - Peretti, Alessia (Euractiv, 2025)
EU lawmakers head to Rome to probe Italy’s spyware scandal, as outrage grows over claims Graphite was used to surveil journalists and activists.
Italy

Mort du photographe Sebastião Salgado : l'Amazonie perd un fervent défenseur - Bernard, Raphaël (Reporterre 🌍 le média de l'écologie - Indépendant et en accès libre, 2025)
Le photographe franco-brésilien décédé le 23 mai aura été l’un des premiers à alerter sur la dégradation de l’Amazonie. Ses photos de la grande forêt et de ses habitants ont marqué le monde et contribué à leur protection.
Brazil

Dix ans de droits numériques : où en est vraiment la Big Tech ? - Giovana Fleck (Global Voices en Français, 2025)
Dans un monde marqué par la montée de l’autoritarisme, le rapport montre que de nombreuses entreprises de la tech poursuivent pour la plupart leurs activités « comme d’habitude », sans prendre en compte les enjeux majeurs.
Worldwide

Journalists ask parliamentiarians not to restrict access to government documents - NL Times (NL Times, 2025)
Professional journalist organizations and various social organizations are appealing to parliament to take “no steps backwards” with the Open Government Act (WOO). The call the law that regulates the access to government information “essential for our democracy.” The organizations have serious objections to various motions that parliamentarians have submitted.
Netherlands

La CIA intenta reclutar espías chinos para el Gobierno de Estados Unidos, pero los chinos parecen no mostrar interés - Oiwan Lam (Global Voices en Español, 2025)
Aunque los videos han tratado las tensiones políticas dentro del Partido Comunista Chino, muchos consideran que las narrativas no son convincentes, en gran parte porque Estados Unidos ha perdido su terreno moral con el presidente Donald Trump.
United States of America

La CIA intenta reclutar espías chinos para el Gobierno de Estados Unidos, pero los chinos parecen no mostrar interés - Oiwan Lam (Global Voices en Español, 2025)
Aunque los videos han tratado las tensiones políticas dentro del Partido Comunista Chino, muchos consideran que las narrativas no son convincentes, en gran parte porque Estados Unidos ha perdido su terreno moral con el presidente Donald Trump.
China

Bashar al-Assad’s Secret Archive: 8 Million People Were Under Surveillance! - Shuhrat Razzakov (Zamin, 2025)
It has been revealed that during the rule of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the country's intelligence services conducted mass and secret surveillance of the population. According to a source from Syria's Ministry of Interior, cited by Germany's Deutsche Welle.
Syrian Arab Republic

ICC counsel to Bato: No testimonies in Duterte case forced - News, GMA Integrated (GMA News Online, 2025)
The ICC does not force nor make testimonies for witnesses, and the procedure in taking testimonies is very transparent, a lawyer said after Sen. Bato dela Rosa claimed ex-police officials are being forced to execute affidavits against him and detained former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Phillipines

‘Alarming’ rise in regional internet censorship in China, study finds - Hawkins, Amy (The Guardian, 2025)
Tens of millions of internet users in China’s Henan denied access to five times more websites than usual.
China
Keywords: Asia Pacific; Censorship; China; Internet; Technology; World news

Lift ban on news sites and protect the right to freedom of expression - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
Jordan's blocking of independent news sites violates the right to access information. Authorities must uphold press freedom and lift the ban.
Jordan

Presentamos MakingJusticeWork.org: Conectando el conocimiento, fortaleciendo la justicia - Federación Internacional por los Derechos Humanos (Federación Internacional por los Derechos Humanos, 2025)
En el Día de la Unión Europea contra la Impunidad por el Genocidio, los Crímenes de Lesa Humanidad y los Crímenes de Guerra, la Iniciativa Global contra la Impunidad por Crímenes Internacionales y Violaciones Graves de los Derechos Humanos lanza MakingJusticeWork.org, una plataforma digital diseñada para reforzar el trabajo de los actores clave comprometidos con la lucha por la rendición de cuentas.
Worldwide

Introducing MakingJusticeWork.org: Connecting knowledge, strengthening justice - International Federation for Human Rights (International Federation for Human Rights, 2025)
On the European Union (EU) Day Against Impunity for Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes, the Global Initiative Against Impunity for International Crimes and Serious Human Rights Violations (GIAI) launches MakingJusticeWork.org, a digital platform designed to strengthen the work of key stakeholders and actors engaged in the fight for accountability.
Worldwide

Présentation de MakingJusticeWork.org : relier les connaissances, renforcer la justice - La Fédération internationale pour les droits humains (Fédération internationale pour les droits humains, 2025)
À l’occasion de la journée européenne de lutte contre l’impunité des auteurs de génocides, de crimes contre l’humanité et de crimes de guerre, l’Initiative mondiale contre l’impunité pour les crimes internationaux et les violations graves des droits humains (GIAI) lance MakingJusticeWork.org, une plateforme numérique conçue pour renforcer le travail des acteur·ices engagé·es dans la lutte pour la reddition de comptes.
Worldwide

Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok’s father is being prosecuted as a form of ‘collective punishment,’ according to rights groups - Oiwan Lam (Global Voices, 2025)
Kwok Yin-sang's prosecution has shocked overseas Hong Kong communities, as he was the first relative of a wanted activist charged under the security law, Hong Kong's latest strategy of collective punishment.
Asia

Menaces, arrestations... Le quotidien des étudiants ougandais opposés à Total - Reporterre (Reporterre, 2025)
La mobilisation en Ouganda contre le projet Eacop est rare et durement réprimée. La jeunesse étudiante tente de s’organiser, au prix de pressions, de procès et d’arrestations ininterrompues.
Uganda

Syrians Rush to Preserve Remembrances of a Painful Revolution - Sednaya, Raja Abdulrahim (The New York Times, 2025)
Many in Syria want to enshrine remnants of their recent history, not only to remember it, but as a cautionary tale.
Syria
Keywords: Archives and Records; Assad; Bashar al-; Assad; Hafez al-; Demonstrations; Protests and Riots; Human Rights and Human Rights Violations; Politics and Government; Sednaya Prison (Syria); Syria

Preserving the past and sustaining the future amid environmental change: Cross-cutting approaches in cultural heritage - Center for Advances in Libraries, Museums, and Archives (CALMA - Center for Advances in Libraries, Museums, and Archives, 2025)
How are museums, archives, and libraries adapting to environmental change while continuing to safeguard cultural memory? This session brings together consultants working across the GLAM sector to share practical strategies, lessons learned, and emerging best practices for sustainability and climate resilience. This discussion explores areas of convergence and divergence, challenges, innovations, and cross-sector collaboration, with a focus on bridging the gap between research and day-to-day practice.
United States of America

Weather and climate data freely available - MeteoSwiss (MeteoSwiss, 2025)
As part of the Open Government Data (OGD) initiative, the Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss is making its wealth of collected, processed and refined meteorological and climatological data available to all interested parties free of charge.
Switzerland

Ataque en Pahalgam aumenta tensiones entre India y Pakistán en medio de ola de desinformación - Ramna Saeed (Global Voices en Español, 2025)
Un terrible ataque terrorista en el valle de Pahalgam, parte de la Cachemira india, incrementó rápidamente las tensiones entre los vecinos India y Pakistán, lo que generó represalias diplomáticas.
Pakistan

Ataque en Pahalgam aumenta tensiones entre India y Pakistán en medio de ola de desinformación - Ramna Saeed (Global Voices en Español, 2025)
Un terrible ataque terrorista en el valle de Pahalgam, parte de la Cachemira india, incrementó rápidamente las tensiones entre los vecinos India y Pakistán, lo que generó represalias diplomáticas.
India

Alertan riesgos a derechos en reforma de telecomunicaciones en México - Access Now (Access Now, 2025)
Access Now y ARTICLE 19 publican un informe sobre las implicaciones para los derechos humanos en la reforma de telecomunicaciones en México
Mexico

