📆 Open till January 26!

The EU will get an online database that allows anyone, especially researchers/journalists, to learn about online political advertising.

The archive will collect political ads to create transparency around their source and funding.

Technical specifications are currently being developed.

Public feedback on that is welcome until January 26: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/16016-Political-advertising-detailed-arrangements-for-the-European-repository-for-online-political-advertisements_en

Big news: Deutsche Welle has launched DW Access, an Android app that delivers independent news where it's needed most: in regions under information lockdown.

Key features:

➡️ No app store needed (share via link, messenger, bluetooth)

➡️ Offline mode

➡️ Built-in VPN protection

➡️ Zero personal data collected

More info (and download options) over here: https://corporate.dw.com/en/dw-access-new-app-counters-global-censorship/a-74924705

#PressFreedom #AntiCensorship #DigitalRights #DWAccess

#NoScript 13.5 is out, with many user experience improvements!

The most visible:
- new "cascade permissions" mode
- the onboarding / site classification behavior panel (in the picture)
- many #usability and #security enhancements regarding blocked content and click-to-play

The greatest thanks(giving) to the Open Technology Fund #otf for strenuously supporting NoScript during the past 2 years, especially through the Manifest V3 compatibility ordeal.

https://noscript.net/

Gods I'm too fucking old and tired to rehearse the 'don't break E2E encryption' debate AGAIN, but here we are. This time the novel twist is 'client side scanning' of every European's device for CSAM, just in case.

I no longer make many arguments on principle. This open letter to the Irish minister who supports pre-emptive surveillance for everyone merely asks him to imagine how he'll feel when, inevitably, the powers are used against him:

https://crookedtimber.org/2025/10/07/chat-control-in-europe-an-open-letter-to-the-irish-minister-who-wants-to-scan-all-our-messages/

My latest: Discord said late on Friday that hackers stole users' government-issued IDs (passports and driver's licenses) from one of its customer support databases.

I wrote a few words about the risks of age verification laws, and why collecting people's government IDs is bad for security and privacy.

https://this.weekinsecurity.com/discord-says-users-government-ids-used-for-age-checks-stolen-by-hackers/

This should have been big news!

Ten funding agencies from eight European countries have pledged to support a public infrastructure that is poised to replace academic journals:
FWF 🇦🇹
RCN 🇳🇴
Forte 🇸🇪
ARIS 🇸🇮
SRC 🇸🇪
FCT 🇵🇹
CSIC 🇪🇸
DFG 🇩🇪
Formas 🇸🇪
ANR 🇫🇷
Only two of them issued press releases in English:
https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/news/detail/joint-commitment-to-strengthening-open-research-europe
https://www.fccn.pt/en/atualidade/fct-assina-declaracao-fortalecimento-open-research-europe-ore/
and one more, NWO from 🇳🇱 considers joining:
https://www.nwo.nl/en/news/nwo-endorses-joining-open-access-platform-open-research-europe-ore
Why is this BIG? 1/4
#openscience #openaccess

Scientist exposes anti-wind groups as oil-funded. Now they want to silence him.

https://electrek.co/2025/08/25/scientist-exposes-anti-wind-groups-as-oil-funded-now-they-want-to-silence-him/

<- just as tobacco companies sponsored anti-anti-smoking legislation, now fossil-fuel companies are sponsoring global warming denial. The denialists are mostly not smart enough to know this.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Denmark just made your face and voice your intellectual property

It became the 1st country in Europe where your face, voice, and body are now your property.

A new law gives citizens full control over their digital selves