Dear Friend of Press Freedom,

We don’t yet know whether the government will appeal the dismissal of its deportation case against Rümeysa Öztürk for co-writing an op-ed it didn’t like. Regardless, others — like Ya’akub Vijandre — remain locked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for exercising their press freedom rights. Read on for more on the week in press freedom.

Leakers helped exonerate Rümeysa Öztürk

Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk’s deportation case was finally thrown out this month, although the government can still seek review of the dismissal. The ruling came after a memo leaked to the press revealed that the administration knew before arresting her that its allegations of terrorism and antisemitism were false. Öztürk’s supporters were right all along — the case was based entirely on her co-authorship of a relatively tame pro-Palestinian op-ed.

Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern wrote for The Intercept about how the case is yet another example of leaks — which the government claims pose a dire risk to national security — instead serving the public good and exposing misconduct. When the government lies to the people and ignores the Freedom of Information Act, it’s inevitable that people of conscience will bring important documents like the Öztürk memo to the press.

• Read the article

How free news helped Chicago get through Operation Midway Blitz

When immigration authorities invaded Chicago last year, they often targeted lower-income neighborhoods, meaning the people who most needed news about their activities were unlikely to be able to afford a newspaper subscription.

Fortunately, Chicago is full of news outlets that don’t paywall their excellent reporting (as are Los Angeles and Minneapolis, Minnesota, which experienced similar assaults in recent months). But the next city might not be so lucky. Stern and FPF founding board member, actor, and activist John Cusack joined “In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons” on Chicago’s NPR affiliate, WBEZ, to discuss that and other press freedom issues.

• Listen here

Uber for authoritarians

Speaking of leakers bringing us important news, a manual for ICE’s immigrant-targeting computer system, Palantir ELITE, was leaked on Jan. 30 via 404 Media.

John Skiles Skinner, an engineering manager at FPF, took a break from improving SecureDrop (more on that later) to evaluate the manual and the dark road it shows we’re on. He writes that “the software allows the administration to order up a goon squad wherever they want, at the touch of a button. Like Uber for authoritarians. Let’s call it repression as a service.”

• Read more

Five security lessons from the FBI’s Washington Post raid

The January FBI raid of the home of Washington Post federal government reporter Hannah Natanson, in connection with a leak probe involving a government contractor, was a dangerous escalation against press freedom and likely runs afoul of the Privacy Protection Act. It shouldn’t have happened at all, but it might preview what’s to come.

FPF Deputy Director of Digital Security Dr. Martin Shelton recently examined a court document that shines light on some specifics of the case, and wrote about five lessons journalists can learn.

• Read more

SecureDrop keeps getting better

FPF is proud to announce the latest version of SecureDrop — open source software whistleblowers use to communicate anonymously with journalists.

The release lays the groundwork for the upcoming SecureDrop App and other exciting efforts to make SecureDrop faster, cheaper, and more secure for newsrooms worldwide. Stay tuned.

• Read more

What we're reading

‘We returned from hell’: Palestinian journalists recount torture in Israeli prisons

Committee to Protect Journalists
Fifty-eight Palestinian journalists “reported being subjected to what they described as torture, abuse, or other forms of violence” in Israeli detention facilities since October 2023.

Prison-style free speech censorship is coming for the rest of us

The Intercept
Incarcerated journalist and FPF columnist Jeremy Busby wrote about how the upcoming trial of a Texas activist for possessing anarchist zines reminds him of the censorship and retaliation that has been prevalent inside prisons for decades.

Photojournalists documenting Trump’s deportation forces play critical role, but face increasing state violence

Prism
A veteran civil rights attorney warns that “frontline journalists should read the specifics of any emergency order and ask: How do I protect myself, and how do I push back against laws that I feel are unjust, immoral, unconscionable, or that get in the way of freedom of the press?”

Homeland security wants social media sites to expose anti-ICE accounts

The New York Times
It should be obvious that criticizing ICE — or any government agency — on social media is protected by the First Amendment. Tech companies must not comply with sweeping government demands that seek to unmask users simply for expressing their opinions online.

Officials investigating how Lookout obtained report on Oregon State Hospital

Lookout Eugene-Springfield
“The hunting of whistleblowers is wrong because it is failing to address the actual problem, which is the reason they blow the whistle in the first place,” FPF Deputy Director of Advocacy Adam Rose said.