Civil society warns of human rights risks in Mexico’s telecom reform - Access Now (Access Now, 2025)
Access Now and ARTICLE 19 publish a policy brieg on the human rights implications in Mexico’s telecom reform
Mexico

Cambodians remember Khmer Rouge victims 50 years on - Euronews (2025)
Cambodia held a powerful memorial on Tuesday to mark 50 years since the Khmer Rouge began a brutal regime that left around 1.7 million people dead.
Cambodia

Uruguay makes 10 key Operation Condor files available for online access - Jaureguy, Martina (Buenos Aires Herald, 2025)
The documents are key to understanding how the collaboration between South American regimes operated. “For the past 20 years, the foreign ministry has been part of a process in which there have been advances in terms of archives linked to human rights violations,” Interim Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi said.
Uruguay

Nakba Descendants Seek Reparations Through Family Archive - Phil Pasquini (Countercurrents, 2025)
In observance of the 77th anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe), the Arab Center Washington DC introduced “Survivors of the Nakba from Landowners to Refugees” by presenting the Bseiso Family Archive of Palestinian landownership records. The extensive archive chronicles Palestinian life from 1906 to 1997, with Jahshan noting it is “the largest known collection of original documents from a single Palestinian family detailing land ownership before 1948.” The archive introduces compelling legal evidence of the historical “property theft and mass dispossession” that took place.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

NSW education department caught unaware after Microsoft Teams began collecting students’ biometric data - Taylor, Josh (The Guardian, 2025)
Gathering of face and voice data went unnoticed for one month after it was automatically enabled for video conferencing app users in March.
Australia
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Australia news; Australian education; Child Rights; Computing; Microsoft; Privacy; Technology

How Russian opposition media continue broadcasting from abroad - Daria Dergacheva (Global Voices, 2025)
“There are millions of Russian-speaking people around the world ready to support media they trust. You need to find the right tone to encourage that support and keep it growing.”
Russian Federation

New Law Threatens Free Speech, Trans Rights - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
A law enacted in Peru purports to combat sexual violence against children and adolescents, but instead undermines freedom of expression and access to information, and discriminates against transgender people, Human Rights Watch said today. The law’s vague and overly broad provisions could also be used to suppress expressions of identity, artistic content, and educational materials while failing to effectively address pervasive sexual violence against children and adolescents in the country.
Peru

Israel Recovers Troves of Documents Belonging to Its Most Famous Spy - Moses, Claire (The New York Times, 2025)
Israel has long sought to bring home from Syria the remains of Eli Cohen, whose spying work is credited with helping Israel win the Arab-Israeli War of 1967.
Israel
Keywords: Archives and Records; Cohen; Eli (1924-65); Damascus (Syria); Defense and Military Forces; Espionage and Intelligence Services; Israel; Mossad; Netanyahu; Benjamin; Syria

Afghan War Crimes Victims Still Awaiting Justice - Patricia Gossman (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
Family members of Afghans unlawfully killed by foreign military forces during the 20-year war in Afghanistan have been waiting a long time for justice. Last week revealed two quite different approaches by countries that should provide it.
Afghanistan

Afghan War Crimes Victims Still Awaiting Justice - Patricia Gossman (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
Family members of Afghans unlawfully killed by foreign military forces during the 20-year war in Afghanistan have been waiting a long time for justice. Last week revealed two quite different approaches by countries that should provide it.
Australia

Afghan War Crimes Victims Still Awaiting Justice - Patricia Gossman (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
Family members of Afghans unlawfully killed by foreign military forces during the 20-year war in Afghanistan have been waiting a long time for justice. Last week revealed two quite different approaches by countries that should provide it.
United Kingdom

Microsoft's ICC blockade: digital dependence comes at a cost - Van Klinken, Erik (Techzine Global, 2025)
In February, the United States imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. As a result, Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has no access to the emails on his Microsoft account. The incident once again demonstrates the risks of dependence on US IT services.
United States of America

From Ruins to Resin: A Curator’s Fight to Save Ukrainian Heritage - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2025)
Ukrainian curator Tetyana Fiks discusses how the War Fragments Museum preserves the human stories of war through art, using resin-encased artifacts to protect and share Ukraine’s cultural memory with the world.
Ukraine

Surge in refusals for freedom of information undermines trust in Australian government, watchdog warns - Knaus, Christopher (The Guardian, 2025)
The Australian government is refusing freedome of information requests at a rate not seen in a decade, prompting concern among transparency advocates. However the federal government is releasing more FOIs in full that its state and territory counterparts.
Australia
Keywords: Australia news; Australian politics; Freedom of information

The largely forgotten history of Philadelphia’s police bombing of Black organization MOVE - Mike Fritz (PBS News, 2025)
This week marked the 40th anniversary of one of the worst tragedies in Philadelphia’s history. In May 1985, the city’s police department dropped an improvised bomb on a residential home that housed the Black revolutionary organization MOVE. The bomb and ensuing fire killed 11 people, including five children, and destroyed more than 60 nearby homes.
United States of America

Brussels court ruling on tracking-based ads a major win for right to privacy - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
On 14 May the Brussels Court of Appeal ruled that the consent model used by the tracking based online advertising industry is illegal under EU privacy law. The ruling establishes that the Transparency and Consent Framework fails to meet GDPR requirements for user consent and transparency.
Europe

La décision d’une juridiction de Bruxelles sur les publicités basées sur la surveillance représente une grande victoire pour le droit au respect de la vie privée - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
Il s’agit d’une victoire majeure pour le droit au respect de la vie privée.
Europe

La resolución de un tribunal de Bruselas sobre la publicidad basada en el seguimiento, una gran victoria para el derecho a la privacidad - Amnesty International (Amnistía Internacional, 2025)
El Tribunal de Apelación de Bruselas ha resuelto que el modelo de consentimiento que sustenta la publicidad basada en el seguimiento utilizado por las grandes empresas tecnológicas es ilegal.
Europe

Why does digital violence against LGBTI people in Thailand and Taiwan continue even after marriage equality? - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
Thailand and Taiwan are hailed as champions of the rights of LGBTI people in Asia, as the only two places in the region to legalize same-sex marriage. However, rights won at the registry office do not always translate into safety online. Digital violence continues to threaten LGBTI people, undermining their human rights and progress made. Thai and Taiwanese authorities must do more to combat it.
Asia

Jordan bans 12 news sites for ‘spreading media poison’ following corruption report - Committee to Protect Journalists (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025)
The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Jordanian authorities to lift Wednesday’s ban on a dozen online news outlets for “spreading media poison and attacking Jordan,” following the publication of allegations that the government unfairly profited from aid to Gaza.
Jordan

How accurate are my medical records? You might be surprised how often errors creep in - Lloyd, Sheree (The Conversation, 2025)
Medical records of hundreds of patients at a Sydney hospital's cancer genetics service have been reviewed following irregularities related to care by a single specialist.
Australia

Amid States’ Negligence, Activists Working to Ensure Accountability for Israel’s Actions in Occupied Palestinian Territory - UN News (UN News, 2025)
The Foundation files requests for prosecution in national courts against “traveling soldiers” — a reference to Israeli soldiers traveling abroad. In States that have incorporated the principle of universal jurisdiction into their criminal codes, jurisdiction can be established by the mere physical presence of a perpetrator on their territory. It also files requests for prosecution in soldiers’ own countries — based on the principle of national jurisdiction. “There is no statute of limitations for these crimes and States' responsibility to act never expires,” he said. Finally, the Foundation shares information with international legal bodies like the International Criminal Court.
Israel

‘I am not who you think I am’: how a deep-cover KGB spy recruited his own son - Walker, Shaun; Alexandrou, Nicola; Bury, Ellie (2025)
For the first time, the man the KGB codenamed ‘the Inheritor’ tells his story.
Russian Federation
Keywords: Espionage; Russia

