Deadline: 01-Mar-22
Applications are now open for the Digital Freedom Fund to support strategic litigation on digital rights in Europe that contributes to advancing human rights in the digital context.
Thematic Focus Areas
DFF is particularly interested in receiving applications for strategic cases that:
- Advance individuals’ ability to exercise their right to privacy: Examples are cases that:
- Protect and safeguard individuals against unjustified government surveillance
- Clarify the scope of protection of personal data under the GDPR
- Enforce consumers’ rights in relation to the unauthorised collection and sharing of personal data
- Protect and promote the free flow of information online: Examples are cases that:
- Challenge the unjustified blocking, filtering and removal of online content, platforms or services
- Ensure that online content is protected against the illegitimate use of copyright claims
- Ensure that net neutrality and the principle of equal access to the internet is promoted and respected in practice
- Ensure accountability, transparency and the adherence to human rights standards in the use and design of technology: Examples are cases that:
- Ensure the respect for human rights in the application of technology by law enforcement, such as in the context of predictive policing
- Maximise transparency in algorithmic decision making and profiling by government and private actors
- Set standards to protect individuals against the discriminatory use of technology
Type of Activities
You can submit applications for two types of activities:
- Litigation track support: Support for litigation of a case through multiple instances, from first instance through to the final appeal. Example: challenge before the European Court of Human Rights against police use of facial recognition technology.
- Pre-litigation research: Support for activities to prepare for litigation. This could include legal research, evidence gathering, forum selection or identifying claimants and project partners. Example: comparative study between three EU jurisdictions to determine which one offers the best options to address a specific issue under an EU Directive.
Funding Information
As litigators work with different operational models and each case has different dimensions and complexities, grant amounts requested vary. Rather than working with a fixed case support fee, DFF will evaluate each case on its own merits in light of both the general grantmaking criteria and the principle of cost-efficiency. Please note that DFF does not approve many grants of more than EUR 100,000. Applications exceeding that amount should show evidence of co-financing to improve the chances of a grant being awarded.
Eligibility Criteria
DFF accepts grant applications concerning all Council of Europe Member States.
Criteria
In your application, you must demonstrate to have carefully considered and be able to motivate:
- the concrete objectives of the litigation;
- a solid legal strategy: which arguments will be made, how they will be framed, and how this will contribute towards achieving the objectives of the litigation;
- how the litigation objectives contribute to advancing digital rights in Europe: what is the expected impact;
- the best forum to litigate in order to achieve the pursued objectives;
- the possible instances of litigation that may be necessary to achieve the litigation objective(s), including appeals and referrals to regional courts;
- how the litigation relates to other existing or planned activities on the litigation’s subject matter – both litigation and otherwise – domestically and in Europe;
- why litigation is an appropriate tool to employ in this context;
- the identified risks and weaknesses of the litigation and a strategy for mitigation;
- a plan to embed the litigation in a broader strategy for change;
- a plan for implementation in case of a positive outcome of the litigation and mitigation in case of a negative or mixed outcome;
- a plan to monitor and evaluate progress towards achieving objectives.
For more information, visit https://digitalfreedomfund.org/grants/