This article explains why "data protection" is something of a misnomer, and why the main responsibility for making it work doesn't rest with users alone.
The post Why data protection doesn’t protect data, but people appeared first on HIIG.
Clara Milena Steiner completed a Master’s degree in ‘Media, Communication and Culture’ at the University of Klagenfurt and is now editor-in-chief of the Kärntner Kronen Zeitung. In this alumni portrait, she talks about her journey from political science to journalism, the link between her studies and editorial practice, and why accessible, regional journalism is more important than ever, particularly in times of information overload.
Generative AI is Taking Over Everyday Life in Switzerland: From Experimentation to Regular Use
New publications on techno-religion, human augmentation technologies, internet use in Switzerland
“Artificial Intelligence” in Switzerland 2024: Rapid Diffusion and Increasing Digital Inequality
Daniela Jaramillo-Dent wins Best Seminar Award for outstanding teaching
Vortragsreihe: Wie Digitalisierung und Künstliche Intelligenz unsere Gesellschaft verändern
Michael Reiss successfully defended his cumulative dissertation
New publications on Transhumanist Anthropocene, Content Creators and Chilling Effects
Two Awards at SACM 2025 for the Media Change and Innovation Division
Internet Use as Everyday Religion on the Rise, Cyborgization Still in its Early Stages
Kiran Kappeler successfully defended her dissertation
The introduction of Digital Tribulations, a series of intellectual interviews on the developments of digital sovereignty in Latin America, can be read here. The entire series can be found here.
The European Union is at it again, with regulations that not only threaten the privacy rights of Europeans but also set a dangerous global precedent due to the Brussels effect. On 9 July 2026, the European Parliament managed to extend “Chat Control 1.0,” a major exemption to European privacy laws that allows platforms to voluntarily scan private chats, despite the majority of MEPs voting against it.
Lebanon is on the verge of creating a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Technology. The government has been pushing to advance the draft law quickly, but Parliament just decided to slow things down, referring the proposal to joint parliamentary committees for deeper review.
We think that’s the right call, and we want to explain why.
Lebanon’s digital landscape has grown more volatile with every year of crisis. Financial collapse, a rise of disinformation, the spread of hate speech, and the ongoing pressures of instability have all left their mark on how people in Lebanon experience the internet. Several cases of disinformation have been documented by SMEX’s digital safety Helpdesk, highlighting the escalating online threats and increase in hate speech.
SkyCommons Observatory released, protecting our BrainCommons, a responsible AI chatbot, shared learnings at UN Big Data, preparing for the Open Technology Symposium, and more.
The post New frontiers for open knowledge – OKFN Newsletter July 2026 first appeared on Open Knowledge Blog.
After reading about, experiencing and analysing the current technical and regulatory landscape of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and speaking with technologists, policy makers, legal scholars, and data experts, we encapsulated our learnings into eight recommendations for how to shape the ‘tech we want’ for our brain commons. Share your feedback with us here. 1. Understand the...