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The European Union is a political, economic and social union between 27 member states, founded on the values of respect for human dignity and rights, freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
There are a variety of ways the EU can promote those values and objectives, and doing so has the potential to set global standards around the world.
ARTICLE 19 works directly with legislators, policy makers, regulators, relevant stakeholders and partners, including consumer and civil society organisations, to ensure that EU rules and frameworks uphold its stated commitments to human rights, particularly the right to free expression and the right to information. We do so mainly through advocacy, research, and the shaping of policy proposals.
Among others, our advocacy is focused on ensuring that the right to free expression is respected both online and offline; that digital and media markets operate in the interest of the citizens and are compatible with democratic resilience; that new technologies comply with international human rights standards; and that Europe is a place where free, independent and pluralist media can thrive and journalists can hold power to account without fear of harassment or intimidation.
Platform and digital markets regulation
Big tech companies exercise unprecedented power to decide what we see and access, how we interact with each other and what we can and cannot say online.
With no accountability and driven by an exploitative business model, the actions of those companies have led to human rights violations, including gross violations of privacy, freedom of expression and non-discrimination.
ARTICLE 19 has long argued that successful regulation of digital services must place protection of human rights and free speech online at its core. We also believe that taming corporate power in the digital markets with competition law and policy is crucial to ensuring people have genuine choice around their activities online.
EU: ARTICLE 19 leads call for stronger EU guidelines against abusive practices by dominant companies
EU: Political posturing vs. human rights – Breton’s flawed vision for DSA enforcement
International: Competition authorities’ intent to share insights on AI policy a positive step
European Commission: Apple must comply with the Digital Markets Act
EU: Platforms’ election risk mitigation measures must put human rights first
EU: Submission to European Commission on competition and generative AI
EU: Joint call for effective Digital Markets Act enforcement
EU: Submission to European Commission on Microsoft-OpenAI ‘partnership’
EU: Call for precise interpretation of Digital Services Act
EU: Digital Services Act infringement proceedings against X (Twitter)
France: Civil society takes EU’s dangerous terrorist content regulation to court
Europe: Digital Markets Act takes a stand against user profiling
EU: Political Advertising Proposal is well-intentioned yet concerning
EU: DSA doesn’t permit the arbitrary blocking of online platforms
EU: Digital Services Act does not provide a green light for platform blocking
EU: Human rights-centred Digital Services Act must include global voices
Digital Markets Act: Submission on gatekeeper compliance reports
EU: Civil society must play a role in Digital Markets Act implementation
EU: European Commission must guard against exploitative abuses
EU: network fees threaten consumer rights and choice
EU: Ensure robust civil society involvement to enforce Digital Services Act
Taming the Titans podcast: Momentum is Building – So Where Now?
EU: Rules for political advertising must protect democracy and human rights
Twitter: What Elon Musk must do if he really wants to protect free speech
EU: Participation of civil society in competition law enforcement crucial
Digital markets: Why competition is good for freedom of expression
EU: Ensure effective enforcement of Digital Markets Act
EU: Protect privacy and free expression by withdrawing Internet law
EU: Dangers of the proposed regulation to fight child sexual abuse online
EU: Fix Digital Markets Act flaws to protect competition and users’ rights
EU: Digital Services Act crisis response mechanism must honour human rights
EU: ARTICLE 19’s recommendations for the Digital Services Act trilogue
Technology and surveillance
The development of new technologies brings with itself a lot of promise but it can also have grave consequences for human rights and democracy.
The unchecked development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence, biometric and other surveillance technologies threaten our fundamental rights. Certain practices, such as indiscriminate or arbitrarily-targeted use of facial recognition in public spaces should never be allowed as they are simply incompatible with democratic values and human rights
ARTICLE 19 advocates for EU regulation which ensures transparency and oversight, and protects our rights to privacy and data protection; the right to freedom of expression; rights to free assembly and association; and the rights to equality and non-discrimination.
EU: Safeguarding human rights in the Code of Practice on General-Purpose AI
Slovakia: Use of Pegasus a threat to democracy and human rights
International: Competition authorities’ intent to share insights on AI policy a positive step
EU: AI Act fails to set gold standard for human rights
EU: Open letter on security-cloaked threats to encryption
EU: AI Act negotiators must not trade away our rights
Europe: Micro-targeting and conflict of interest raise serious ethics questions
EU: Court denies full transparency about emotion recognition
EU: Artificial Intelligence Act must do more to protect human rights
Europe: Journalists must be better protected as press freedom declines
Emotion (Mis)Recognition: is the EU missing the point?
EU: Pegasus spyware Inquiry must hear the voices of human rights defenders
EU: Authoritarian technological surveillance versus fundamental rights
EU: AI development for military and national security must uphold rights
EU: Research into biometric technologies must be transparent
EU: Risky biometric technology projects must be transparent from the start
EU: NSO Group tech must be on global sanction list
Europe: Artificial Intelligence Act must protect free speech and privacy
Media and journalism
In recent years, the attacks on journalists in the EU have increased at a worrying rate and governments have made more attempts to curtail independence of media outlets.
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) continue to threaten public watchdogs, as powerful individuals use their money and influence to discourage journalists from reporting on public interest topics.
ARTICLE 19 works to ensure that the EU creates robust protections for journalists and media freedom. We support the development of anti-SLAPPs regulation and of regulatory frameworks that guarantee media plurality, freedom and independence.
Poland: Seize opportunity to be a model of reform and media freedoms
Europe: Calling for stronger safeguards for journalists as we commemorate Daphne’s assassination
Poland: Rigorous reforms in media sector are still required
Poland: International advocacy mission to assess media freedom reforms
Croatia: International mission to assess media freedom challenges
Italy: Calls for constructive dialogue on media freedom recommendations
Europe: Rule of law report shows the need to enforce stronger safeguards
Italy: Silencing independent media underscores democratic drift
Joint Statement for the EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue
Croatia: Repeal criminal penalty for disclosure of ‘non-public’ information
Slovakia: Cease attacks on journalists and satirists amid growing tensions
Croatia: Swift response vital as Nacional magazine staff face death threats
Italy: Silencing the fourth estate and democratic drift
Italy: Rising threats to media freedom as political pressure intensifies
