Category: Deeplinks

Judge’s Investigation Into Patent Troll Results In Criminal Referrals

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> In 2022, three companies with strange names and no clear business purpose beyond  patent litigation filed dozens of lawsuits in Delaware federal court, accusing businesses of all…

The Human Toll of ALPR Errors

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> This post was written by Gowri Nayar, an EFF legal intern. Imagine driving to get your nails done with your family and all of a sudden, you…

“Is My Phone Listening To Me?”

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> The short answer is no, probably not! But, with EFF’s new site, Digital Rights Bytes, we go in–depth on this question—and many others. Whether you’re just starting to…

The Frightening Stakes of this Halloween’s Net Neutrality Hearing

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> The future of the open internet is in danger this October 31st, not from ghosts and goblins, but from the broadband companies that control internet access in…

Triumphs, Trials, and Tangles From California’s 2024 Legislative Session

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> California’s 2024 legislative session has officially adjourned, and it’s time to reflect on the wins and losses that have shaped Californians’ digital rights landscape this year. EFF…

EU to Apple: “Let Users Choose Their Software”; Apple: “Nah”

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> This year, a far-reaching, complex new piece of legislation comes into effect in EU: the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which represents some of the most ambitious tech policy in European history.…

The Real Monsters of Street Level Surveillance

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Safe trick-or-treating this Halloween means being aware of the real monsters of street-level surveillance. You might not always see these menaces, but they are watching you. The…

Disability Rights Are Technology Rights

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> At EFF, our work always begins from the same place: technological self-determination. That’s the right to decide which technology you use, and how you use it. Technological…

In Appreciation of David Burnham

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> We at EFF have long recognized the threats posed by the unchecked technological prowess of law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Since our founding in 1990, we have…

U.S. Border Surveillance Towers Have Always Been Broken

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> A new bombshell scoop from NBC News revealed an internal U.S. Border Patrol memo claiming that 30 percent of camera towers that compose the agency’s “Remote Video…

A Flourishing Internet Depends on Competition

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Antitrust law has long recognized that monopolies stifle innovation and gouge consumers on price. When it comes to Big Tech, harm to innovation—in the form of  “kill…

EFF and IFPTE Local 20 Attain Labor Contract

First-Ever, Three-Year Pact Protects Workers’ Pay, Benefits, Working Conditions, and More < div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> SAN FRANCISCO—Employees and management at the Electronic Frontier Foundation have achieved a first-ever labor contract, they…

Civil Rights Commission Pans Face Recognition Technology

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> In its recent report, Civil Rights Implications of Face Recognition Technology (FRT), the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights identified serious problems with the federal government’s use of…

New EFF Report Provides Guidance to Ensure Human Rights are Protected Amid Government Use of AI in Latin America

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”>                          Governments increasingly rely on algorithmic systems to support consequential assessments and determinations about people’s lives, from judging eligibility for social assistance to trying to predict crime and criminals. Latin America…

Should I Use My State’s Digital Driver’s License?

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> A digital mobile driver’s license (often called an mDL) is a version of your ID that you keep on your phone instead of in your pocket. In theory, it would work…

Podcast Episode Rerelease: So You Think You’re A Critical Thinker

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> This episode was first released in March 2023. With this year’s election just weeks away, concerns about disinformation and conspiracy theories are on the rise. We covered this issue in a…

New IPANDETEC Report Shows Panama’s ISPs Still Lag in Protecting User Data

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Telecom and internet service providers in Panama are entrusted with the personal data of millions of users, bearing a responsibility to not only protect users’ privacy but…

Election Security: When to Worry, When to Not

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> This post was written by EFF intern Nazil Ungan as an update to a 2020 Deeplinks post by Cindy Cohn. Everyone wants an election that is secure…

FTC Findings on Commercial Surveillance Can Lead to Better Alternatives

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> On September 19, the FTC published a staff report following a multi-year investigation of nine social media and video streaming companies. The report found a myriad of…

The X Corp. Shutdown in Brazil: What We Can Learn

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> The feud between X Corp. and Brazil’s Supreme Court continues to drag on: After a month-long standoff, X Corp. folded and complied with court orders to suspend several accounts, name a…