Wisconsin Assembly passes anti-SLAPP legislation

Wisconsin Examiner
Good news: The Wisconsin Assembly advanced its bill protecting people from strategic lawsuits against public participation to the Senate. Legislatures in red, blue, and purple states understand there’s nothing partisan about protecting journalists, activists, and everyone else from anti-speech lawfare.

• Donate to FPF

Upcoming events

Join us at the events below; click the flyers for more info, including on how to register.

Join us for a timely digital security training on how to protect your devices, sources and reporting material from adversaries, particularly in the face of physical interception, sponsored by the NewsGuild-CWA.

freedom.press/issues/leakers-h…

404 Media

2026-01-30 14:49:01

Here is the User Guide for ELITE, the Tool Palantir Made for ICE

Earlier this month we revealed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is using a Palantir tool called ELITE to decide which neighborhoods to raid.

The tool lets ICE populate a map with potential deportation targets, bring up dossiers on each person, and view an address “confidence score” based on data sourced from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other government agencies. This is according to a user guide for ELITE 404 Media obtained.

404 Media is now publishing a version of that user guide so people can read it for themselves.

💡
Do you know anything else about ELITE? Do you work at Palantir, ICE, or CBP? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.

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Here is the User Guide for ELITE, the Tool Palantir Made for ICE

404 Media is publishing a version of the user guide for ELITE, which lets ICE bring up dossiers on individual people and provides a “confidence score” of their address.

^{Joseph Cox (404 Media)}

At the last board meeting we made the decision to keep all PPI board meetings at 17:00 UTC on Tuesday. While the rotating system was designed to assist members from around the globe to participate, in practice it meant that those towards the East or West extremes of UTC were excluded from half the meetings. As such, we hope that everyone can attend more frequently. If needed, we will change the schedule again to accomodate those that need another time.

Our next PPI board meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 10th at 17:00 UTC / 18:00 CET.

All official PPI proceedings, board meetings included, are open to the public. Feel free to stop by. We’ll be happy to have you.

Where:jitsi.pirati.cz/PPI-Board

Agenda: Pad: etherpad.pp-international.net/…

All of our meetings are posted to our calendar: pp-international.net/calendar/

We look forward to seeing visitors.

Thank you for your support,

The Board of PPI

pp-international.net/2026/02/u…

Every Thursday of the week, Bastian’s Night is broadcast from 21:30 CET.

Bastian’s Night is a live talk show in German with lots of music, a weekly round-up of news from around the world, and a glimpse into the host’s crazy week in the pirate movement.

If you want to read more about @BastianBB: –> This way

piratesonair.net/bastians-nigh…

What has the EDRi network been up to over the past few weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: A competitiveness feast with our rights on the menu 🍽️

The post EDRi-gram, 18 February 2026 appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

The Czech Supreme Court has ruled that the legal regulation of blanket collection of electronic communications data (known as data retention) violates European Union law in a "long-term and particularly serious manner." This decision is the result of a multi-year campaign by the organization IuRe. However, the responsible minister has not yet taken steps to end blanket collection.

The post Czech ministry apologizes to journalist for blanket collection of mobile phone data appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

EDRi submitted a response to the EU’s new open source digital strategy. We argue that free and open source software is not a niche technical choice, but a strategic foundation for Europe’s resilience, competitiveness and democratic autonomy.

The post Europe’s digital sovereignty starts with open source appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

On 3 February 2026, the United States House Committee on the Judiciary launched a report in which EDRi member Bits of Freedom and Justice for Prosperity, among others, are called "censorous NGOs". In response, Bits of Freedom and Justice for Prosperity are issuing the following statement.

The post US pressure on the Digital Services Act in the Netherlands appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

The DSA Human Rights Alliance has released 'Principles for a Human Rights-Centred Application of the Digital Services Act: A Global Perspective' to guide the European Commission, national policymakers, and regulators as the DSA moves from legislation to enforcement. The recommendations focus on the cross-border effects of DSA enforcement, empowering diverse groups to enforce users’ rights and providing input during enforcement actions. This will ensure that the law is applied in a way that respects international human rights standards and reflects regional perspectives.

The post Ensuring human rights-based, global perspectives in the DSA enforcement: the DSA Human Rights Alliance’s guidelines appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

A study published by EDRi member Asociația pentru Tehnologie și Internet (ApTI) Romania analysed how the recommender algorithms on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok distributed political content, during the 2025 presidential election. The quantitative analysis identified cases in which these social media platforms did not comply with either national electoral laws, nor with EU Regulations, such as the Digital Service Act (DSA).

