VIEW THIS EMAIL IN BROWSER ([link removed])

[link removed]


** SPOTLIGHT
------------------------------------------------------------

[link removed]

Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Sipa USA

Solidarity and resistance in uncertain times

This year’s RightsCon took place in Taipei, Taiwan, in the shadow of new threats to freedom of expression and human rights.

The recent U.S. foreign aid freeze, aligned with the ‘America First’ policy, has created a global vacuum that authoritarian regimes like China, Iran, and Cuba are exploiting, and will continue to exploit, to suppress freedom of speech and transparency.

Despite the financial uncertainty and severe impact on civil society globally, the digital rights community showed resilience and solidarity in addressing these concerns.

ARTICLE 19 had already planned to participate in RightsCon in Taipei ([link removed]) before the funding freeze, and we welcomed the opportunity to join with colleagues and partners at the world's largest gathering of civil society and other stakeholders working on digital rights. We joined the Committee to Protect Journalists, Doublethink Lab, the Internet Freedom Foundation, Beam Reports, Digital Security Lab Ukraine, and many others to discuss, interrogate, and reflect on some of the major fault-lines in free expression today. 

Transnational repression, freedom of expression in times of conflict ([link removed]) , information integrity ([link removed]) , digital attacks, including doxxing, surveillance, and gender-based harassment, were all under the microscope.

Here is what we learned:

– Modern conflicts are increasingly characterised by comprehensive attempts to censor and violate people’s right to free expression and access to information – which are pivotal to life-saving humanitarian aid.

– China’s ongoing export of its digital authoritarianism ([link removed]) playbook across the world, its attack on rights in Hong Kong, and its silencing of dissidents outside the country must be challenged. The digital rights community must work together, and push for greater commitments from tech companies to prevent them becoming willing servants and accomplices of repressive regimes.

– Across the world, speech is being weaponised to manipulate narratives and fuel hostility. Civil society must protect information integrity through smart collaboration built on trust, transparency, and legal safeguards. Together, we integrate security, education, and digital policies to build resilience against disinformation.

We are are not about to give up. The conversations and connections that began in Taipei will guide us as we look to strengthen solidarity, forge new pathways, and collectively resist the global attack on our rights and freedoms.

As authoritarian regimes tighten their grip, ARTICLE 19's work is more vital than ever. Please consider supporting our work ([link removed]) to protect free speech and challenge censorship, both online and offline.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

[link removed]

NEW: Cybersecurity with Chinese Characteristics

On Saturday, we launched a new report: Cybersecurity with Chinese Characteristics, establishing a foundational understanding of China’s repressive cybersecurity norms. The report reveals how China is smuggling them into 3 Indo-Pacific countries: Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam. It also presents a compelling alternative model of cybersecurity governance: Taiwan’s transparent, rights-based, multi-stakeholder approach.

“China’s aggressive promotion of authoritarian cybersecurity norms in the Indo-Pacific is a canary in the coalmine for the international community. Because make no mistake: Xi Jinping’s ambitions do not end there. We have it in their own words: China’s ambition is to lead the world in digital infrastructure, and with it, to set the rules for a new digital authoritarian future of its own design.”

– Michael Caster, Head of the Global China Programme, ARTICLE 19

Read the report ([link removed])

[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

2025 ARTICLE 19
Copyright © 2024 ARTICLE 19, all rights reserved.

You are receiving this email because you are currently on our regular subscriber list.
Our mailing address is:
ARTICLE 19
International Office: 72-82 Rosebery Avenue
72-82 Rosebery Avenue
London, London EC1R 4RW
United Kingdom
Want to change how you receive these emails?

You can update your preferences ([link removed]) or unsubscribe ([link removed])
[link removed]