Featured stories about Western Europe
Stories about Western Europe
The Greek spyware scandal: When technology outpaces governance
This ongoing scandal in Greece highlights an issue that all countries are grappling with: the regulatory mechanisms meant to safeguard civilians’ digital rights have not kept up with the times.
Whistleblowing is a service to society: Interview with Disruption Network Lab director Tatiana Bazzichelli
Whistleblowers are painted as heroes or villains, but what motivates them? Global Voices spoke to Tatiana Bazzichelli, a writer who recently edited "Whistleblowing for Change," an anthology on the subject.
The geopolitics of disinformation and cybersecurity in Europe
Political and private sector experts were warning the EU to take more precautions against the kind of Russian cyber-attacks unleashed on Ukraine, amid concern that Russia could use them in response to EU sanctions.
Holocaust denial should be considered hate speech, survivors demand of Facebook
Hate speech is a criminal offense in most European countries that experienced the horrors of World War II, but the US does not have such laws at the national level.
Julian Assange supporters rally to defeat extradition to United States
"The extradition to the US of a publisher and journalist, for engaging in journalistic activities while in Europe, would set a very dangerous precedent."
Black Lives Matter forces an IBM U-turn on facial recognition
In wake of Black Lives Matter protests, the company IBM has announced its withdrawal from the facial recognition software market
Is Namibia walking a fine line between Chinese and European spy technology?
Namibia denies accusations that it is building an internet war chest to effortlessly check up on its domestic critics.
Password hack claim puts cyber security on the public agenda in North Macedonia
The government said that no user data was compromised in the apparent attack.
Cryptocurrency scammers flood Facebook users with ads for fake Forbes.com articles
Data publicly provided by Facebook about the adverts' reach indicate they have traveled far beyond North Macedonia, activists warn.
Groundswell of support to free Julian Assange around February extradition hearing
"Don’t be fooled: Julian Assange is a journalist, not a hacker, and the US wants to make his work—national security journalism—a crime"
Dear European Commission: Don't let political parties use our data to manipulate the vote
Rather than protecting individuals’ rights, exceptions to the GDPR in some countries are limiting freedom of expression, eroding privacy, and abetting the spread of disinformation.
Netizen Report: EU activists make a final push to keep the internet filter-free
The EU makes a final decision on copyright rules, Iraq considers a new cybercrime law, and internet activists in Kazakhstan, Egypt and Venezuela face legal threats.
Slovak businessman charged with ordering murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée
"This is a significant step, and a rare one in murders of journalists. We hope authorities keep their promise to bring all perpetrators to justice."
Netizen Report: Activists reject EU plans to pre-censor copyright violations, ‘terrorist’ content
A weekly dose of news about challenges, victories, and emerging trends in technology and human rights around the world.
‘We are not bots!’ In Berlin, thousands protest proposed EU regulation on internet upload filters
Protesters rallied against the proposed "upload filters" in EU Copyright Directive, as part of a movement spanning the continent.
In Cardinal George Pell's sexual abuse trial, Australian court fails to suppress the ‘nation's worst kept secret’
"The alleged suppression order on #georgepell is allowing fake news and hearsay and speculation take the place of reputable news sources."
Under Austria's right-wing government, ‘ethical’ principles for journalists could hijack media rights
If the current draft is adopted as it stands, it will provide for an extra layer of strict control that aims to silence the critique and dissent.
What will it take to #savetheinternet in Europe? The view from Romania
Copyright proposals being pushed by European governance bodies must take into account the nature and potential uses of networked digital technology.
What's happened to digital rights over the past seven years? 300 editions of the Netizen Report will tell you
This week, we're looking back at seven years of covering global digital rights news in celebration of our 300th edition!
‘Peppa Pig’ has gotten too naughty for China's censors
A subculture connecting the cartoon character “Peppa Pig” with “Shehuiren”, a term that refers to organized crime syndicates, has resulted in a muddy puddle for the popular porker.