🛐Religious freedom in the EU? Read this blog part of our FOCUS project! ⤵️ And learn more about our project on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights here: focuscharter.eu

🇪🇺⚖️🇵🇱 Revenge is a dish best served cold (and after five years). Moments ago, CJEU, in the case Commission v. Poland, found that the Polish Constitutional Tribunal has not only violated EU law with its anti-EU rulings, but also was (is) not an independent court established properly by law. 1/

#Disinformation, an election strategy?! We keep hearing how content spreads online just in time to influence voters; Europe wasn’t an exception. Just ahead of 2026 elections, we’re back to analyse the networks behind this. Our #DisruptDisinfoNetworks project will look deeper into these threats⬇️

Your Data Access toolkit 👇🏽 Our latest update shows major platforms still make researcher access slow, inconsistent, and overly restricted. We clearly lay out what data’s available, what’s missing, and how platforms and the European Commission can fix it.

As political debate shifts online, it’s getting more personal, more emotional, and more violent toward women. We saw this firsthand while monitoring Sri Lanka’s 2025 local elections 🔎 Here’s what we found 👇

Youth in Nigeria is gearing up! 🔥 They are absorbing all the knowledge they need to take part in elections, not just watch them; this time they are going digital. Under the WYDE Civic Engagement project the CJID is supporting young people in Nigeria to use digital tools and work towards democracy.

⚖️ Passionate about the #RuleofLaw? We are hiring a Research Officer to join our team in Berlin! If you have: a strong legal background; a deep understanding of the EU’s Rule of Law landscape; and experience working with media, policymakers or social media then apply before Dec 19 👉 bit.ly/48H2QT5

Cyclone Ditwah continues to impact Sri Lanka; we stand in solidarity with our colleagues who have been impacted by the recent floods. DRI is here to support them as they rebuild, recover and continue their essential work with communities across the country.

Your Data Access toolkit 👇🏽 Our latest update shows major platforms still make researcher access slow, inconsistent, and overly restricted. In our resource, we clearly lay out what data’s available, what’s missing, and how platforms and the European Commission can fix it.

Digital spaces should empower - not silence - women and girls 💯 Today we join UNMISS, UNDP South Sudan, and the NEC in South Sudan for #16DaysOfActivism to address GBV and violence against women in politics, ahead of the 2026 elections. Let’s unite to end abuse, both online and offline! 👏🏽

🏗️Rebuilding the rule of law: NOT a sprint BUT an obstacle course 🚧 with new hurdles at every turn! @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social takes the mic🎙️ again to share insights on Poland’s tense political race: where is the system still stumbling? revdem.ceu.edu/2025/11/17/h...

“If we can’t legislate, we’ll find another way.” Our @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social on how polarisation makes protecting the rule of law harder in Poland. A warning for democracies worldwide 💯 Read more: bit.ly/3KarlQm

While world leaders debate Ukraine’s future over the phone, @avalaina.bsky.social reminds us: Justice is hard but necessary work 🕊️ ➕ 600 people joined us at @blnensemble.bsky.social to hear her speak about documenting Russia’s war crimes since 2014, work that earned her the Nobel Peace Prize. 1/6

🇪🇺🇵🇱⚖️🎙There are days when nothing happens, and there are days when two podcasts featuring your truly get published on the same day as our entire comms team is off sick. The first one is in with our friends from the CEU Review of Democracy, on the restoration of the rule of law in Poland. 1/

In its efforts to restore the rule of law, the Polish government faces many issues. But a particular headache has been what to do with "neo-judges". A recent decision by the #ECHR buys the Polish government more time. Our @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social brings you the details 👇

When states selectively implement human rights rulings, who pays the price? In this case: women.

🕊️“People in Ukraine dream of peace” Nobel laureate @avalaina.bsky.social visited our office today to discuss civil society in Ukraine and the latest 28-point plan, presented by the U.S. to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Her thoughts 👇

How free is civil society online? 🌐 At #ICSW2025, #EUSEE launched its latest brief on how digital tech is being weaponised to restrict freedoms across 86 countries - and how civil society is fighting back, calling on governments, donors, and tech companies to protect civic space online.