La Hongrie va, comme la Russie, légiférer pour cibler des médias et ONG financés par l'étranger - AFP (Franceinfo, 2025)
Le gouvernement hongrois a poursuivi son offensive contre les ONG et médias indépendants avec le dépôt au Parlement, mercredi 14 mai, d'une proposition de loi ciblant toute structure financée par des fonds étrangers qui "menacerait la souveraineté" du pays d'Europe centrale. Ce texte sur "la transparence de la vie publique", déposé par un député du parti au pouvoir (Fidesz), suscite déjà l'inquiétude dans la presse et l'opposition et des comparaisons avec la loi russe sur les "agents de l'étranger".
Hungary

Attack claimed by pro-Ukraine hackers reportedly erases a third of Russian court case archive - Antoniuk, Daryna (The Record, 2025)
About a third of the case file archive of Pravosudiye — Russia's national electronic court filing system — was deleted in a previously reported cyberattack, auditors said. A pro-Ukrainian group has claimed the intrusion.
Russian Federation

Guns, gags and trolls: Disinformation and censorship are shaping the India–Pakistan conflict - GV South Asia (Global Voices, 2025)
India's “Operation Sindoor” sparked Pakistani retaliation and edged both nuclear-armed nations toward war, while Indian TV channels erupted in disinformation, blaring sirens, shouting anchors, and viral fake videos.
India

Guns, gags and trolls: Disinformation and censorship are shaping the India–Pakistan conflict - GV South Asia (Global Voices, 2025)
India's “Operation Sindoor” sparked Pakistani retaliation and edged both nuclear-armed nations toward war, while Indian TV channels erupted in disinformation, blaring sirens, shouting anchors, and viral fake videos.
Pakistan

A trial is testing ways to enforce Australia’s under-16s social media ban. But the tech is flawed - Maddox, Alexia; Heemsbergen, Luke; Le, My (The Conversation, 2025)
Australia's ban on under-16s from social media is due to take effect in December 2025. The law says social media platforms can't use official identification such as passports to check ages, and shouldn't track Australians. An age assurance technology trial is in its final stages.
Australia

New technologies risking ‘mental privacy’ of workers - Parliament of Victoria (Parliament of Victoria, 2025)
Imagine your employer having access to your brain activity. It may sound fanciful, but neurotechnology is one of a range of emerging technologies that are finding their way into workplace surveillance and will need to be subject to carefully considered regulation.
Australia

UN Strategic Communications and the Protection of Civilians: The Role of UN Radio - Schmidt, Annie (International Peace Institute, 2025)
Radio remains the most popular medium of communication in many countries where UN peacekeeping operations are deployed, and several missions have leveraged UN radio stations to communicate with local populations. UN strategic communications via radio can help reduce violence against civilians, both during and after armed conflict.
Worldwide

Aux machines, citoyens ! - Stanislas Deprez (La Vie des idées, 2025)
Contre la tendance des experts à vouloir garder le contrôle exclusif du développement technologique – au nom de l’incompétence du grand public –, Adeline Barbin suggère de confier davantage de pouvoir aux citoyens, afin que les techniques et les sciences soient conformes aux valeurs démocratiques. Dans son livre La démocratie des techniques la philosophe Adeline Barbin défend la double thèse selon laquelle une démocratie des techniques est souhaitable et possible, contre l’idéologie technocratique des élites politiques et scientifiques.
France

Keeping People Safe Online – Fundamental Rights Protective Alternatives to Age Checks - Windwehr, Svea (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2025)
This is the final part of a three-part series about age verification in the European Union. In part one, we give an overview of the political debate around age verification and explore the age verification proposal introduced by the European Commission, based on digital identities.
Europe

Viols collectifs, esclavage sexuel… Des experts de l'ONU dénoncent des violences sexuelles "systématiques" au Soudan - AFP (Franceinfo, 2025)
Les femmes et les filles au Soudan, pays ravagé par la guerre, sont confrontées à des violations généralisées et systématiques de leurs droits, incluant viols collectifs, esclavage sexuel et assassinats, principalement de la part des forces paramilitaires, ont alerté, mercredi 14 mai, des experts des Nations unies.
Sudan

Western countries gave Mossad information used to track and kill Palestinian terrorists in 1970s - Burke, Jason (The Guardian, 2025)
Declassified documents reveal secret support by intelligence agencies without oversight by elected politicians
Worldwide
Keywords: France; Germany; Israel; Italy; Middle East and north Africa; Munich massacre; Palestinian territories; Switzerland; The Mossad; UK news; US news

A decade of digital rights: Where has Big Tech's progress gone? - Giovana Fleck (Global Voices, 2025)
In a world with rising authoritarianism, the report shows that many Big Tech companies are largely continuing with “business as usual,” failing to address critical issues.
Worldwide

Ministers block Lords bid to make AI firms declare use of copyrighted content - Hall, Rachel (The Guardian, 2025)
Government uses arcane procedure to strip amendment passed by House of Lords from its data bill
United Kingdom
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Beeban Kidron; House of Lords; Intellectual property; Labour; Politics; Technology; UK news

Pfizergate: EU Court Rules Commission in Violation of Transparency Law Over von der Leyen–Pfizer Texts - Hanna, Rachel (Access Info Europe, 2025)
14 May 2025 – The General Court of the European Union has annulled the European Commission decision to refuse access to text messages relating to COVID-19 vaccine negotiations, stating that doing so violated EU access to documents law and breached the principle of good administration. In early 2021, it was revealed that President von der
Europe

Des travailleurs migrants électrocutés, décapités et victimes de chutes mortelles au travail - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
Les autorités devraient agir pour empêcher les décès, et indemniser sans faille les familles lors d’accidents mortels.
Saudi Arabia

Migrant Workers Electrocuted, Decapitated, and Falling to Death at Workplaces - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
Scores of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia die in gruesome yet avoidable workplace-related accidents, including falling from buildings, electrocution, and even decapitation
Saudi Arabia

Who Watches the Watchers? A Conversation on Digital Rights and Decentralization - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2025)
Alexander Linton discusses the urgent need for decentralized, privacy-focused technologies like Session to counter mass surveillance and protect digital rights in an increasingly data-driven world.
Worldwide

Digital Public Infrastructure Could Make a Better Internet - Kapur, Akash (Foreign Policy, 2025)
The approach has seen rapid uptake in the global south and may even challenge the existing geopolitical order.
Worldwide

BBC boss says disinformation ‘trust crisis’ putting social fabric of UK at risk - Savage, Michael (The Guardian, 2025)
Britain’s status as a cohesive, democratic society is at risk for the first time in a generation as the rise of social media platforms and disinformation fuel a “trust crisis”, the BBC’s director general has said. In a wide-ranging address about the future of the corporation, Tim Davie said BBC News would start to make special content for platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, where disinformation can go unchecked, as he couched the broadcaster as a “precious national asset” preventing the UK from becoming a society in which there were no shared facts.
United Kingdom
Keywords: BBC; BBC licence fee; Culture; Digital media; Media; Social media; TV news; Television; The news on TV; Tim Davie

Au Mali, la junte dissout les partis politiques et suspend TV5 Monde - AFP (France 24, 2025)
La junte au pouvoir au Mali a annoncé mardi la dissolution des "partis politiques" et des "organisations à caractère politique", selon un décret présidentiel lu à la télévision publique. Elle a également…
Mali

Les expulsions de migrants aux Etats-Unis suscitent de "graves préoccupations", s'inquiète l'ONU - AFP (Franceinfo, 2025)
Volker Türk, haut-commissaire de l'ONU aux droits de l'homme, dénonce "la manière dont certaines personnes ont été détenues et déportées", ainsi que "la rhétorique humiliante utilisée contre les migrants".
United States of America

Is the U.S. Abandoning the Fight Against Foreign Information Operations? - Fried, Ambassador Daniel (Just Security, 2025)
The Trump administration's policy shift paves the way for foreign propaganda to flourish, leaving Europe to step into the breach.
Worldwide

