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Syrian Surveillance Revelations: SIRAJ Under Scrutiny
The Syrian Investigative Reporting for Accountability Journalism (SIRAJ) revealed documents from the Syrian regime detailing surveillance efforts targeting its journalists. A cache of memos obtained from a state security office in Damascus after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, show how intelligence officers sought information about SIRAJ’s funding and the identities of its journalists abroad. These findings underscore the risks faced by investigative journalists under oppressive regimes. SIRAJ also provides guidelines for handling sensitive documents, ensuring accountability and preservation. Read more in English or Arabic.
India’s Draft Data Protection Rules Open for Public Consultation
The Indian government has released the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, inviting public feedback until February 18, 2025. These rules outline provisions such as allowing the government to process citizens’ personal data for providing services or benefits and requiring platforms to disclose information to authorities under specific conditions to protect national security or sovereignty. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) warns about the rules’ vagueness, over-reliance on discretionary powers, weak oversight and accountability mechanisms, overbroad exemptions for state processing, and a step towards universal, mandatory registration for internet-wide age gating. Learn more and share your input: The Hindu | IFF | MediaNama | The Wire
Latin America’s E-Government Transition and AI Integration: A 2024 Overview
From Costa Rica to Argentina, Latin American governments are advancing e-government initiatives and adopting artificial intelligence to streamline public services and enhance transparency. The region’s 2026 Digital Agenda (eLAC) emphasises using technology for sustainable and citizen-focused development, while countries like Brazil propose significant investments in AI to reduce technological dependence. However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) warns of potential risks to privacy and fundamental rights, urging transparency and safeguards in these initiatives. Read more about the EFF report here.
Academic Workshop: Global Southing Internet, Data, and AI Studies
The Global Southing Internet and Data Studies Workshop hosted by the Oxford Internet Institute on 25 & 26 March 2025 explores how perspectives from the Global South are reshaping Internet, data, and AI studies. The workshop will bring together scholars and practitioners to critically engage with alternative paradigms and methodologies to decentralise dominant narratives in digital governance and technology studies. The abstract submission deadline is 11 Feb. Learn more and participate here.
New Open-Access Book & Webinar: Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries
New open-access book by Cambridge University Press, Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries: How the Global South and Emerging Power Alliances Are Reshaping Digital Governance, examines how Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa navigate and contest digital sovereignty in a shifting geopolitical landscape. A webinar discussing the book’s key insights will take place on 31 Jan 2025: Webinar Registration.
| Translation Suggestions |
| Do you have any translation recommendations of surveillance-related research and theory from the Majority World? Do you know of any work that could reach a wider audience and contribute to the field of surveillance studies? If so, please get in touch. We will assist you with translation, publication, or copy-editing. Send your recommendations to contact@surveillance-majority-world.net |
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