A new law on social services in Serbia provides for the collection of a large amount of personal data of beneficiaries, to be analysed with an algorithm that evaluates their socio-economic condition. The declared goal is to improve the distribution of resources, but over 22,000 people have already lost the subsidy, without knowing why.
This article explores in more detail our research into how phone companies use customers’ personal data, with notes on the legal issues relating to European law.
In the past, some telephone companies have become known for their unscrupulous use of customers’ personal data. While things have improved in Europe, it is important to know what we are agreeing to when we sign a new contract.
From the Pegasus spyware investigation to mass surveillance: a dialogue with researcher Philip Di Salvo to understand the impact of new technologies for all those involved in journalism and beyond.
The cost of a good internet connection varies widely within the European Union, with countries around the Adriatic paying the most. Meanwhile, Romania, with a world-class network and competitive prices, is a case apart.
Over the last year and a half internet speeds in Europe have increased by more than fifty percent. Unfortunately, the gap between urban and more rural areas, and between north European countries and those in the south-east, has also grown.
The road towards universally accessible ultra-fast connectivity in Europe still seems long and bumpy.
The online advertising system is based on the collection and sharing of user data, in an opaquely competitive market which rests mostly in a few powerful hands, including Google. Privacy and data protection are at issue, and Europe is debating what action should be taken.
The measures adopted by some Balkan countries to contain the pandemic have raised perplexity in associations and researchers who deal with privacy and digital rights. Emergency actions, derogating from the national rules of law, could translate into mass surveillance tools.
Our thematic focus this month is entirely on the legal and democratic challenges that the pandemic is posing to our societies. In particular, we look at how fundamental rights may be threatened by some emergency measures that are adopted or discussed in Europe.