Liberian Massacre Sites Documented in New Database - Mehnpaine, Tina S. (Liberianobserver.com, 2025)
The Ducor Institute releases a database on massacres during Liberia's civil war, aiming to supplement human rights activities and establish a War and Economic Crimes Court. Public contributions requested for database enhancement.
Liberia

Boxes of Nazi Material Are Found After Decades in Basement of Argentina Court - Moses, Claire (The New York Times, 2025)
Thousands of documents in the boxes could result in new information about Nazi activity in Argentina in the early years of World War II.
Argentina
Keywords: Argentina

Deepfakes in Courtrooms: How Judges Are Adapting to a New Reality - Akhlaghi, Maryam (Laboratoire de cyberjustice, 2025)
The rise of deepfake technology is challenging courts to reconsider how evidence is authenticated and presented. While courts have long dealt with fabricated evidence, the accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has made it easier than ever to create convincing fake images, videos, and audio recordings.
Canada

EU told to set up agency to fight Russian bots, election interference - Anupriya Datta (Euractiv, 2025)
Democracy in the EU is under threat from Russian-backed foreign information manipulation.
Europe

Un eurodéputé demande la création d'une agence pour lutter contre les campagnes de désinformation venues de l'étranger - Anupriya Datta (Euractiv, 2025)
L’eurodéputé Tomas Tobé (PPE) propose la création d’une agence européenne pour lutter contre la désinformation étrangère. L’objectif : renforcer la résilience de l’UE face à l’ingérence étrangère, notamment en période électorale.
Europe

IACHR warns of erosion to women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, memory policies in Argentina - Jaureguy, Martina (Buenos Aires Herald, 2025)
In its annual report, the human rights watchdog for the Americas expressed concern about President Milei’s austerity measures and violent discourse. The IACHR observed “setbacks in memory, truth and justice policies” including layoffs in the Human Rights Secretariat and the closure of programs and specialized entities.
Argentina

Digital erasure: How social media platforms are silencing Palestinians in 2024 - Walid El Houri (Global Voices, 2025)
From shadow bans to account removals, tech platforms are censoring Palestinian speech while ignoring hate speech by Israeli figures.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Digital erasure: How social media platforms are silencing Palestinians in 2024 - Walid El Houri (Global Voices, 2025)
From shadow bans to account removals, tech platforms are censoring Palestinian speech while ignoring hate speech by Israeli figures.
Israel

Farmers Sued Over Deleted Climate Data. So the Government Will Put It Back. - Zraick, Karen (The New York Times, 2025)
The Agriculture Department pledged to restore online climate information that farmers said helped them do business, but which officials had deleted.
United States of America
Keywords: Agriculture Department; Agriculture and Farming; Clayton; Walter J; Environmental Working Group; Global Warming; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Natural Resources Defense Council; Northeast Organic Farming Assn; Suits and Litigation (Civil); United States Politics and Government

The CIA is trying to recruit Chinese spies for the US government. Chinese citizens don't seem interested - Oiwan Lam (Global Voices, 2025)
Although the videos have addressed the political tensions within the CCP, many find the narratives unconvincing, largely because the U.S has lost its moral high ground under president Donald Trump.
United States of America

The CIA is trying to recruit Chinese spies for the US government. Chinese citizens don't seem interested - Oiwan Lam (Global Voices, 2025)
Although the videos have addressed the political tensions within the CCP, many find the narratives unconvincing, largely because the U.S has lost its moral high ground under president Donald Trump.
China

Hackers leak to press passenger details of Trump deportation flights - Gerard Edic (PBS News, 2025)
More than a month after The Atlantic broke the story that top U.S. officials were sharing military attack plans on Signal, the Trump administration’s handling of sensitive data is still under scrutiny. Hackers targeted another app used by Trump officials and also stole passenger lists from an airline used to deport migrants.
United States of America

Trump fires top US copyright official - Katherine Tully-McManus (POLITICO, 2025)
President Donald Trump continued a firing spree at the Library of Congress on Saturday when he dismissed the top copyright official in the nation — a position traditionally overseen by the legislative branch.
United States of America

Digital censorship amid the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict - Access Now (Access Now, 2025)
We are alarmed by executive orders issued by the Indian government restricting access to an alarming spectrum of online content, including requiring social media platform X to block access to over 8,000 accounts, including those belonging to journalists, human rights organisations, and independent media outlets. In today’s digital age, the many layers of conflict include the digital realm and efforts to control the information ecosystem. These orders are part of a broader pattern of digital censorship.
India

Digital censorship amid the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict - Access Now (Access Now, 2025)
We are alarmed by executive orders issued by the Indian government restricting access to an alarming spectrum of online content, including requiring social media platform X to block access to over 8,000 accounts, including those belonging to journalists, human rights organisations, and independent media outlets. In today’s digital age, the many layers of conflict include the digital realm and efforts to control the information ecosystem. These orders are part of a broader pattern of digital censorship.
Pakistan

Digital censorship and political repression: The blocking of the X account of Istanbul's jailed mayor - Arzu Geybullayeva (Global Voices, 2025)
On May 8, 2025, the X account of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the jailed mayor of Istanbul and the opposition's presidential candidate, was blocked in Turkey following a court order. The authorities cited a tweet from İmamoğlu’s account, which they claimed could incite criminal activity. The restriction has faced widespread backlash from legal experts, political allies, and digital rights advocates, who view it as an attempt to silence dissenting voices ahead of the 2028 presidential elections.
Türkiye

Trump Administration Fires Librarian of Congress - Balk, Tim (The New York Times, 2025)
Dr. Carla D. Hayden was the first African American and the first woman to serve as the head of the Library of Congress. Her firing drew a furious response from Democrats.
United States of America
Keywords: Appointments and Executive Changes; Black People; Books and Literature; Democratic Party; Hayden; Carla D (1952- ); Libraries and Librarians; Library of Congress; Race and Ethnicity; Trump; Donald J; United States; United States Politics and Government

Feu vert de Kiev et ses alliés à la création d'un tribunal spécial pour juger les crimes russes - Brzozowski, Alexandra (Euractiv FR, 2025)
Les Européens soutiennent la création d'un tribunal spécial pour juger les crimes d'agression des hauts responsables russes dans le cadre de la guerre en Ukraine, mais l’absence de soutien des États-Unis risque de compromettre les chances de succès de l'initiative.
Worldwide

How Europe wants to bring Putin to The Hague - Brzozowski, Alexandra (Euractiv, 2025)
EU officials say Washington has informally signalled it will not object to the evidence being collected for the tribunal – a cautious but notable concession.
Worldwide

‘If it isn’t recorded it will disappear’: the Muslim photographer shining a light on Bradford’s Jewish community - Green, Graeme (The Guardian, 2025)
When Nudrat Afza learned that her friend’s synagogue was closing she began a multi-year project to document the city’s declining Jewish population. ‘In Bradford people from different communities respect each other,’ she says
United Kingdom
Keywords: Art; Art and design; Culture; Exhibitions; Judaism; Photography

Trump news at a glance: military to immediately remove trans troops and use medical records to oust more - Guardian staff (The Guardian, 2025)
Buoyed by supreme court ruling, Pentagon will remove as many as 1,000 service members.
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; JD Vance; Pete Hegseth; Trump administration; US military; US news; US politics

How Signal, WhatsApp, Apple, and Google Handle Encrypted Chat Backups - Klosowski, Thorin (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2025)
Encrypted chat apps like Signal and WhatsApp are one of the best ways to keep your digital conversations as private as possible. But if you’re not careful with how those conversations are backed up, you can accidentally undermine your privacy.
Worldwide

Male bias in medical trials risks women’s lives. But at least the data gap is finally being addressed - Perez, Caroline Criado (The Guardian, 2025)
We know some medications work differently in men and women. Why is it taking so long for studies to reflect this?
United Kingdom
Keywords: Health; Medical research; Science; Society; Women; Women's health

