Digital rights in focus: NGO calls for protection from state surveillance

Digital rights in focus: NGO calls for protection from state surveillance

As part of the current coalition negotiations, the digital NGO epicenter.works is presenting a detailed catalog of demands to promote fundamental rights and a reform-oriented government in Austria. As a contribution to the negotiations, the organization is calling for measures to protect against state surveillance and a transparent, fundamental rights-friendly administration. Particular attention is drawn to data protection-friendly digitalization in the areas of health, education and research. According to epicenter.works, Austria must not agree to the surveillance contract of the United Nations Cybercrime Convention in order to ensure responsible technology policy, as stated in the publication of OTS was reported.

The list of demands also calls for a clear rejection of the use of federal Trojans, protection for encrypted communication and a consistent no to chat control. The NGO highlights that surveillance technologies need to be viewed in a broader context in order to minimize potential risks. Furthermore, epicenter.works demands a commitment to net neutrality and emphasizes the need for an independent authority to implement the EU requirements regarding artificial intelligence. A ban on facial recognition in public spaces is also part of the demands, as can be seen from the information from Springer emerges.

The organization is optimistic that its demands will be heard and will have a lasting influence on future government policy. The concerns of IT security and the protection of privacy are at the center of the discussions in order to protect guaranteed fundamental rights for all citizens.