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Fanny Hidvegi

Europe Policy and Advocacy Director

Fanny Hidvegi is Access Now’s Europe Policy and Advocacy Director based in Brussels. She develops Access Now’s European policy strategy, heads the regional work and represents the EU entity. Fanny is an Obama Foundation Europe Leader and a Marshall Memorial Fellow. Fanny was selected to be a member of the POLITICO Tech 28 Class of 2022. Fanny was a member of the European Commission’s High Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence, she serves on the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Freedom of Expression and Digital Technologies, and on the board of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU). She is a member of the European Parliament STOA Committee’s International Advisory Board.

Previously, Fanny was International Privacy Fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C. where she focused on E.U.-U.S. data transfers. For three years Fanny led the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Program of the HCLU where she engaged in strategic litigation with journalists and other NGOs, participated in the fight against the national data retention law in Hungary, and promoted privacy enhancing technologies. There, she gained experience on how to operate as a human rights advocate in a restrictive environment.

Fanny also worked as a consumer protection lawyer both in the public and the private sector. She has a law degree from Eötvös Loránd University Budapest and she spent one academic year at the University of Florence. Fanny was once on Swiss national TV as Roger Federer’s biggest fan.

AI Act

Human rights protections…with exceptions: what’s (not) in the EU’s AI Act deal

14 Dec 2023

The E.U. just agreed to (not quite a) deal on the AI Act. But what’s in it? What’s missing? And what happens now?

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Human rights protections…with exceptions: what’s (not) in the EU’s AI Act deal
14 Dec 2023
Human rights protections…with exceptions: what’s (not) in the EU’s AI Act deal
European Ombudsman surveillance

Shaping the next 20 years of digital rights in Europe

20 Mar 2023

As we mark the 20th anniversary of EDRi, the European Digital Rights network, it’s an apt moment to reflect on the story of digital rights in Europe so far, and to ask the question: how can we better equip Europe for the human rights challenges of the digital age?

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Shaping the next 20 years of digital rights in Europe
20 Mar 2023
Shaping the next 20 years of digital rights in Europe

EU calls for spyware moratorium, but no ban to protect human rights

8 Nov 2022

Access Now is calling on the EU Parliament’s Pegasus committee to strengthen its stance on spyware, and recognise the need for a ban.

Press Release
EU calls for spyware moratorium, but no ban to protect human rights
8 Nov 2022
EU calls for spyware moratorium, but no ban to protect human rights
EU Ukraine

EU must keep people in and leaving Ukraine as safe, secure, connected as possible

15 Sep 2022

Through an open letter, Access Now is calling on the EU to protect people in Ukraine, and those escaping the war to EU countries.

Press Release
EU must keep people in and leaving Ukraine as safe, secure, connected as possible
15 Sep 2022
EU must keep people in and leaving Ukraine as safe, secure, connected as possible
AI Act

The EU AI Act proposal: a timeline

12 Jul 2022

A summary of our proposed amendments to the draft EU AI Act and a timeline of our related commentary and recommendations.

Guide
The EU AI Act proposal: a timeline
12 Jul 2022
The EU AI Act proposal: a timeline
RightsCon session videos|IGF

Congratulations, Fanny Hidvégi! Access Now’s Europe Policy and Advocacy Director a POLITICO Europe tech Visionary

18 May 2022

Access Now congratulates Fanny Hidvégi, Europe Policy and Advocacy Director, who is being recognised in POLITICO Europe’s annual ranking of the 28 power players behind Europe’s tech revolution.

Press Release
Congratulations, Fanny Hidvégi! Access Now’s Europe Policy and Advocacy Director a POLITICO Europe tech Visionary
18 May 2022
Congratulations, Fanny Hidvégi! Access Now’s Europe Policy and Advocacy Director a POLITICO Europe tech Visionary

Where can you find Access Now at CPDP 2022?

17 May 2022

Here’s a guide to where you can find Access Now at the Computers, Privacy & Data Protection (CPDP) 2022 conference.

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Where can you find Access Now at CPDP 2022?
17 May 2022
Where can you find Access Now at CPDP 2022?
EU Ukraine

Open letter to the EU: protect people affected by Russia’s attack on Ukraine

2 Mar 2022

In a letter to the EU, Access Now provides recommendations related to tech platforms and telecoms operators in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Press Release
Open letter to the EU: protect people affected by Russia’s attack on Ukraine
2 Mar 2022
Open letter to the EU: protect people affected by Russia’s attack on Ukraine
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Reclaim your face from surveillance 🥸

23 Feb 2021

Sign this European Citizens’ Initiative to urge EU lawmakers to put a stop to harmful, discriminatory biometric mass surveillance practices.

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Reclaim your face from surveillance 🥸
23 Feb 2021
Reclaim your face from surveillance 🥸
Algorithmic accountability

The EU should regulate AI on the basis of rights, not risks

17 Feb 2021

Artificial intelligence and automated decision-making systems threaten our fundamental rights. Yet the EU is considering an approach to AI regulation that would substitute rights-based protections for a mere risk mitigation exercise by corporations with a vested interest in these systems. Here’s why that’s a grave mistake.

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The EU should regulate AI on the basis of rights, not risks
17 Feb 2021
The EU should regulate AI on the basis of rights, not risks