EDRi

What EDRi does

European Digital Rights (EDRi) is a Brussels-based non-profit association (AISBL) and federated network of 47 civil and human rights organisations across 22 European countries, founded in 2003 by 10 NGOs from 7 countries including Bits of Freedom, Chaos Computer Club, and Privacy International. The organisation coordinates policy advocacy, coalition campaigns, and strategic litigation to defend digital rights across the EU, with a documented track record of influencing landmark legislation including the GDPR, the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the AI Act. Its core activities include the EDRi-gram bi-weekly newsletter, advocacy campaigns (Reclaim Your Face, Stop Scanning Me, Platform Power), policy position papers submitted to EU consultations, the Civic Journalism Coalition partnership with ECNL and Lighthouse Reports, and convening events such as the June 2026 'Fight for Us, Not for Them' Summit that mobilised over 100 European delegates and produced the 'Make It Real' manifesto.

The business model is non-commercial: EDRi is funded by membership dues from its 47 member organisations, individual donations processed through edri.org, and institutional grants such as the Allianz Foundation award supporting the Civic Journalism Coalition. It does not sell products, charge for services, or operate a pricing model; its outputs (publications, campaign tools, position papers, advocacy resources) are distributed freely to the public, EU policymakers, and civil society allies. The underlying 'platform' consists of its coalition infrastructure (working groups, Board, General Assembly), the edri.org content hub plus affiliated campaign sites (stopscanningme.eu, platformpower.eu, reclaimyourface.eu, privacycamp.eu), and earned media relationships with outlets including The New York Times, POLITICO, and Euronews.

EDRi is governed autonomously by its member organisations with no parent company; it is legally registered at Rue Belliard 12, 1040 Brussels, and led by Executive Director Claire Fernandez with a small core team (1-10 employees) that coordinates the wider 50+ professional Civic Journalism Coalition community. In 2025 the organisation adopted a new 2025-2030 strategy, adopted a further refreshed five-year plan at the May 2026 General Assembly, and positioned itself as the lead civil society counterweight to the EU's digital deregulation agenda.

Name

EDRi

Legal name

European Digital Rights (EDRi), AISBL

Website

https://edri.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EDRi is a Brussels-based non-profit network of 47 European civil rights organisations across 22 countries that coordinates digital rights advocacy, policy analysis, and coalition campaigns targeting EU institutions on legislation such as the GDPR, DSA, and AI Act.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EDRi is a network of European civil and human rights organisations that advocates for digital rights across Europe. It conducts policy analysis, runs public-mobilisation campaigns (e.g., Stop Scanning Me, Reclaim Your Face, Platform Power), publishes position papers and reports for EU consultations, supports strategic litigation, and coordinates coalition action to influence EU digital legislation including the GDPR, DSA, and AI Act. The network also leads the Civic Journalism Coalition with ECNL and Lighthouse Reports, fostering collaborative investigative journalism on digital rights.