50 ans après, la mémoire incomplète du génocide : épisode du podcast Retours de terrain - Valerin, Arnaud (France Culture, 2025)
Le journaliste Arnaud Vaulerin rentre du Cambodge, où l'on commémore les 50 ans du génocide perpétré par les hommes de Pol Pot. Il y raconte les souvenirs douloureux des survivants mais aussi l'impunité dont bénéficient encore la majorité des anciens Khmers rouges.
Cambodia

Ukraine says it has busted Hungarian spy ring collecting military data - Walker, Shaun (The Guardian, 2025)
Two Ukrainians arrested as authorities claim operation had one eye on a possible future military incursion
Ukraine
Keywords: Europe; Hungary; Ukraine; Viktor Orbán; World news

Memo of Understanding to Issue Identity Documents for the Most Vulnerable Women - Human Access (HUMAN ACCESS, 2025)
The signed agreement is part of legal support services and includes a mechanism for receiving cases and procedures for issuing personal documents, which are key to accessing vital services, education, and rights. Without these documents, families face significant barriers to receiving aid and accessing opportunities, exacerbating the challenges they already face.
Worldwide

Noaa to stop tracking cost of climate crisis-fueled disasters: ‘Major loss’ - Press, Associated (The Guardian, 2025)
US agency will no longer update major weather database in latest showing of Trump’s influence on climate resources
United States of America
Keywords: Climate crisis; Donald Trump; Environment; Extreme weather; Natural disasters; Trump administration; US news; US politics

Riefenstahl review – nauseating yet gripping story of Nazi poster woman - Bradshaw, Peter (The Guardian, 2025)
The only important woman in the Nazi movement entranced Hitler, directed Triumph of the Will – and spent the rest of her life alternately fearful and defiant
Germany
Keywords: Culture; Documentary films; Film; Nazism; World news

Call to Protect Elections from AI ‘Information Pollution’ - Naureen Hossain (Inter Press Service, 2025)
National and local elections can demonstrate the strengths and vulnerabilities that can be exploited as AI is used to influence voters.
Worldwide

Files documenting worst abuses at residential schools to be destroyed unless survivors ask otherwise - Schwientek, Samantha (CBC News, 2025)
Files documenting the worst abuses at residential schools are set to be destroyed in 2027 and, despite a multi-year outreach, some survivors say they didn't know they could opt to have their files preserved.
Canada

‘You feel the huge weight of history’: the room where Nazi Germany surrendered - Henley, Jon (The Guardian, 2025)
Military armistice ending second world war was signed in this nondescript Reims schoolhouse before VE Day
Germany
Keywords: Europe; France; Second world war; VE Day; World news

The Iraq War Crimes Archive - Liz Brown and Lydia Day (Unredated, 2025)
This archive represents the largest publicly available collection of materials relating to (allegations of) British war crimes in Iraq. It brings together documents from a wide variety of sources, including judgments and rulings in a range of court cases, submissions to the International Criminal Court, witness statements, submitted evidence and findings from a number of investigative mechanisms, evidence gathered in public inquiries, and information released through the Freedom of Information Act.
Iraq
Keywords: Great Britain

World Press Freedom Day 2025: digital threats to press freedom - Maheshwari, Rand Hammoud, Aymen Zaghdoudi, Namrata, Eliška Pírková (Access Now, 2025)
It should be no surprise that 2024 was among the deadliest for journalists in 30 years. Across the world, we’re seeing a sharp increase in attacks on media pluralism and independence, as governments of all stripes undermine the rule of law and democratic governance, erode protections for whistleblowers, and use dangerous narratives to smear journalists and human rights defenders.
Worldwide

Argentina declassifies archives on Nazi war criminals who fled after World War II - Tamilla Hasanova (Caliber, 2025)
The records had been held in Argentina’s General Archives since 1992, when they were transferred there under a presidential decree by then-President Carlos Menem. They are the result of decades-long investigations carried out between 1950 and 1980 by Argentine federal agencies.
Argentina

Situation of Press Freedom in Tunisia - Access Now (Access Now, 2025)
Article 24 has been widely used as a legal tool to prosecute journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders, contributing to the suppression of media diversity, encouraging self-censorship, and discouraging public engagement in democratic debate.
Tunisia

The Latest Trump and DOGE Casualty: Energy Data - Elkind, Peter (ProPublica, 2025)
The Energy Information Administration has long provided reliable data on everything from oil and gas to alternative energy. Now one of its signature reports has been slashed and a second one canceled entirely amid sweeping job reductions and turmoil.
United States of America

A Push to Remove Symbols of Imperial Russia Divides Odesa, Ukraine - Méheut, Constant; Mitiuk, Daria (The New York Times, 2025)
A push to rename streets and remove statues associated with imperial Russia is dividing Odesa, whose identity is tied up in its history.
Ukraine
Keywords: Babel; Isaac; Black Sea; Books and Literature; Catherine II; Empress of Russia; Language and Languages; Monuments and Memorials (Structures); Odessa (Ukraine); Politics and Government; Pushkin; Aleksandr; Russian Language; Ukraine; Writing and Writers

Life for the displaced in Calais – in pictures - Ozan Acıdere (The Guardian, 2025)
Photographer Ozan Acıdere documents the plight of migrants as French authorities impose hostile policies on them – while trying to attract more tourists to the coastal city
France
Keywords: Calais; Migration; Photography; Refugees; World news

Palestinian activist says home raided ‘in revenge’ for appearing in Louis Theroux documentary - Pearce, Matthew (The Guardian, 2025)
Issa Amro shares videos of confrontations with balaclava-clad military who he claims ‘want revenge’ after the BBC film The Settlers
Israel
Keywords: Culture; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Louis Theroux; Social media; Television; Television & radio

Palestinian activist says home raided ‘in revenge’ for appearing in Louis Theroux documentary - Pearce, Matthew (The Guardian, 2025)
Issa Amro shares videos of confrontations with balaclava-clad military who he claims ‘want revenge’ after the BBC film The Settlers
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)
Keywords: Culture; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Louis Theroux; Social media; Television; Television & radio

Sabotage and secret identities: Russia’s spy network - Pidd, Helen; Walker, Shaun; Moore, Hannah; Khaleeli, Homa; Cassin, Elizabeth (The Guardian, 2025)
Shaun Walker reports on the history of Russia’s ‘Illegals’ programme and what it looks like today
Russian Federation
Keywords: Cold war; Espionage; Europe; Russia

Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Week 2025: Preserving Information Integrity in Conflict Settings: Action-Oriented Responses from Local Communities, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Actors - ReliefWeb (ReliefWeb, 2025)
In his 2021 report “Our Common Agenda”, the Secretary-General acknowledged large-scale disinformation as an existential threat to humanity and proposed a global code of conduct to promote integrity in public information.
Worldwide

Undersea cable control: The information dimension - Richard Dunley (Lowy Institute, 2025)
Marine infrastructure has become somewhat less “invisible” than it has traditionally been, but efforts to target this infrastructure are not new. Most of the time, we view efforts to interfere with cables through two lenses. It is either an effort to tap an adversary’s cables for eavesdropping, like the Cold War-era Operation Ivy Bells, or it is an effort of sabotage, aimed at disrupting communication for military advantage or to undermine civil society.
Worldwide

‘A slippery slope to eugenics’: advocates reject RFK Jr’s national autism database - Schreiber, Melody (The Guardian, 2025)
US health secretary claims data will be used for research but has not addressed privacy concerns and potential misuse
United States of America
Keywords: Autism; Health; Medical research; Privacy; Robert F Kennedy Jr; Society; Trump administration; US news; US politics

Las Maricas No Olvidamos: Dissident Archives Against Deliberate Erasure - Andrea Alejandro Freire (NACLA, 2025)
A sex-dissident archive recovers the memory of the struggle to decriminalize homosexuality in Ecuador through affective and archival work that combats invisibilization and patriarchal erasure.
Ecuador

