‘Eyewear not Spywear’ campaign gains momentum
There’s growing opposition to Meta’s plans to introduce facial recognition to its smart glasses despite being aware of the safety and privacy risks
Justice delayed is justice denied for Nigerian whistleblower
Nnamdi Emeh suffered another setback this week when his trial was postponed yet again. He has languished in jail for three years despite being granted bail and a release warrant
Crackdown on media freedom gains momentum in Mozambique
Government tightens media control through draconian censorship laws, arbitrary detention, journalist murders and economic intimidation in the most significant rollback of press freedom since the 1990s
AI regulation becomes key battleground for US midterms
AI regulation is becoming a major US midterm battleground, with tech-linked groups raising hundreds of millions of dollars to back candidates for or against guardrails — as companies, donors and political allies compete to shape future AI rules
UK mulls FOI clampdown, citing security risks and soaring costs
Fears being expressed by British officials that hostile states are exploiting freedom of information requests to access sensitive data amid talk of budget constraints pose a threat to the UK’s FOI system
Italian hacking scandal exposes the myth of ‘ethical spyware’
Italian prosecutors have confirmed journalist Francesco Cancellato was targeted with Paragon’s military-grade Graphite spyware, exposing the gap between the tech firm’s “ethical hacking” claims and reality
Blueprint whistleblowing prize winner’s alleged killer denied bail
A court in South Africa denied bail to the man suspected of murdering whistleblower Marumo Eric Phenya, citing threats to his wife, Blueprint whistleblowing prize winner Johannah Phenya
How big tech tried to sneak through a plan to rip off content creators for AI training
Australia’s top business lobby quietly proposed a copyright workaround allowing AI companies to mine books and articles without permission or payment
War reporting during a blackout
Within hours of US-Israeli airstrikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran imposed a near-total internet shutdown, cutting off 90 million people. Journalists now rely on VPNs, Starlink and smuggled videos—while risking arrest or even execution under new espionage laws.
Rise in false digital arrests undermines trust in the rule of law
Increasing reliance on AI-driven tools such as facial recognition is contributing to wrongful arrests and miscarriages of justice
Social media ban for under-16s gains momentum
Spain plans to ban social media for under-16s, joining global efforts to protect children online. Critics warn blanket bans may backfire, while governments push tougher laws on harmful content and AI-generated abuse
CASE Report 2025: SLAPPs still on the rise across Europe
The Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) has published its fourth annual report, which documents a worrying trend: strategic lawsuits against public participation are on the rise, and existing protection measures are far from sufficient