Austria is reforming its telecommunications law to incorporate the new European directives on electronic communications. The Austrian government has now an unique opportunity to leverage router freedom at the legislative level to protect consumers and the market.

It should go without saying that…

On April 28, 2021, the European Parliament adopted its position on the Covid Pass (the "Digital Green Certificate" or "Green Passport"). The legislative proposal has been designed to make travel within the EU possible again. The proposal aims to provide EU countries with a common framework which…

If you browse the web without an ad blocker, you will have noticed that the ads you see tend to follow you around. Have you been looking around for a new pair of shoes? Be prepared to see more ads for shoes on completely unrelated websites. This advertising technique is called "behavioural…

The review period for the Freedom of Information Act ended on 19 April 2021. Austria is the only country in the EU where official secrecy is still regulated at constitutional level. This has made it difficult for citizens to obtain information about government action or the use of tax revenue. The…

We have been warning about an electronic immunity certificate and the severe consequences such a system would have on society since May 2020. In a cloak-and-dagger operation the legal basis was created last week. Today we publish internal slides on the project, which unfortunately confirm our fears…

It was a dark day for internet freedom and Europe’s role in global internet policy, when the controversial Copyright Directive was passed in the EU Parliament in 2019. While we still hope to overthrow this directive before the ECJ, we also see it as our task to ensure that the Austrian…

It comes as no surprise that 2021 too will be dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and political activity will focus on the battle against the infectious disease. Nevertheless, there are many issues advancing in the background which need to be worked on. Many of these have been on our radar for…

The Federal Agency for State Protection and Counterterrorism (abbreviated BVT in German) is one of the most powerful institutions in Austria. Yet there is hardly any other organization of similar disrepute. There is no party which does not address deficiencies and the need for improvement. Foreign…

Austria has been working on an electronic identity – e-ID in short – for quite some time now. Recent discussions on this type of electronic identification have focused on the electronic driving license, which is to be introduced in spring 2021. The draft legislation proposed by the federal…

South Korea's network infrastructure may be state of the art, but the country’s 'pay to play' regime for delivering traffic are a unprecedented threat to the free and open internet.

Open Net Korea, along with 13 other NGOs — including epicenter.works and Access Now — are appealing to South…