Product overview

EDRi (European Digital Rights) is an association of civil and human rights organizations from across Europe that advocates for digital rights and freedoms. Rather than offering commercial products, EDRi's activities include advocacy campaigns (Stop Scanning Me, Reclaim Your Face, Platform Power), publications (position papers, annual reports, the 'Make It Real' manifesto), the EDRi-gram newsletter, the Civic Journalism Coalition initiative, and event organizing including the 'Fight for Us, Not for Them' Summit. These are advocacy programs and initiatives focused on protecting digital rights rather than commercial products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EDRi-gram newsletter A bi-weekly newsletter that provides updates on digital rights news and EDRi network activities, distributed to subscribers of the European digital rights community.
• Stop Scanning Me campaign A pan-European advocacy campaign opposing legislation that enables mass surveillance of private communications, arguing it harms everyone including the children it claims to protect.
• Reclaim Your Face campaign An advocacy campaign calling for a ban on biometric mass surveillance across Europe, collecting signatures through a European Citizens' Initiative.
• Platform Power campaign An advocacy campaign focused on challenging Big Tech monopoly power and advocating for platform regulation that serves the public interest.
• Make It Real: Calls to Action for a Flourishing and Just Digital Europe A manifesto published by 13 civil society organisations outlining concrete recommendations to EU lawmakers for safeguarding fundamental rights, democratic accountability, and fair competition in the digital economy.
• Civic Journalism Coalition A partnership initiative co-led by EDRi, the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), and Lighthouse Reports that connects investigative journalists with digital rights and civil society organisations to collaborate on investigations into digital rights, surveillance, and algorithmic accountability.
• Working the story together: a practical guide to joint investigations A practical guide consolidating lessons learned from collaborative investigations between journalists and civil society organisations, providing tools, checklists, and field insights for CSO-media partnerships.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DuckDuckGominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026DuckDuckGo participated as a featured company in the 'Fight for Us, Not for Them' Summit hosted by EDRi and 12 other civil society organisations, making the business case for privacy-protecting technologies in the public interest.
• ProtectEU coalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026EDRi and its members formed a wide-reaching coalition of civil society groups (ProtectEU) to publish a joint statement urging the total rejection of the Europol Regulation and amendments to the Facilitation Directive. EDRi has also published a position paper advocating an EU-wide ban on spyware through this coalition.
• Swiss civil society ecosystemminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Switzerland is identified as a safe jurisdiction for Hongkong pro-democracy activists in exile due to its strong legal safeguards and data privacy laws, and hosts human rights organisations including Amnesty International. EDRi is noted as operating from Brussels but works with international allies including those in Switzerland.
• European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025EDRi co-founded and leads the Civic Journalism Coalition with ECNL and Lighthouse Reports. The coalition bridges investigative journalism and civil society advocacy across Europe, awarding sub-grants to support joint investigations into digital rights abuses. The partnership has produced six investigative reports and a practical guide for joint investigations.
• Lighthouse ReportscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025EDRi co-founded and leads the Civic Journalism Coalition with ECNL and Lighthouse Reports, focusing on collaborative investigative journalism related to digital rights, surveillance, and algorithmic accountability. Six sub-grants totalling €44,000 were awarded through this programme.
• Bits of Freedom (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Bits of Freedom was one of EDRi's 10 founding NGOs in 2003 and remains an active member. The two organisations collaborated on the landmark Meta lawsuit in the Netherlands, achieving a court ruling affirming users' freedom of choice and exposing Meta's failure to comply with DSA obligations.
• Privacy International (United Kingdom)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Privacy International was a founding member of EDRi in 2003 and continues as a member. EDRi and Privacy International collaborate on policy positions and campaigns, including joint statements on biometric surveillance and spyware.
• Chaos Computer Club (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Chaos Computer Club was a founding member of EDRi in 2003 and continues as an active member of the network.
• Digital Freedom FundminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003EDRi co-designed its decolonising programme for the digital rights field with the Digital Freedom Fund, reflecting a shared commitment to structural justice and inclusion within the digital rights movement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ARTICLE 19: International freedom-of-expression organisation that was a co-host of EDRi's 'Fight for Us, Not for Them' Summit. ARTICLE 19 works on overlapping platform-regulation, surveillance, and disinformation issues and is part of EDRi's broader coalition ecosystem.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): The flagship US-based digital rights civil society organisation. EFF is the closest international peer to EDRi - both focus on privacy, free expression, and surveillance; engage in litigation and policy advocacy; and operate via membership/donation funding with similar campaign and coalition models.
• Access Now: International digital rights organisation defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk. Access Now runs policy advocacy, campaigns (similar to EDRi's Reclaim Your Face/Stop Scanning Me), and emergency-response work, with overlapping topics (AI, platform regulation, surveillance) and similar non-profit funding model.
• Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT): US and Europe-focused digital rights think tank advocating for civil liberties online. CDT co-hosted the 'Fight for Us, Not for Them' Summit with EDRi, shares EDRi's policy areas (DSA, AI, biometric surveillance), and operates a comparable mix of policy analysis, litigation support, and coalition building.
• Privacy International: UK-based non-profit investigating and challenging state and corporate surveillance. Privacy International is an EDRi founding member (2003) and active coalition partner, with a closely overlapping mission on biometric surveillance, spyware, and data protection that EDRi helps amplify across the EU.
• NOYB (None Of Your Business): Vienna-based privacy enforcement organisation founded by Max Schrems that uses strategic GDPR complaints to enforce EU data protection law. NOYB operates in the same Brussels/European regulatory arena as EDRi and frequently complements EDRi's policy work with concrete enforcement actions.
• Open Rights Group: UK-based grassroots digital rights organisation campaigning for privacy, free expression, and accountable digital policy. Comparable to EDRi in size, funding model (membership/donations), and advocacy approach, though focused primarily on the UK rather than the EU.
• La Quadrature du Net: French digital rights advocacy group focused on internet freedom, privacy, and copyright. La Quadrature du Net operates in the same French/European policy arena as EDRi and shares similar policy positions on the DSA, AI Act, and platform regulation.
• Bits of Freedom: Dutch digital rights NGO and EDRi founding member that has driven high-profile litigation against Meta in the Netherlands. Bits of Freedom mirrors EDRi's mix of policy, campaigns, and litigation at a national level.

Emerging players

• BEUC (European Consumer Organisation): Brussels-based umbrella consumer organisation that is a co-host of EDRi's summit. BEUC works on adjacent platform-regulation and digital-fairness issues (e.g., Digital Fairness Act) from a consumer-protection lens and frequently aligns with EDRi's campaigns.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/edri
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EDRiorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/EuropeanDigitalRights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-digital-rights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EDRi