There is no doubt that the European Union’s GDPR has changed the cyber regulation landscape forever. As onlookers from non-EU countries urge their governments and regulators to adopt similar legislation, countries are rapidly adopting their own sweeping data protection and cyber legislation, much of which is below the standards required to genuinely protect the rights of their citizens.  

Juliana Harsianti is an independent researcher and journalist working at the intersection of digital technology and social impact.

Amber is a Senior Fellow-Trustworthy AI at Mozilla Foundation studying models for algorithmic transparency. He works at the intersection of law, technology and society.

The recent Twilio hack raises important questions about the vulnerability SMS-based verifications – where users receive an SMS with special code to verify or confirm that they have access to a mobile number used to register to a service. In OPTF’s latest Framed newsletter, we explore the Twilio hack and the vulnerability of using SMS to authenticate users.

Originally published on Session.

Originally published on Session.

In the early days, the internet was something of a protected species. People knew how special it was, the potential it had, and knew we needed to install strong protections to make sure it lived up to its potential. We had the freedom to dream about the bright future that would be built on the shoulders of the internet. And it was easy to think of the internet in terms of ideals, because it wasn’t a part of our daily lives — not yet, at least. Now, the internet has taken over modern life, and it didn’t just make it easier to connect with each other, it gave us entirely new ways to connect. 

Originally published on Session.

In March 2021, the OPTF got the opportunity to discuss the importance of digital security tools for civil society organisations at the Virtual Conference on Public Interest Technology hosted by the Arizona State University. The concept of ‘public interest technology’ is slowly gaining traction with an increasing number of events and discussions exploring the term and its meaning.

Freedom of expression is essential to preserving democracy and human rights all around the world. Activists must be able to gather and organise, journalists must be able to report, advocates and lawyers must be able to speak out and protect fundamental rights. Over the course of the last two decades, many people defending human rights have relied heavily on technology to carry out their work — things like the internet, smart phones, and social media are used heavily.