< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> It’s easy to get Android devices from online vendors like Amazon at different price points. Unfortunately, it is also easy to end up with an Android device…
Tag: Deeplinks
EFF Urges FTC to Address American Resellers of Malware on Android TV Set-Top Boxes
Regulators must step in to halt the sale to consumers of devices that are known to be compromised by malware. < 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—The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) must…
To Address Online Harms, We Must Consider Privacy First
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> Every year, we encounter new, often ill-conceived, bills written by state, federal, and international regulators to tackle a broad set of digital topics ranging from child safety to artificial intelligence. These…
Reauthorizing Mass Surveillance Shouldn’t be Tied to Funding the Government
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Section 702 is the controversial and much-abused mass surveillance authority that expires in December unless Congress renews it. EFF and others have been working hard to get…
S.T.O.P.: Putting a Check on Unchecked Local N.Y. Government Surveillance
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> Recently I got the chance to speak with longtime Electronic Frontier Alliance member Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.). They’ve got a new Advocacy Manager, Kat Phan, and exciting projects are coming…
Debunking the Myth of “Anonymous” Data
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Today, almost everything about our lives is digitally recorded and stored somewhere. Each credit card purchase, personal medical diagnosis, and preference about music and books is recorded…
It’s Time to Oppose the New San Francisco Policing Ballot Measure
< 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 Mayor London Breed has filed a ballot initiative on surveillance and policing that, if approved, would greatly erode our privacy rights, endanger marginalized communities, and…
Platforms Must Stop Unjustified Takedowns of Posts By and About Palestinians
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> Legal intern Muhammad Essa Fasih contributed to this post. Social media is a crucial means of communication in times of conflict—it’s where communities connect to share updates, find help, locate loved…
Speaking Freely: David Kaye
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> David Kaye is a clinical professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, the co-director of the university’s Fair Elections and Free Speech Center, and the…
This Month, The EU Parliament Can Take Action To Stop The Attack On Encryption
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> A key European parliamentary committee has taken an important step to defend user privacy, including end-to-end encryption. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)…
Introducing Badger Swarm: New Project Helps Privacy Badger Block Ever More Trackers
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> < p class=”subhead”>Today we are introducing Badger Swarm, a new tool for Privacy Badger that runs distributed Badger Sett scans in the cloud. Badger Swarm helps us…
Observation Mission Stresses Key Elements of Ola Bini’s Case for Upholding Digital Rights
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Despite an Ecuadorian court’s unanimous acquittal of security expert Ola Bini in January this year due to complete lack of evidence, Ecuador’s attorney general’s office has moved…
Article 45 Will Roll Back Web Security by 12 Years
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> The EU is poised to pass a sweeping new regulation, eIDAS 2.0. Buried deep in the text is Article 45, which returns us to the dark ages…
The Government Surveillance Reform Act Would Rein in Some of the Worst Abuses of Section 702
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> With Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) set to expire at the end of the year, Congress is considering whether to reauthorize the law…
EFF to Ninth Circuit: Activists’ Personal Information Unconstitutionally Collected by DHS Must Be Expunged
EFF filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in a case that has serious implications for people’s First Amendment rights to engage in cross-border journalism and advocacy. In 2019, the local San Diego…
Digital Rights Updates with EFFector 35.14
There’s been lots of news and updates recently in the realm of digital rights, from EFF’s recent investigation (and quiz!) into the student monitoring tool GoGuardian, to a recent victory in California regarding law enforcement’s sharing of ALPR data outside…
Congress Shouldn’t Limit The Public’s Right To Fight Bad Patents
The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property will debate a bill this week that would dramatically limit the public’s right to challenge bad granted patents. The PREVAIL Act, S. 2220 would bar most people from petitioning the U.S. Patent and…
EFF to Supreme Court: Reverse Dangerous Prior Restraint Ruling Upholding FBI Gag on X’s Surveillance Transparency Report
Ninth Circuit Ruling Gives Government Unilateral Power to Suppress Speech WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) urged the Supreme Court today to review and reverse a dangerous ruling allowing the Justice Department to censor X’s ability to publish information about…
EFF to Copyright Office: Copyright Is Indeed a Hammer, But Don’t Be Too Hasty to Nail Generative AI
Generative AI has sparked a great deal of hype, fear, and speculation. Courts are just beginning to analyze how traditional copyright laws apply to the creation and use of these technologies. Into this breach has stepped the United States Copyright…
VICTORY! California Department of Justice Declares Out-of-State Sharing of License Plate Data Unlawful
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a legal interpretation and guidance for law enforcement agencies around the state that confirms what privacy advocates have been saying for years: It is against the law for police to share data collected…
You Wanna Break Up With Your Bank? The CFPB Wants to Help You Do It.