📣CALL FOR APPLICATIONS! ⭐Our STARLIGHT 2.0 programme is all about equipping experienced lawyers & NGO legal staff to turn #humanrights into action through strategic litigation. 📅Deadline👉 Nov 20 📝Apply here👉 bit.ly/4o9Pmph 🤝 @hungarianhelsinki.bsky.social @hertieschool.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu

👀Disinformation spreads everywhere, all at once! It erodes trust in democratic institutions and makes it harder for all of us to make informed decisions. To counter it, democratic actors need to work together. That's why yesterday we convened the disinfo community in Berlin for #DisinfoCon 2025!

⚠️Last call! #DisinfoCon2025 Day 2 Webinar kicks off this afternoon! Be part of the conversation: As Europe is rethinking its digital space, we are asking the ultimate question, can it find its own path beyond the reach of U.S. Big Tech? Register now: bit.ly/4ouuBou

The online space is the enabling environment like never before❗ At #ICSW2025, our #EUSEE team led a crash course on monitoring online narratives and digital threats. Hands-on, data-driven, and empowering for civil society across Asia, the session was one for the books 👏🏽

How healthy is Europe’s digital democracy? 🕵🏽 Our latest report maps three years of data, tracking how campaigns, platforms and AI shape public debate; with insights from national elections in 🇪🇸🇵🇱🇦🇹🇷🇴🇩🇪 and EP elections in 15 EU states. Read now 👉 bit.ly/492TfYz

📌 The #EuropeanDemocracyShield initiative from the @ec.europa.eu is about to be published. This is an opportunity for the EU to take stronger action to preserve and support its democracy. Earlier this year, DRI and a group of 65 organisations published a checklist for an effective Shield 🧵

Time to take stock of the rule of law! ⚖️ The World Justice Project recently released its Rule of Law Index, which tracks where the rule of law is strengthened and where it is slipping. Our @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social has closely examined what the numbers say in Central and Eastern Europe 👇

We're in Bangkok! 📍 Our #EUSEE team joined #ICSW2025. Highlight: Digital Resistance Tactics led by @dalvarador.bsky.social - a full house of 80+ exploring how activists in Asia use creativity and tech to defend digital rights 💪

🔥Across Sierra Leone, young people are stepping up to vote, shape elections, strengthen accountability, and build a democracy that includes everyone. Under our WYDE Civic Engagement programme, National Election Watch Sierra Leone (NEW), trained 425 young leaders across all 17 districts ⬇️

🎯Disinformation doesn't hit one sector at a time & our response can't either. Europe has seen coordinated attempts online to sway elections & undermine trust in democratic processes. But we’ve also seen journalists, researchers, fact-checkers, and CSO's working side-by-side when it mattered most⬇️

Who’s keeping #AI accountable & who’s just a bystander? From #LLMs shaping civic info to generative media decorating political campaigns, AI is quietly influencing what we see, think & vote. At #DisinfoCon2025, CSOs are taking the driver's seat to how AI systems can be audited & held responsible⬇️

⭐What does it take to turn legal victories into real change? At our STARLIGHT 2.0 webinar, one message rang clear: 🗣️ Strategic litigation isn’t just about winning cases, it’s about reshaping systems, and amplifying silenced voices. That’s what our programme is built for 👇

Last week the internet glitched⚡should Europe be worried? On Oct 20 a major #AWS outage disrupted services of over 2,000 companies globally. The root cause? A DNS bug in its automated system that took hours to fix. This shows a critical vulnerability: Europe's heavy reliance on U.S.-based tech! 👇

💥What if the next big social network isn’t owned by Big Tech but by us? At #DisinfoCon2025 we’ll explore non-centralised social media —like Mastodon & Bluesky—and look to answer questions like: what makes these platforms different & what happens when moderation belongs to users not the platforms❓⬇️

⚠️ U.S.'s Big Tech controls your data and its laws extend beyond borders! This is what we will discuss at #DisinfoCon2025 Webinar: Europe’s digital independence & what it should look like. The EU stands at a critical juncture, dependence on US based platforms deepens-how do we take back control?⬇️

