Know better. Do better.

National security agencies could access journalists' devices using spyware under draft EU legislation.

The law - the European Media Freedom Act - creates a carve-out for "member states' responsibility for safeguarding national security" which would allow governments to hack into journalists' phones.

Governments across Europe have already used Pegasus spyware, which can read texts and emails, monitor app usage, track location data, and access a device's microphone and camera, against citizens.

Hungary's government, under Viktor Orbán, has already levied the use of Pegasus spyware against journalists, human rights activists and government officials in several countries.

The head of Greek intelligence also admitted that the agency had spied on a journalist, while the Spanish government spied on journalists and Catalan politicians, according to a report from Citizen Lab.

The law is facing backlash from the European Federation of Journalists, which represents over 300,000 members of the press across 45 countries, and the non-profit advocacy collection European Digital Rights (EDRi).

"Fundamental rights and the health of our democracy are at stake if we don't regulate surveillance power of states against journalists", the EDRi said in an open letter.

It added that the national security exception would "not just weaken safeguards but actually incentivise the use of spyware."

Rest of the world: what’s new?

United States

Avi Asher-Schapiro, U.S. tech correspondent

This week, the public safety committee of the California State Senate is holding hearings on a new privacy law designed to safeguard the data of people seeking abortion or gender-affirming healthcare in the state.

The bill, known as AB 793, restricts so-called "reverse warrants", in which tech companies must share with law enforcement the information of users who, for example, quizzed a search engine about 'abortion' or 'abortion clinic', or were close to a specific location at a specific time. The law passed the California State Assembly earlier in the month, and now must be approved by the Senate.

As Context reported last week, AB 793 is part of a package of legislation California has taken up to cement itself as a safe haven for abortion-seekers a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a landmark 1973 ruling that assured women's constitutional right to an abortion.

Latin America

Diana Baptista, Mexico correspondent

Amidst controversy over potential censorship, the Chilean government has launched a Commission Against Disinformation which will advise on the creation of public policies around "disinformation and the weakening of democracy."

The commission will be formed by members of universities, civil organizations working on disinformation, and fact-checkers.

Academics and experts are divided over the commission. While some agree on the urgency to tackle the spread of fake news, others worry that the government in turn will use this institution to censor critics and legitimize "disinformation they promote."

Asia

Vidhi Doshi, India correspondent

Elon Musk wants to bring his Starlink satellite broadband to India, but faces resistance from Asia's wealthiest man Mukesh Ambani, who runs Indian telecom giant Reliance Jio.

The two billionaires are clashing over the Indian government's distribution of satellite broadband spectrum - Ambani wants to continue the current auction process for broadband favoured by India's government while Musk argues the government should assign broadband per international norms.

Musk's previous attempt to launch Starlink in India in 2021 was blocked by regulators for taking bookings without a licence.

South Africa

Kim Harrisberg, South Africa correspondent

In the build-up to Sierra Leone's recent elections, the wife of the now re-elected president Julius Maada Bio gained fame by dancing on TikTok to campaign for her husband's renewed term.

By "grooving to viral songs" in front of large images of her husband's face, Fatima Maada Bio has gained over 200,000 followers, in a country with some 780,000 social media users, Rest of World reports.

Some believe she is tapping into social media to engage with younger voters, while others have criticised her for trivialising and distracting from the country's real challenges.