What better way to raise awareness on private policing on the Internet than to organise a workshop in the European Parliament and let the stakeholders answer the question: "Self-regulation: Should online companies police the internet?" On 7 December 2011 MEP Marietje Schaake organized, with support from EDRi, an event on this issue.

On 8 December, the Council of Europe launched a very important Declaration on "the protection of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association with regard to privately operated Internet platforms and online service providers." The text picks up many of the themes and priorities of EDRi's study, published in January of this year, on the "Slide from Self-Regulation to Corporate Censorship".

The text explains that "although privately operated, they are a significant part of the public sphere through facilitating debate on issues of public interest; in some cases, they can fulfil, similar to traditional media, the role of a social "watchdog" and have demonstrated their usefulness in bringing positive real-life change".

In the context of the positive obligations o

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Deutsch: Zwei Jahre Stockholm Programm: Europa auf dem Weg zu einer elektronisc...

It has been two years now since the Stockholm Programme - a 5-year plan for Justice and Home Affairs - was adopted. On 24 November 2011, an experts' and activists' round table, organised in the European Parliament, raised the question whether Europe was on its way to an e-Fortress.

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Deutsch: EU-US Gipfel: Gemeinsame Erklärung missachtet Europäische Bürgerrec...

A common statement issued at the EU-US summit that took place on 28 November 2011 at the White House in Washington included several aspects with direct impact on digital civil rights that shows the US have succeeded again in obtaining what they wanted, while the European Union representatives have failed to protect the EU citizens fundamental rights, especially the right to privacy.

The statement clearly states that while the PNR agreement was negotiated, there is still no deadline for an

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Deutsch: Computerkriminalität: EDRi referiert im Innenausschuss des EP

On 4 October 2011, European Digital Rights, as well as EDRi Member Chaos Computer Club (Germany), made presentations to the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) of the European Parliament on the new draft Directive on Attacks Against Computer Systems.

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Deutsch: Freiheit statt Angst: Hochsaison für (digitale) Bürgerrechte in Euro...

European policy making has long been blind to the digital environment, ignoring the potentials of the Internet and the positive impact of the free flow of information in society.

Over the last 10 years, an increasing number of surveillance measures have restricted civil liberties and have promoted fear rather than freedom.

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Deutsch: EP-Studie zum "Verbraucherverhalten im digitalen Umfeld"

The European Parliament (EP) has published a study on "Consumer Behaviour in a Digital environment" that it commissioned from London School of Economics (LSE). The study involved a limited stakeholder consultation, which included an extensive exchange of views with EDRi and also looked at existing literature and market developments.

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Deutsch: ENDitorial: Abhörskandale und Selbstregulierung

The self-regulatory authority for the British press, the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), has itself become one of the victims of the "phone hacking" scandal, as self-regulation failed to not alone prevent but even identify problems now believed to be endemic among UK newspapers.

Phone hacking - guessing or brute-force attacking voicemail accounts to access messages - is a criminal offence in the UK.