Poland’s suspension of asylum claims a serious threat to human rights and lives - Darina Boykova (Jurist News, 2025)
Amnesty International (AI) on Thursday criticized Polish legislation suspending the right to asylum applications for migrants crossing the border from Belarus. According to AI, the law effectively codifies the unlawful forced return of migrants by authorizing border guards to disregard asylum applications without properly considering a person’s individual’s circumstances.
Poland

How Bad Is China’s Economy? The Data Needed to Answer Is Vanishing - Rebecca Feng; Jason Douglas (Global Voices, 2025)
Not long ago, anyone could comb through a wide range of official data from China. Then it started to disappear. Land sales measures, foreign investment data and unemployment indicators have gone dark in recent years. Data on cremations and a business confidence index have been cut off. Even official soy sauce production reports are gone. In all, Chinese officials have stopped publishing hundreds of data points once used by researchers and investors, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.
China

Historians alarmed as Trump seeks to rewrite US story for 250th anniversary - Tait, Robert (The Guardian, 2025)
Ignorance no barrier as president begins to put out approved version of history that ignores American failures
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; US news; World news

There is a war on journalists raging around the world: let their voices be heard - Kelly, Annie (The Guardian, 2025)
Today is World Press Freedom Day. The Guardian is determined to highlight the dangers faced by reporters working in some of the world’s most perilous places, and to tell their stories
Worldwide
Keywords: Global development; Media; Newspapers; Newspapers & magazines; Press freedom; World Press Freedom Day 2025

Message From the Russian Military: ‘We Lost Your Son’ - MacFarquhar, Neil; Mazaeva, Milana (The New York Times, 2025)
Russia lacks any formal, organized effort to account for legions of missing soldiers. That often leaves relatives in limbo, fending for themselves with scant government information.
Russian Federation
Keywords: Missing Persons; Putin; Vladimir V; Russia; Ukraine

These activists are ‘flooding the zone with Black history’ to protest against Trump’s attacks on DEI - Oladipo, Gloria (The Guardian, 2025)
The Freedom to Learn campaign included panels and coffee meetups and will end Saturday with a rally and prayer
United States of America
Keywords: Black US culture; Culture; Museums; Protest; Race; Trump administration; US news; US politics

La ola de ataques a la libertad de prensa pone de relieve la necesidad urgente de reformar el Código del Sector Digital - Amnesty International (Amnistía Internacional, 2025)
La reciente ola de sanciones impuestas por las autoridades de Benín a medios de comunicación independientes pone de relieve la necesidad urgente de proteger la libertad de prensa.
Benin

La vague d’attaques contre la liberté de la presse souligne l’urgence de réformer le Code du numérique - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
La vague de sanctions prises par les autorités béninoises contre des médias souligne l’urgence de protéger la liberté de la presse.
Benin

Wave of attacks on press freedom highlights urgent need to reform Digital Code - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
The Benin authorities’ recent wave of sanctions against independent media outlets highlights the urgent need to protect press freedom.
Benin

La desesperada carrera por salvar décadas de datos sobre el cambio climático y el clima extremo que están siendo borrados por el gobierno de Trump - Chris Baraniuk (BBC News Mundo, 2025)
Un grupo de científicos está luchando por salvar una gran cantidad de datos que están siendo eliminados de los sitios web del gobierno de EE.UU.
United States of America

Conservative offers perspective on Trump’s effort to exert authority over history and art - Jeffrey Brown; Anne Azzi Davenport (PBS Newshour, 2025)
President Trump has accused the Smithsonian and other museums of promoting “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”
United States of America

Concern over Potential 23andMe Data Sale Highlights Weaknesses of State Privacy Laws - Kara Williams (EPIC - Electronic Privacy Information Center, 2025)
While the United States’ lack of a comprehensive federal privacy law allows privacy harms to continue threatening Americans daily, 23andMe’s recent bankruptcy shines a spotlight on the problem.
United States of America

TikTok fined €530m by Irish regulator for failing to guarantee China would not access user data - Milmo, Dan (The Guardian, 2025)
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission found video app breached GDPR and had submitted ‘erroneous information’ to inquiry.
China
Keywords: Business; China; Data protection; European Union; Ireland; Privacy; Social media; Surveillance; Technology; TikTok; World news

TikTok fined €530m by Irish regulator for failing to guarantee China would not access user data - Milmo, Dan (The Guardian, 2025)
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission found video app breached GDPR and had submitted ‘erroneous information’ to inquiry.
Ireland
Keywords: Business; China; Data protection; European Union; Ireland; Privacy; Social media; Surveillance; Technology; TikTok; World news

An Anatomy of Genocide and Global Silence that Betrays Humanity - Mohamed El Mokhtar (Palestine Chronicle, 2025)
In Gaza, it is not merely a few souls, but two million human beings who daily beg for the basic right to exist.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Data Sharing Paper - National Academy of Public Administration (Program Integrity, 2025)
Data can fight fraud, but only if we break down silos without breaking trust. This paper explores how the federal government can expand data sharing to prevent fraud while upholding privacy, outlining a path to smarter, safer governance.
United States of America

This NZ law aims to give people with criminal convictions a ‘clean slate’. It’s not working - Plum, Alexander; Dasgupta, Kabir (The Conversation, 2025)
New Zealand’s clean slate scheme is meant to let people leave their criminal past behind. But people are waiting seven years to leave their past behind, hurting their job prospects.
New Zealand

Pahalgam attack raises tensions between India and Pakistan amid disinformation surge - Ramna Saeed (Global Voices, 2025)
A deadly militant attack in Pahalgam Valley, in Indian-administered Kashmir, has rapidly increased tensions between the neighbors India and Pakistan, prompting retaliatory diplomatic measures.
Pakistan

Pahalgam attack raises tensions between India and Pakistan amid disinformation surge - Ramna Saeed (Global Voices, 2025)
A deadly militant attack in Pahalgam Valley, in Indian-administered Kashmir, has rapidly increased tensions between the neighbors India and Pakistan, prompting retaliatory diplomatic measures.
India

Silenced witnesses: Israel is killing journalists in Gaza at historic rates - Walid El Houri (Global Voices, 2025)
As the toll mounts, so too does the sense of abandonment felt by Gaza’s journalists who continue to witness and report in the most difficult conditions.
Israel

Silenced witnesses: Israel is killing journalists in Gaza at historic rates - Walid El Houri (Global Voices, 2025)
As the toll mounts, so too does the sense of abandonment felt by Gaza’s journalists who continue to witness and report in the most difficult conditions.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Archives and Human Rights: Preserving Historical Memory - Iberarchivos (Iberarchivos - Programa ADAI, 2025)
It explores how archives contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights.
Americas

Exploring the efforts to control how U.S. history is presented in museums and monuments - Jeffrey Brown (PBS News, 2025)
The Trump administration has put its mark on the nation’s cultural sector. One focus is on how American history is told and presented in museums and monuments. That has roiled many in the academic and art worlds.
United States of America

Disasters and Disinformation: AI and the Myanmar 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake - Keith Paolo Catibog Landicho, Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano (S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 2025)
A devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on 28 March 2025, its tremors reaching as far as Bangkok, Thailand. In addition to the dire impacts, the victims were not spared from disinformation. Amid the chaos and the critical need for information, misleading AI-generated content spread widely, highlighting the dangerous intersection of technology and humanitarian crises.
Myanmar

La victoire sur le nazisme vue de Kiev - Latysh, Éric Aunoble & Yurii (Le Monde diplomatique, 2025)
En 2023, Kiev adoptait le 8 mai pour célébrer la défaite de l’Allemagne hitlérienne, que Moscou commémore le 9. Mais, à l’approche du quatre-vingtième anniversaire, l’Ukraine semble céder à son ennemi le prestige de cet héritage : en effaçant la mémoire des Ukrainiens ayant combattu dans l’Armée rouge, elle masque aussi leur contribution majeure à la victoire sur le nazisme.
Ukraine