AI is rewriting the rules — and we are keeping democracy in the loop at DisinfoCon 2025! 🚀We are back! This year’s edition explores the uncharted territories at the intersection of technology and democracy and we are bringing together civil society, policymakers, journalists and AI innovators ⬇️

In Brussels “simplification” is the new buzzword! The EU is making a major push to deregulate in the name of efficiency. But at what cost? We shared feedback with the @ec.europa.eu about potentially weakening hard-won safeguards & fundamental rights in the deployment of AI systems. 👇

As the line between real & synthetic content blurs, transparency is key to ensuring trustworthy interactions with AI. This is why together with @epd.eu CEE Digital Democracy Watch & GLOBSEC we submitted feedback to the @ec.europa.eu open consultation on transparency requirements for genAI systems.👇

📣 Applications are now OPEN for STARLIGHT 2.0 ⭐ ! Too often, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights remains underused in national courts — missing its full potential to drive real, systemic change. That’s where STARLIGHT 2.0 comes in, that’s where you come in! 👇

🔥Young people make up most of South Sudan’s population, and we are making sure their voices are heard! In Juba, we brought together emerging youth leaders to strengthen their participation in public life. 👇

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights holds the power ✊to drive real change in courtrooms across Europe, yet it remains underused. It’s time to change that! If you are ready to turn rights into action, join us next week for the STARLIGHT 2.0 ⭐ launch webinar where we will have 👇

“You can’t fix a broken system with rules made for one that works.” Our @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social in POLITICO on Poland’s uphill fight to restore judicial independence - reminds us that rebuilding democracy isn’t about ignoring the law, but reimagining it for a system that’s been tested. Read 👇

Young Gambians are raising their voices-their leaders are listening✊ The WYDE brought together 271 young citizens & 4 National Assembly Members to discuss the future of The Gambia’s democracy. From voter registration challenges to youth-focused budget reforms and investment in vocational training👇

Strengthening the rule of law together 🇫🇮🇺🇦 As part of a Rule of Law Clinic hosted by @ruleoflawcentre.bsky.social under ACCESS Ukraine, Ukrainian and Finnish justice experts met in Helsinki to exchange on judicial coherence, case filtering and quality assurance. Key for Ukraine’s EU path 💯

Democracy is shaped by newsfeeds too 🗞️ Join our 4-hour crash course on 17 Oct to dissect how social media, AI, and regulation shape democracy; and how you can navigate it all! Register now 👉 bit.ly/4koID8j

🇪🇺 The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is a powerful tool. Yet too often underused. Join our webinar to learn how our new project STARLIGHT 2.0 helps lawyers, NGOs & rights defenders make the Charter work in strategic litigation. ⚖️ 1/4

We brought together policymakers, civil society, and partners in Brussels for a Democracy Dinner on Ukraine’s wartime democracy 🇺🇦 We discussed its resilience and risks ahead: stronger presidency, stalled reforms, pressure on anti-corruption bodies. Read the takeaways 👉 bit.ly/479fE4V @epd.eu

From Kyiv to Kinshasa, Beirut to Berlin, we monitored AI chatbots, exposed fake TikTok accounts, supported Ukraine’s reforms, and strengthened youth, women, and civil society participation in 2024 🤝

Only a few seats left 📣 Join our crash course on Oct 17 to learn how social media is shaping democracy - and what you can do about it. Register here👇🏽 bit.ly/4koID8j

🇵🇱⚖️Yesterday, the Constitutional Tribunal did what everybody expected them to do, meaning: found that the law that requires the judgments of the Tribunal to be published by the government in order to come into force is unconstitutional (in the way it lets the govt control the publication). 1/

Jakub brings the Bluesky to Brussels🌤️ Our Research Coordinator, @jakubjaraczewski.bsky.social has just been recognised as one of the TOP #EUinfluencers on Bluesky! He joined late in 2023 and has built a vibrant community of over 10,000 followers by early 2025 ⬇️

🌏 We’re back in Sri Lanka! 🤖With our new project “Strengthening Resilience against Disinformation in Sri Lanka,” we’re stepping up efforts to protect elections from online harms & build public trust in the process. Together with Factum & the Election Commission of Sri Lanka we’re working to ⬇️