News Mfrr

Surveillance: after Pegasus and Predator, the EU is (slowly) taking action

18/09/2023 -  Paola Rosà

While the European Parliament's Commission enquires on the various states where surveillance technologies have been commercialised despite the bans, the emphasis remains on civil society and digital security. Interview with Lorenzo Bagnoli of IrpiMedia

Journalists and spyware surveillance: an open letter to the European Parliament

15/09/2023

The world of journalism is mobilizing and launching yet another heartfelt appeal to the European Parliament to introduce, in the proposed European Media Freedom Law (EMFA) under discussion, a total ban on the use of spying software against journalists

Trudeau against Facebook: social media, copyright, and information

15/09/2023 -  Paola Rosà

In protest against the new Canadian law that requires social media to pay news organisations every time a user shares a link, Facebook has blocked access to news portals, earning the condemnation of Prime Minister Trudeau. In Europe, meanwhile, new regulations are on their way on the removal of content, advertising, and disinformation

24 International Organizations Call for an End to Russian War Crimes Against Journalists in Ukraine

07/09/2023

OBCT joins 23 other civil society organizations to call for an end to Russian war crimes against journalists in Ukraine

Wiretapping and trojans: the Nordio bill alarms journalists

08/09/2023 -  Paola Rosà

For the Italian Press National Federation and trade associations, the crackdown on the dissemination of transcripts is a new attack on freedom of the press and citizens' right to be informed. Even MPs are in turmoil, worried that the "cyber interceptor" – aka trojan - will get out of the hands of its users

Greece: Swift investigations required after two attacks against journalists

05/09/2023

OBCT joins journalists’ and media freedom organisations in condemning recent attacks to Greek journalists Giorgos Papachristos and Kostas Vaxevanis

European Media Freedom Act: the end of source confidentiality?

30/08/2023 -  Dimitri Bettoni

The new European regulation aims to protect the secrecy of journalistic sources, the key concept at the heart of journalism, but actually risks legitimising its systematic violation

Serbia, little security for online journalists

23/08/2023 -  Ettore Morello

A recent report by the Association of Independent Journalists of Serbia together with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network analyses the problems concerning the safety of journalists on the web, looking at the specific case of Serbia, and suggests how to make the editorial environment less dangerous

Croatia, the new media bill is dangerous

27/07/2023 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

“I don't know who wrote this bill, but I suspect that the main intention was to divide the Croatian media, creating havoc in the sector”, said Hrvoje Zovko, the president of the Association of Croatian Journalists (HND). We met him in Zagreb

BiH: Republika Srpska reintroduces the crime of defamation

24/07/2023 -  Arman Fazlić Sarajevo

On Thursday 20 July, the People's Assembly of the Republika Srpska adopted the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code envisaging criminalization of defamation. Calls from international and local actors to protect freedom of speech and withdraw the controversial provision that qualifies defamation as a criminal offence have gone unheeded