Germany Rushes to Expand Biometric Surveillance

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Germany is a leader in privacy and data protection, with many Germans being particularly sensitive to the processing of their personal data – owing to the country’s…

Digital Inclusion Week, Highlighting an EFA Members Digital Equity Work:

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> In honor of Digital Inclusion Week, Oct 7-11th 2024, it’s an honor to uplift one of our Electronic Frontier Alliance (EFA) members who is doing great work…

Join the Movement for Public Broadband in PDX

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Did you know the City of Portland, Oregon, already owns and operates a fiber-optic broadband network? It’s called IRNE (Integrated Regional Network Enterprise), and despite having it…

Vote for EFF’s ‘How to Fix the Internet’ Podcast in the Signal Awards!

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> We’re thrilled to announce that EFF’s “How to Fix the Internet” podcast is a finalist in the Signal Awards 3rd Annual Listener’s Choice competition. Now we need…

Vote for EFF’s ‘How to Fix the Internet’ podcast in the Signal Awards!

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> We’re thrilled to announce that EFF’s “How to Fix the Internet” podcast is a finalist in the Signal Awards 3rd Annual Listener’s Choice competition. Now we need…

How to Stop Advertisers From Tracking Your Teen Across the Internet

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> This post was written by EFF fellow Miranda McClellan. Teens between the ages of  13 and 17 are being tracked across the internet using identifiers known as Advertising IDs. When children…

EFF Awards Night: Celebrating Digital Rights Founders Advancing Free Speech and Access to Information Around the World

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Digital freedom and investigative reporting about technology have been at risk amid political and economic strife around the world. This year’s annual EFF Awards honored the achievements…

New Email Scam Includes Pictures of Your House. Don’t Fall For It.

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> You may have arrived at this post because you received an email with an attached PDF from a purported hacker who is demanding payment or else they…

FTC Report Confirms: Commercial Surveillance is Out of Control

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> A new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report confirms what EFF has been warning about for years: tech giants are widely harvesting and sharing your personal information to…

The UN General Assembly and the Fight Against the Cybercrime Treaty

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> Note on the update: The text has been revised to reflect the updated timeline for the UN General Assembly’s consideration of the convention, which is now expected at the end of…

Digital ID Isn’t for Everybody, and That’s Okay

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> How many times do you pull out your driver’s license a week? Maybe two to four times to purchase age restricted items, pick up prescriptions, or go…

Calls to Scrap Jordan’s Cybercrime Law Echo Calls to Reject Cybercrime Treaty

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> In a number of countries around the world, communities—and particularly those that are already vulnerable—are threatened by expansive cybercrime and surveillance legislation. One of those countries is…

EFF to Supreme Court: Strike Down Texas’ Unconstitutional Age Verification Law

New Tech Doesn’t Solve Old Problems With Age-Gating the Internet < div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, and TechFreedom urged the Supreme Court today…

Strong End-to-End Encryption Comes to Discord Calls

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> We’re happy to see that Discord will soon start offering a form of end-to-end encryption dubbed “DAVE” for its voice and video chats. This puts some of…

Canada’s Leaders Must Reject Overbroad Age Verification Bill

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Canadian lawmakers are considering a bill, S-210, that’s meant to benefit children, but would sacrifice the security, privacy, and free speech of all internet users. First introduced…

Human Rights Claims Against Cisco Can Move Forward (Again)

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Google and Amazon – You Should Take Note of Your Own Aiding and Abetting Risk  EFF has long pushed companies that provide powerful surveillance tools to governments…

Senate Vote Tomorrow Could Give Helping Hand To Patent Trolls

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> A patent on crowdfunding. A patent on tracking packages. A patent on photo contests. A patent on watching an ad online. A patent on computer bingo. A…

The New U.S. House Version of KOSA Doesn’t Fix Its Biggest Problems

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> An amended version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) that is being considered this week in the U.S. House is still a dangerous online censorship bill…

KOSA’s Online Censorship Threatens Abortion Access

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> For those living in one of the 22 states where abortion is banned or heavily restricted, the internet can be a lifeline. It has essential information on…

The Climate Has a Posse – And So Does Political Satire

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Greenwashing is a well-worn strategy to try to convince the public that environmentally damaging activities aren’t so damaging after all. It can be very successful precisely because…