La victoria contra el nazismo vista desde Kiev - Latysh, Éric Aunoble & Yurii (Le Monde diplomatique, 2025)
En 2023, Kiev adoptó el 8 de mayo para celebrar la derrota de la Alemania de Hitler, que Moscú conmemora el 9 de mayo. Pero, a medida que se acerca el octogésimo aniversario, Ucrania parece estar cediendo el prestigio de este patrimonio a su enemigo: sus políticas de desrusificación tienden a borrar el recuerdo de los ucranianos que combatieron en el Ejército Rojo y, en consecuencia, su gran contribución a la victoria sobre el nazismo.
Ukraine

Ukrainian nationalists rewrite history - Latysh, Éric Aunoble & Yurii (Le Monde diplomatique, 2025)
Eighty years after the defeat of Nazi Germany, the legacy of the war is still vitally important to both Ukraine and Russia. But Kyiv’s de-Russification policies are having troubling consequences.
Ukraine

Inquiry into workplace surveillance - Parliament of Victoria (2025)
The inquiry examined the extent to which surveillance data is being collected, shared, stored, disclosed, sold, disposed of and used in Victorian workplaces. It considered privacy and dignity of workers and security risks.
Australia

L’administration Trump et la société Palantir utilisent l’IA pour surveiller en masse les personnes immigrées… et toutes les autres - Welgryn, Lou, Alves Da Costa, Théo. (Vert, 2025)
Palantir groupé. Aux États-Unis, au prétexte de lutter contre l’immigration illégale, le gouvernement de Donald Trump déploie des outils de surveillance d’une ampleur inégalée, qui croisent d’immenses bases de données grâce à la puissance de l’intelligence artificielle. Décryptage.
United States of America

IOM Digital Identity Toolkit⁠ - International Organization for Migration (International Organization for Migration, 2025)
The Digital Identity Toolkit is designed to strengthen stakeholders’ understanding of how to establish and implement digital identity systems, with a strong emphasis on human rights, including privacy, security, and key technological considerations. The toolkit serves as a practical resource for policymakers and practitioners seeking to operationalize and implement digital identity frameworks. Its primary audience includes decision-makers and policymakers who possess a foundational understanding of government services as well as general IT and technological concepts.
Worldwide

Standard Operating Procedures: Determining the Legal Identity of Migrants Without Proof of Legal Identity - International Organization for Migration (2025)
Identifying migrants without proof of legal identity is complex, requiring structured procedures. To support this, IOM has developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that provide step-by-step guidance to ensure consistency, efficiency and compliance with international standards. Adaptable to national contexts, the SOPs assist immigration and border authorities, law enforcement and other key stakeholders in verifying identity while safeguarding human rights.
Worldwide

Archives and Traces of Migration - A Handbook of best practices - Štefanac, Tamara; Gilliland, Anne J. (ICARUS Croatia, 2025)
Worldwide

Reporting from exile: Azerbaijani journalists confront new realities and old fears - Arzu Geybullayeva (Global Voices, 2025)
In recent years, as the Azerbaijani government has tightened its control over domestic media, a growing wave of journalists has been forced to continue their work from abroad.
Azerbaijan

South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa sets up inquiry into sparse apartheid prosecutions - Chibelushi, Wedaeli (BBC, 2025)
Several apartheid-era atrocities, like murder, have been uncovered but few have made it to court.
South Africa

UNRWA Commissioner-General on Gaza: The war of narratives continue - Philippe Lazzarini (UNRWA, 2025)
Circulating unsubstantiated claims to undermine UNRWA : a lifeline for 2 million people is ongoing. Such claims are threatening the lives and wellbeing of UNRWA staff across the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. Dehumanising and polarising statements further deepen people’s suffering. They divert attention from the humanitarian crisis and the immense needs of people impacted by over 1.5 year of a systematic destruction of life. This is propaganda. It aims at intimidating and fostering a hostile atmosphere to silence voices showing the ugliness of this brutal war. Words and statements are a responsibility. Those using dis-information as a weapon of war must be held accountable.
Israel

UNRWA Commissioner-General on Gaza: The war of narratives continue - Philippe Lazzarini (UNRWA, 2025)
Circulating unsubstantiated claims to undermine UNRWA : a lifeline for 2 million people is ongoing. Such claims are threatening the lives and wellbeing of UNRWA staff across the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. Dehumanising and polarising statements further deepen people’s suffering. They divert attention from the humanitarian crisis and the immense needs of people impacted by over 1.5 year of a systematic destruction of life. This is propaganda. It aims at intimidating and fostering a hostile atmosphere to silence voices showing the ugliness of this brutal war. Words and statements are a responsibility. Those using dis-information as a weapon of war must be held accountable.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Open satellite image archives could boost sustainable development goal - Science X staff (MSN, 2025)
Commercial satellite image archives should be opened to enhance research on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Access to very-high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery is crucial for monitoring smallholder farms, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where such farming is vital for food security.
Worldwide

Man Accused of Hacking Climate Groups Can Be Sent to U.S., Judge Says - Zraick, Karen (The New York Times, 2025)
A London court approved the extradition of Amit Forlit, who ran companies that allegedly stole information on behalf of a lobbying firm hired by Exxon.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Extradition; Exxon Mobil Corp; Global Warming; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; London (England); Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline

Digital Health in Somalia: A Game-Changer in Humanitarian Crisis Response - Action Against Hunger (ReliefWeb, 2025)
In South-Central Somalia, where conflict, displacement, and recurring natural disasters have for long deepened humanitarian needs, health systems have long struggled under the weight of outdated, paper-based processes. In a context where any delay results in loss of lives, the lack of reliable data and real-time visibility into health services and suboptimal supply chain performance has compromised operational efficiency, decision-making accuracy, and ultimately, the overall quality of healthcare.
Somalia

Rebooting the global consensus: Norm entrepreneurship, data governance and the inalienability of digital bodies - de Souza, Siddharth Peter; Taylor, Linnet (Big Data & Society, 2025)
The establishment of norms among states is a common way of governing international actions. This article analyses the potential of norm-building for governing data and artificial intelligence technologies' collective effects. Rather than focusing on state actors's ability to establish and enforce norms, however, we identify a contrasting process taking place among civil society organisations in response to the international neoliberal consensus on the commodification of data. The norm we identify – ‘nothing about us without us’ – asserts civil society's agency, and specifically the right of those represented in datasets to give or refuse permission through structures of democratic representation.
Worldwide

Gun Owners Group Calls for Federal Inquiry Into Firearms Industry’s Secret Sharing of Customer Data - Johnson, Corey G. (ProPublica, 2025)
Citing a ProPublica investigation, Gun Owners for Safety called the secret program that spanned nearly two decades “underhanded.” “Gun owners’ privacy is not a partisan or ideological issue,” a member of the group wrote.
United States of America

Renew Mandate to Establish War Crimes Court - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
Liberian President Joseph Boakai should follow through on his commitment to justice and human rights by renewing an executive order key to establishing a war crimes court to address accountability for civil war-era crimes in the country.
Liberia

Trump’s first 100 days show him dictating the terms of press coverage − following Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán’s playbook for media control - Klein, Adam G. (The Conversation, 2025)
In his second term, President Donald Trump asserted new control over the press − as Hungary’s strongman leader Viktor Orbán had urged him to do.
United States of America

The Disappeared: Mexico’s Industrial-Scale Human Rights Crisis - nés M. Pousadela (Inter Press Service, 2025)
They found shoes, hundreds of them, scattered across the dirt floor of an extermination camp in Jalisco state. These abandoned shoes, once belonging to someone’s child, parent or spouse, stand as silent witnesses to Mexico’s deepest national trauma.
Mexico

