Data Protection

Face surveillance vs Facial Authentication: What is it and why should biometric mass surveillance be banned in the public space?

Live Webinar - Register here!

Often when people think of facial recognition, they think about unlocking their phones with their face. Facial authentication is used to verify that someone is who they say they are, when for example gaining secured access to a building or traveling through a passport gate. This is a one-to-one comp...

Greens/EFA debriefing of the plenary session

14-18 December

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the Council Conclusions on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Rule of Law and Climate Law, the presentation of the Digital Service Act (DSA), the Drinking Water Directive, transitional provisions for Agricultural Funds, the European Year of Rail 2021, a new Strategy for European SMEs, and the future relations between the EU and the UK following Brexit negotiations.

Commission proposal first step to end Wild West of Internet giants

Digital Services Act

We welcome the European Commission's move to end the Wild West style Internet giants and to make online platforms accountable for how they spread content and when they remove content from users.

Fighting for your rights online

Did you know that the EU's internet rules haven't changed in 20 years? The reform of the rules through the "Digital Services Package” has the potential to be either a threat to fundamental rights or a major improvement.

Plenary Flash 14-18 December 2020

Greens/EFA priorities for the session

During this week plenary session, the European Parliament will debate and/or vote on digital services act, the conclusions of the European Council meeting, water legislation, new strategy for European SMEs, European Year of Rail, Council configuration on Gender Equality, ...

Terrorist Content Online Regulation

A threat to freedom of speech, media, arts and sciences

Preventing the recruitment of terrorists is an important objective. We want incitement to violence, glorification of terrorism as well as bomb-building instructions published by terrorist organizations to be removed from the Internet. But the means to achieve this goal, as proposed by the Commission and supported by Council, are problematic and threaten fundamental rights.

The Risks of Discrimination of Biometric Mass Surveillance

Live Webinar - Register here!

Throughout the European Union, governments are experimenting with highly intrusive systems of facial recognition and other biometric mass surveillance in public spaces. At the same time, there has been a global uproar against the usage of these technologies due to their alarming consequences for fun...

Affordable Housing

AirBnB and the Digital Services Act - Possibilities for regulating online short-term rental to ensure affordable housing

We want to have a conversation about ‘the AirBnB-effect.’ The expansive growth of short-term holiday rental is extracting housing from the market and driving up prices, and has a negative impact on liveability in large cities and popular tourist destinations in Europe.  This phen...

A Greens/EFA take on the plenary session

19-23 October

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Digital Services Act, Artificial Intelligence, deforestation, gender equality in EU’s foreign and security policy, the state of the Energy Union, the Energy Charter Treaty, serious security threats through the sale of EU passports and visas and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Put rights and freedoms at the centre of the upcoming Digital Services Act

A blog by MEPs Alexandra Geese, Patrick Breyer and Marcel Kolaja.

The farming population is in freefall, with Europe having lost 50% of its farmers in 20 years. Consumers are demanding healthier food produced as close to home as possible.

European Parliament votes to overhaul business model of internet platforms

Digital Services Act

The reports on the EU Digital Services Act have been adopted by a large majority. MEPs voted for the European Commission to provide a clear legal framework for online platforms, to set out guidelines for dealing with indications of illegal content and to end the arbitrary blocking and deletion of content by online platforms.

My content my rights

A new EU law on Notice and Action for removal of illegal content online?

Was your online account ever blocked or your content unfairly removed by an online platform? If you felt your rights were violated, share your experience on our “take-down wall of shame”, and empower yourself by contributing to the future EU rules for user rights and big tech.