NextNav’s Callous Land-Grab to Privatize 900 MHz

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> The 900 MHz band, a frequency range serving as a commons for all, is now at risk due to NextNav’s brazen attempt to privatize this shared resource. …

Stopping the Harms of Automated Decision Making | EFFector 36.12

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> < div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Curious about the latest digital rights news? Well, you’re in luck! In our latest…

You Really Do Have Some Expectation of Privacy in Public

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Being out in the world advocating for privacy often means having to face a chorus of naysayers and nihilists. When we spend time fighting the expansion of…

U.S. Federal Employees: Plant Your Flag for Digital Freedoms Today!

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Like clockwork, September is here—and so is the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) pledge period!   The CFC is the world’s largest and most successful annual charity campaign for…

Americans Are Uncomfortable with Automated Decision-Making

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> Imagine a company you recently applied to work at used an artificial intelligence program to analyze your application to help expedite the review process. Does that creep you out? Well, you’re…

The French Detention: Why We’re Watching the Telegram Situation Closely

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> EFF is closely monitoring the situation in France in which Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov was charged with having committed criminal offenses, most of them seemingly related to…

Americans Are Uncomfortable with Automated Decision-Making

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> Imagine a company you recently applied to work at used an artificial intelligence program to analyze your application to help expedite the review process. Does that creep you out? Well, you’re…

Copyright Is Not a Tool to Silence Critics of Religious Education

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Copyright law is not a tool to punish or silence critics. This is a principle so fundamental that it is the ur-example of fair use, which typically…

Backyard Privacy in the Age of Drones

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> This article was originally published by The Legal Aid Society’s Decrypting a Defense Newsletter on August 5, 2024 and is reprinted here with permission. Police departments and…

Court to California: Try a Privacy Law, Not Online Censorship

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> In a victory for free speech and privacy, a federal appellate court confirmed last week that parts of the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act likely violate the…

NO FAKES – A Dream for Lawyers, a Nightmare for Everyone Else

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Performers and ordinary humans are increasingly concerned that they may be replaced or defamed by AI-generated imitations. We’re seeing a host of bills designed to address that…

Digital License Plates and the Deal That Never Had a Chance

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Location and surveillance technology permeates the driving experience. Setting aside external technology like license plate readers, there is some form of internet-connected service or surveillance capability built into or on…

2 Fast 2 Legal: How EFF Helped a Security Researcher During DEF CON 32

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> This year, like every year, EFF sent a variety of lawyers, technologists, and activists to the summer security conferences in Las Vegas to help foster support for…

EFF Honored as DEF CON 32 Uber Contributor

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> At DEF CON 32 this year, the Electronic Frontier Foundation became the first organization to be given the Uber Contributor award. This award recognizes EFF’s work in…

EFF Presses Federal Circuit To Make Patent Case Filings Public

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Federal court records belong to everyone. But one federal court in Texas lets patent litigants treat courts like their own private tribunals, effectively shutting out the public.…

The UN General Assembly and the Fight Against the Cybercrime Treaty

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> The final text of the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime, adopted last Thursday by the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee, is now headed to the UN General…

Weak “Guardrails” on Police Face Recognition Use Make Things Worse

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> Police use of face recognition technology (FRT) poses a particularly massive risk to our civil liberties, particularly for Black men and women and other marginalized communities. That’s why EFF supports a…

Reintroducing the EFA

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> We’re thrilled to share that the Electronic Frontier Alliance (EFA) has a fresh new look and a wealth of new resources for community organizers. EFF can’t be…

EFF at the Las Vegas Hacker Conferences

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> < div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> Las Vegas is blazing hot and that means it’s time for EFF to return to the hacker summer…

Support Justice for Digital Creators and Tech Users

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> People work at EFF because they believe in wringing justice from a world that’s often unfair. For us, setting things right means legal work, activism, convincing policymakers, and creating tech tools…

To Fight Surveillance Pricing, We Need Privacy First

< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Digital surveillance is ubiquitous. Corporate snoops collect information about everything we do, everywhere we go, and everyone we communicate with. Then they compile it, store it, and use…