How did Hitler’s film-maker hide her complicity from the world? - Apperly, Eliza (The Guardian, 2025)
A new documentary delves into controversial German film-maker Leni Riefenstahl’s private archive to uncover a director who spent a lifetime covering up her central role in the Nazi propaganda machine.
Germany
Keywords: Culture; Documentary films; Film; Germany; Holocaust; Nazism; Poland; Second world war

Centro Conmemorativo de Srebrenica lucha contra negacionistas del genocidio - Balkan Diskurs (Global Voices, 2025)
El Centro Conmemorativo de Srebrenica recientemente se reunió en Sarajevo para presentar un análisis legal y guías para denunciar el delito de negar el genocidio. El objetivo era ayudar a superar dificultades legales, académicos e institucionales para hacer que los autores asuman su responsabilidad.
Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Srebrenica Memorial Center’s fight against genocide deniers - Balkan Diskurs (Global Voices, 2025)
Legal experts warned that the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is violating its legal obligations by not applying the Criminal Code that refers to the prohibition of genocide denial.
Bosnia and Herzegovina

TikTok announces new measures to combat misinformation ahead of Romanian election - Datta, Anupriya (Euractiv, 2025)
TikTok has launched an election centre to combat disinformation ahead of Romania’s repeat presidential vote in May, amid doubts whether the platform had failed to protect the integrity of the previous annulled election.
Romania

Israel’s A.I. Experiments in Gaza War Raise Ethical Concerns - Frenkel, Sheera; Natan Odenheimer (The New York Times, 2025)
Israel developed new artificial intelligence tools to gain an advantage in the war. The technologies have sometimes led to fatal consequences.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)
Keywords: Arabic Language; Artificial Intelligence; Computers and the Internet; Defense and Military Forces; Drones (Pilotless Planes); Facial Recognition Software; Gaza Strip; Hamas; Intelligence and Intelligence Tests (IQ); Israel; Social Media

Israel’s A.I. Experiments in Gaza War Raise Ethical Concerns - Frenkel, Sheera; Natan Odenheimer (The New York Times, 2025)
Israel developed new artificial intelligence tools to gain an advantage in the war. The technologies have sometimes led to fatal consequences.
Israel
Keywords: Arabic Language; Artificial Intelligence; Computers and the Internet; Defense and Military Forces; Drones (Pilotless Planes); Facial Recognition Software; Gaza Strip; Hamas; Intelligence and Intelligence Tests (IQ); Israel; Social Media

A lack of press freedom results in self-censorship and exile for many journalists - Jean Sovon (Global Voices, 2025)
The Burundian media landscape poses immense challenges for journalists in this Central African country. They often receive death threats and work in a virtually permanent state of insecurity.
Burundi

Au Burundi, l'absence d'une vraie liberté d'expression de la presse conduit de nombreux journalistes à l'auto-censure ou à l'exil - Jean Sovon (Global Voices, 2025)
Le paysage médiatique burundais reflète les difficultés extrêmes rencontrées par les journalistes dans ce pays d'Afrique centrale: ils sont souvent exposés aux menaces de mort et à une insécurité quasi permanente.
Burundi

En Burundi, sin una verdadera libertad de expresión, muchos periodistas se autocensuran o exilian - Jean Sovon (Global Voices, 2025)
El entorno de medios burundeses refleja las dificultades extremas que tienen los periodistas en ese país de África central: a menudo se ven expuestos a amenazas de muerte y a una inseguridad casi permanente.
Burundi

Inspector General Probes Whether Trump, DOGE Sought Private Taxpayer Information or Sensitive IRS Material - Kroll, Avi Asher-Schapiro, Christopher Bing, Andy, William Turton (ProPublica, 2025)
The request, spelled out in an email obtained by ProPublica, comes amid concerns that DOGE has overstepped its bounds in seeking highly restricted private information about taxpayers, public employees or federal agencies.
United States of America

As History Erasure Intensifies, Independent Internet Archives Are Helping Fortify The ‘Digital Preservation Infrastructure’ - Orion, Damon (Eurasia Review, 2025)
In the context of website scrubbing, censorship and erasure, independent internet archives, such as the Freedom Archives and the Internet Archive, have become important sources of information and evidence. These initiatives preserve and provide access to collections related to progressive movements, labour histories, and other struggles.
United States of America

Representation in mapping: ensuring impact with women behind the data - Atiya Anis; Céline Jacquin (Humanitarian Practice Network, 2025)
Every map tells a story. But what happens when half the world’s population is underrepresented in the data that shapes our lives?
Worldwide

Meta squares up for fine fight with Brussels over personalised ads - Datta, Anupriya (Euractiv, 2025)
Meta introduced the "pay or consent" model for European users in November 2023.
Europe

Gathering Evidence and Documents in Conflict and War Zones - GIJN (Global Investigative Journalism Network, 2025)
A webinar exploring how investigative journalists can document human rights abuses in war zones, with a focus on methods to ensure the information gathered can later be used by legal investigators or international courts.
Worldwide

Recueillir des preuves et des documents dans les zones de conflit et de guerre – Étude de cas de la région Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord (MENA) - GIJN (Global Investigative Journalism Network, 2025)
Les journalistes travaillant au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord (MENA) sont souvent en première ligne des tragédies qui se déroulent – de Gaza et du Soudan à la Syrie, du Yémen à l’Irak. Dans ces situations de conflit et d’après-conflit, les journalistes peuvent être parmi les premiers à découvrir des preuves potentielles de crimes de guerre.
Worldwide

Grand chief requests halt to auction of Hudson's Bay items linked to First Nations - Hudes, Sammy (CityNews Vancouver, 2025)
As Hudson’s Bay heads to court seeking permission to auction off 1,700 pieces of art and more than 2,700 artifacts, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is requesting a halt to the sale of items that may be belong to or be linked with First Nations people. A letter by assembly Grand Chief Kyra Wilson to […]
Canada

Invaders remove almost 360,000 archival documents from Kherson – intelligence - Interfax-Ukraine (Interfax-Ukraine, 2025)
After the liberation of Kherson, it was established that the Russian occupiers illegally removed almost 360,000 documents of the National Archival Fund of Ukraine (NAF), reports the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Ukraine

Aid groups are erasing climate change from their websites - Irwin Loy (The New Humanitarian, 2025)
Aid groups are erasing climate change from their websites
United States of America

Exit to Open - Jim Fruchterman & Steve Francis (Standard Social Innovation Review, 2025)
In a difficult time when many nonprofits will be forced to close, nonprofit leaders and funders must act to preserve data and other intangible assets.
Worldwide

Macron seeks 'forgiveness' for colonialism on Madagascar visit - Le Monde (Le Monde, 2025)
Madagascar
Keywords: France

Macron seeks 'forgiveness' for colonialism on Madagascar visit - Le Monde (Le Monde, 2025)
France
Keywords: France

Alleged former members of neo-Nazi group claim its leader is Russian spy - Makuch, Ben (The Guardian, 2025)
Allegation against Rinaldo Nazzaro, founder of the Base, could shed new meaning on group’s efforts inside Ukraine
Ukraine
Keywords: Europe; Far right (US); Russia; US news; US politics; Ukraine; World news

As History Erasure Intensifies, Independent Internet Archives Are Helping Fortify The ‘Digital Preservation Infrastructure’ - Orion, Damon (Eurasia Review, 2025)
These online resources hold crucial information on history, social issues, and activism. Despite Donald Trump's disavowal of Project 2025, his administration began enforcing that initiative's agenda immediately after his second inauguration. This includes efforts to erase history through education cuts, classroom and book censorship, website scrubbing, and the silencing of media outlets and institutions like PBS, NPR, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum....
Worldwide

Enacted law hinders freedom of expression and association and jeopardizes access to justice for victims - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
Amnesty International rejects the recent enactment of the law that modifies the creation of the APCI, a norm that violates freedom of expression and association and access to justice for victims in Peru.
Peru