The Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe (CDT Europe) has released its June 2024 Tech Policy Brief, addressing key technology and internet policy issues in Europe, the U.S., and globally. This edition provides insights into digital rights impacts and features contributions from CDT's Brussels team.
On May 15, CDT Europe hosted a high-level panel to discuss the Pegasus spyware scandal, emphasizing the dangers of government surveillance and exploring strategies to combat spyware within the EU. Despite the European Parliament adopting the PEGA Committee’s report in 2023, significant action against civilian-targeted spyware remains absent at the EU level. The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly called for collaborative efforts on data protection and surveillance standards in October 2023.
Internationally, initiatives like the Pall Mall Process and U.S. measures against commercial spyware misuse highlight a growing global consensus on regulatory actions to protect human rights. The event featured speakers such as Sophie in ‘t Veld, David Kaye, Anna Buchta, and Iverna McGowan. Moderated by CDT Europe Deputy Director Asha Allen, discussions underscored the incompatibility of spyware with human rights and questioned its justification even for national security purposes.
Following this panel, a civil society roundtable moderated by Silvia Lorenzo Perez focused on regulatory pathways to address spyware effectively within the EU framework.
In early May, the Council of the EU adopted a Directive on violence against women and domestic violence set to be enforced across member states by 2027. This law complements existing frameworks like the EU Digital Services Act in tackling online gender-based violence (GBV). During the Computers, Privacy & Data Protection (CPDP) conference, Asha Allen participated in a Glitch UK panel discussing deepfakes' impact on black women and other minoritized groups. The panel emphasized integrating intersectional feminist methodologies into AI governance for better redress mechanisms.
On May 29, Allen spoke at an event organized by Brussels Binder and the UK Mission to explore whether new directives would substantively change protections against online GBV. She noted that while progress is evident through legislative measures like these directives, further refinement during implementation is necessary.
The AI Act received final approval on May 21 with subsequent establishment of an overseeing AI Office by the European Commission. Laura Lazaro Cabrera analyzed how this Act intersects with freedom of expression laws underlining its attempt to mitigate AI-driven manipulation while imposing disclosure obligations on synthetic content creators.
At CPDP events organized by Data Privacy Brazil and others focusing on AI regulation differences between regions such as Brazil's stronger emphasis on rights compared to GDPR standards were discussed extensively. Cabrera highlighted effective remedies as essential components of human rights approaches within AI regulations.
Upcoming events include Laura Lazaro Cabrera speaking at FOSI’s European Forum in Paris about Europe's approach to online safety balancing human rights with industry priorities.
For more detailed analyses or inquiries about CDT Europe's activities or perspectives provided in this brief please contact their Brussels team: Asha Allen Silvia Lorenzo Perez Laura Lazaro Cabrera Aimée Duprat-Macabies David Klotsonis Jonathan Schmidt.