The post How recommender algorithms threaten election integrity appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

EDRi is deeply concerned that the European Commission’s current plans to amend the Better Regulation framework will lead to worse lawmaking, not better. In its submission to the Commission, EDRi shares recommendations to ensure balanced representation, fairness, transparency, and meaningful safeguards in EU lawmaking.

The post European Commission’s plans will lead to worse regulations appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

As the European Union edges closer to ​rewriting the rules of users’ privacy online, debates surrounding the controversial ‘Chat Control’ legislative proposal reignite.

The latest developments include the Council’s vote to extend the application period of the interim legislation and the start of the trialogue procedure. The proposed law to scan private communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has been subject to scrutiny from human rights organisations, tech companies, and civil society groups since its introduction in 2022.

This January 29th the Council voted to extend the application period of the temporary and voluntary-based screening regime (‘Chat Control 1.0’) until April 2026. With this derogation from the ePrivacy Directive platforms can decide to opt-in for voluntary participation. Given that this proposal still needs to be approved by the European Parliament, citizens initiatives against it are already forming, with activists calling Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to reject the proposal. The regulation has become one of the bloc’s most polarising debates on privacy online in recent years.

WHAT IS CHAT CONTROL?

The Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR), or ‘Chat Control’, is a proposal introduced by the Commission in 2022 in line with its ‘EU Strategy for a More Effective Fight Against Child Sexual Abuse’. If the legislation is adopted, digital communications services and online platforms will be obligated to detect and report CSAM. While EU institutions and proponents argue that the new regulatory tools are necessary to ensure the safety of underage and vulnerable users online, critics are not convinced. The legislation envisages, as a derogation from the current EU rules on protection of privacy online, an obligation for platforms to screen users’ communications for potential illegal content.

The client-side indiscriminatory screening mechanism means that the authorities may gain access to users’ correspondence before it is encrypted, rendering end-to-end encryption void. One of the main arguments against the legislation is notably the mechanism used for detection – experts point to the inaccuracies and mistakes in AI technologies’ output. ‘False positives’ can not only lead to the persecution of innocent people and erode freedom of expression online, but flooding the authorities with inaccurate signals of abuse can prove counterproductive to solving the issue in the first place by wasting resources.

The current ‘interim’ rules are applied on a voluntary basis by platforms which decide to do so, but most of the opponents to the regulation warn against extending the temporary framework, noting that it’s been in effect since 2021, at this point rendering the derogation semi-permanent.

… AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Critits of the legislation, among whom are the European Pirates, warn that forced scanning of private messages could weaken encryption, undermine fundamental digital freedoms, and set a precedent for mass surveillance across the digital space. Human rights activists pay particular attention to the possible infringement to the right to respect of personal life and personal correspondence. The broader implications of chat control on human rights and privacy online have been the main topic of contention, with a warning on the matter issued by the EU’s own Data Protection Board.

The legislative trend in recent years towards reducing privacy online and weakening encryption is particularly worrying. While the UK recently adopted its own Online Safety Act, also now under scrutiny, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against any efforts to weaken encryption of communications.

WHAT NOW?

Trialogues already started in December 2025 with the second round scheduled for 26 February 2026.

It is worth noting that the European Parliament already rejected indiscriminate scanning and blanket chat control in 2023, based on the report of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee. Consequently, it proposed modifications to the regulation, opting for targeted surveillance and only after a judicial warrant has been issued based on reasonable suspicion. Other aspects of the draft regulation, firmly opposed by Parliament, are the mandatory age checks and the provision to lock users under 17 years of age from certain apps. The age verification mechanism is also a part of the Commission’s guidelines on the protection of minors under the DSA.

Markéta Gregorová, member of the Pirates, is the shadow rapporteur for the ‘chat control’ file for the Greens/EFA. In the coming months she will be doing everything she can to ensure that the Parliament does not give in to the Council’s demands in the trialogues.

In a surprising turn of events in December, the Commissioner in charge of the dossier sided with the Parliament and its proposal. The Council, however, sways towards mass scanning. Nevertheless member states are still divided on the issue, with Czechia, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland still opposing the regulation. Germany, which until recently was the leader in the team opposing the regulation, has now softened its position and expressed support for the revised Danish proposal. These latest shifts in positions of the main actors in the trialogues make the results of the negotiations ever more unclear.

This is why it is important to act against the proposal before it is too late: sign the petition and contact your MEPs to ensure that the illusion of security does not encroach on our right to privacy.

europeanpirates.eu/scanning-th…