Public Interest

The program

Adessium is committed to an open, democratic and just society. We strive to create a society where every citizen can participate and stay informed based on independent and reliable reporting. We believe it is vital that freedom, security and privacy are guaranteed in a digitizing society. A society where government and public bodies function effectively, and act with integrity in the interest of citizens and the community.

Theme 1 Availability of quality information

Theme 2 Responsible digitization

Theme 3 Good public governance

Theme 1

Availability of quality information

A well-informed citizen is an engaged citizen. The availability and interpretation of reliable and independent information are prerequisites for an open, democratic and just society. Quality information enables citizens to gain insight into societal issues and to engage about these topics with each other, leaders and policy-makers. However, trust in production and dissemination of information in society is under pressure.

Our goals

• Promote the production and distribution of quality information.

• Safeguard and foster the role of journalism in society.

Our overall approach

• We support independent public interest journalism organizations that carry out cross-border investigations in Europe.

• We support organizations that enable collaborative journalism across national borders.

• In the Netherlands, our partners strengthen local investigative journalism.

• In order to reach a wider audience, we fund innovative storytelling, such as documentaries and podcasts.

• We work with organizations that protect journalists and ensure that they can publish freely, for example by providing legal support.

Partner in the spotlight

Media Defence: “A judicial response to government spyware usage”

Media Defence provides legal support to journalists, citizen journalists and independent media. In 2022, it came to light that the Azerbaijani government used Pegasus spyware to spy on journalists. Once a mobile device is infected, the spyware allows the controller almost complete access to that device. Media Defence brought related cases before the European Court of Human Rights. Director Alinda Vermeer: “This is a relatively newand unfortunately very effective - way of spying on journalists. This year, we came up with a judicial response to this issue. These cases are the first of many. Right now, we are preparing Pegasus cases all around the world.”

Theme 2 Responsible digitization

Society is digitalizing at a rapid pace and this development affects nearly every aspect of our lives. Although a sense of optimism dominates in terms of the opportunities this offers, caution is also needed when monitoring the potentially negative social consequences of digitalization. The centralization of power among a few large tech platforms has dramatic effects on the freedom of citizens, security and privacy, which requires a vigilant and constructive countervailing power. Integrity in the use of personal data by government bodies and businesses must be guaranteed permanently.

Our goals

• Protect citizens and societies by mitigating the adverse effects of the dominant market power of big tech companies.

• The general public has access to innovative and responsible alternatives to the services provided by large online platforms.

Our overall approach

• We support civil society that advocates for ambitious EU legislation on privacy, fundamental freedoms and other human rights in the digital field. This is supported by strategic litigation where appropriate.

• We collaborate with other foundations to enhance our support for partners who tackle large tech companies.

• We contribute to social awareness about the negative aspects of the market dominance of large tech companies.

• We identify where responsible alternatives to large tech companies’ services lack, for example for public institutions.

Partner in the spotlight

SOMO: “Amazon sellers feel they have no choice”

SOMO investigates multinationals. Their goal is a fair and sustainable world in which public interest take precedence over the interests of companies. We support SOMO’s investigation into the influence of Big tech companies. Investigator Margarida Silva: “In the past year, we have investigated the impact of Amazon’s power on people’s lives. We spoke with

Theme 3 Good public governance

sellers on the online platform who told us about challenges they face and the steep fees they pay. They feel they have no choice. We linked their testimony with the growing evidence of abuse across Europe and tracked billions of Euros in Amazon revenues. This investigation enabled us to cooperate with civil society and trade unions, and together we raised the problems caused by Amazon's conduct at EU level. We are sure that many stories of the impact of Big tech companies are still to be told. This work will be fundamental to loosen Big Tech’s grip.”

Good public governance and effective regulatory bodies are of paramount importance. Our society is in perpetual motion, which requires skilled public administrators who act with integrity and well-equipped official bodies. Society demands the continuous consideration of a vast array of social interests. For this, we need public bodies that function well, instill confidence and also serve the welfare of citizens, at the local, national and European level.

Our goals

• Public administration is effectively monitored on the core values of good public administration, namely integrity, legitimacy, accountability and justice.

• There is room for innovative initiatives, also from citizens, that reduce the distance between public administration and citizens.

Our overall approach

• We support civil society organizations that monitor the government, for example in integrity and transparency.

• Our partners in investigative journalism monitor government actions, with specific attention at local level.

• We support and connect (citizen) initiatives that aim to innovate public administration, such as citizen assemblies in the context of deliberative democracy.

• We exchange knowledge with other funders in European networks, thus creating a platform where knowledge can be exchanged for potential new funders.

Partner in the spotlight ATI Coalition (coordinated by mySociety): “We can achieve more together”

MySociety aims to make public information more accessible for journalists, NGOs, citizens and others. Access to public information is regulated in the Netherlands by the Freedom of Information Act (WOO). The organization works in the Access to Information (ATI) coalition alongside Access Info Europe and the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany (FragDenStaat). Such access to information requests in European countries are channeled through national ATI websites, which are run by local organizations, where tips and instructions are shared, requests can be viewed and disclosed information is made available in a user-friendly database. In addition to supporting these local groups, the coalition works closely with those who use the national ATI websites, such as journalists – who use the sites to uncover vital information in their investigations –and organizations campaigning for better transparency legislation. Asha Pond, fundraising manager at mySociety:

“Seventeen European countries currently have an ATI website. This project focuses on increasing the capacity and impact of these sites. We do this by developing smarter tools, jointly conducting journalistic research, and learning from each other. Each organization in the coalition and the wider ATI community brings in its particular expertise, which means we can achieve more together.”