PEN’s Free Expression Digest brings you a daily curated round-up of the most important free expression-related stories from around the web. Please send your feedback and suggestions to [email protected]

Europe rejects ‘safe harbor’ agreement used by U.S. tech companies
Europe’s highest court has ruled that the transatlantic Safe Harbour agreement, which lets U.S. companies use a single standard for consumer privacy and data storage in both the U.S. and Europe, is invalid. American companies with European customers could now end up trying to follow 20 or more different sets of national data-privacy regulations. BUSINESS INSIDER

Malaysian court dismisses challenge to ‘unconstitutional’ sedition law
All five judges in law lecturer Azmi Sharom’s challenge to the country’s 1948 Sedition Act ruled that the law does not contradict Article 10 of Malaysia’s constitution, which details freedoms of speech, assembly, and association. “I’m very, very disappointed, not for me personally but for all of us in this country,” Azmi told reporters. THE GUARDIAN

Turkish journalist acquitted in case into critical tweet
An Istanbul High Criminal Court acquitted a journalist on Oct. 6 in a case about a tweet that criticized a prosecutor involved in Turkey’s biggest corruption probe. Sedef Kabaş was acquitted of “menace” and “targeting public officials involved in counter-terrorism” charges. HURRIYET DAILY NEWS

Civil rights groups want to change Facebook’s real-name policy
Requiring people to use their authentic identities protects them from cyberbullies and terrorists, Facebook holds. But a global coalition of activists says the company’s system “disregards the circumstances of users in non-western countries, exposes its users to danger, disrespects the identities of its users, and curtails free speech.” PC WORLD

Turkey: Lawsuits mount against journalist Bayram Kaya
The Today’s Zaman reporter faces more than ten charges filed against him. He has been closely following and reporting on the investigations made public on Dec. 17 and 25, 2013 that revealed the biggest corruption and bribery scandal in the history of the Turkish Republic. TODAY’S ZAMAN

Peeple app founder says users won’t be ‘shamed into submission’
In a LinkedIn post, Julia Cordray stated, “You will NOT be on our platform without your explicit permission. There is no 48 hour waiting period to remove negative comments. There is no way to even make negative comments.” In which case, the app that hits stores would be more like LinkedIn than Yelp. NEW YORK TIMES

Activists’ drone drops anti-spying leaflets over NSA
When the German activist group Intelexit launched a campaign last week to persuade employees of surveillance agencies like the NSA to resign, their tactics started with billboards, online video, and sidewalk canvassing. Now they’ve taken their campaign in a more aggressive direction: up into the NSA’s airspace. WIRED

Johanna Schwartz on her new film about the bravery of Malian musicians
In an interview, filmmaker Johanna Schwartz talks to Josie Timms about her new film, “They Will Have To Kill Us First,” which looks at how musicians in Mali fought back against extremists banning their profession. INDEX ON CENSORSHIP