The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has proposed a new “Personal Financial Data Rights” rule that will force your bank to make it easy for you to extract your financial data so that you can use it to comparison shop for…
Young People May Be The Biggest Target for Online Censorship and Surveillance—and the Strongest Weapon Against Them
Over the last year, state and federal legislatures have tried to pass—and in some cases succeeded in passing—legislation that bars young people from digital spaces, censors what they are allowed to see and share online, and monitors and controls when…
How GoGuardian Invades Student Privacy
This post was co-authored by legal intern Kate Prince. Jump to our detailed report about GoGuardian and student monitoring tools. GoGuardian is a student monitoring tool that watches over twenty-seven million students across ten thousand schools, but what it does exactly,…
The Growing Threat of Cybercrime Law Abuse: LGBTQ+ Rights in MENA and the UN Cybercrime Draft Convention
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> This is Part II of a series examining the proposed UN Cybercrime Treaty in the context of LGBTQ+ communities. Part I looks at the draft Convention’s potential…
Watch EFF’s Talks from DEF CON 31
EFF had a blast at DEF CON 31! Thank you to everyone who came and supported EFF at the membership booth, participated in our contests, and checked out our various talks. We had a lot of things going on this…
Get Real, Congress: Censoring Search Results or Recommendations Is Still Censorship
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Are you a young person fighting back against bad bills like KOSA? Become an EFF member at a new, discounted Neon membership level specifically for you–stickers included! For the past…
The Federal Government’s Privacy Watchdog Concedes: 702 Must Change
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) has released its much-anticipated report on Section 702, a legal authority that allows the government to collect a massive amount of digital communications…
EFF to D.C. Circuit: Animal Rights Activists Shouldn’t Be Censored on Government Social Media Pages Because Agency Disagrees With Their Viewpoint
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Intern Muhammad Essa contributed to this post. EFF, along with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), filed a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals…
How To Turn Off Google’s “Privacy Sandbox” Ad Tracking—and Why You Should
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Google has rolled out “Privacy Sandbox,” a Chrome feature first announced back in 2019 that, among other things, exchanges third-party cookies—the most common form of tracking technology—for…
EFF’s Comment to the Meta Oversight Board on Polish Anti-Trans Facebook Post
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> EFF recently submitted comments in response to the Meta Oversight Board’s request for input on a Facebook post in Polish from April 2023 that targeted trans people.…
EFF, ACLU and 59 Other Organizations Demand Congress Protect Digital Privacy and Free Speech
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> Earlier this week, EFF joined the ACLU and 59 partner organizations to send a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urging the Senate to reject the…
EFF at FIFAfrica 2023
< 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 excited to be in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for this year’s iteration of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica), organized by CIPESA (Collaboration…
The U.S. Government’s Database of Immigrant DNA Has Hit Scary, Astronomical Proportions
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> The FBI recently released its proposed budget for 2024, and its request for a massive increase in funding for its DNA database should concern us all. The…
Don’t Fall for the Intelligence Community’s Monster of the Week Justifications
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> In the beloved episodic television shows of yesteryear, the antagonists were often “monsters of the week”: villains who would show up for one episode and get vanquished…
This Bill Would Revive The Worst Patents On Software—And Human Genes
< div class=”field field–name-body field–type-text-with-summary field–label-hidden”> < div class=”field__items”> < div class=”field__item even”> The majority of high-tech patent lawsuits are brought by patent trolls—companies that exist not to provide products or services, but primarily have a business using patents to…
Today The UK Parliament Undermined The Privacy, Security, And Freedom Of All Internet Users
The U.K. Parliament has passed the Online Safety Bill (OSB), which says it will make the U.K. “the safest place” in the world to be online. In reality, the OSB will lead to a much more censored, locked-down internet for…
We Want YOU (U.S. Federal Employees) to Stand for Digital Freedoms
It’s that time of the year again! U.S. federal employees and retirees can support the digital freedom movement through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). The Combined Federal Campaign is the world’s largest and most successful annual charity campaign for U.S.…
New Privacy Badger Prevents Google From Mangling More of Your Links and Invading Your Privacy
We released a new version of Privacy Badger that updates how we fight “link tracking” across a number of Google products. With this update Privacy Badger removes tracking from links in Google Docs, Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Images results.…
UN Cybercrime Treaty Talks End Without Consensus on Scope And Deep Divides About Surveillance Powers
As the latest negotiating session on the proposed UN Cybercrime Treaty wrapped up in New York earlier this month, one thing was clear: with time running out to finalize the text, little progress and consensus was reached on crucial points,…
EFF to Michigan Court: Governments Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Use a Drone to Spy on You Without a Warrant
Should the government have to get a warrant before using a drone to spy on your home and backyard? We think so, and in an amicus brief filed last Friday in Long Lake Township v. Maxon, we urged the Michigan…
UN’s Cybercrime Convention Draft: A Slippery Slope for LGBTQ+ and Gender Rights
This post is divided into two parts. Part I looks at the draft UN’s Cybercrime Convention and its potential implications for LGBTQ+ rights. Part II provides a closer look at how cybercrime laws might specifically impact the LGBTQ+ community and…
Appeals Court Upholds Public.Resource.Org’s Right to Post Public Laws and Regulations Online
Our laws belong to all of us, and we should be able to find, read, and share them free of registration requirements, fees, and other roadblocks. SAN FRANCISCO—Technical standards—like fire and electrical codes—developed by private organizations but incorporated into public…
Federal Judge Upholds State Department Rule Requiring Visa Applicants to Disclose Social Media Information
Since 2019, people applying for a visa to the United States have had to register their social media accounts with the U.S. government as part of the application process. Two U.S.-based documentary film organizations that regularly collaborate with non-U.S. filmmakers…
EFF Award Winner: Signal Foundation
In 1992 EFF presented our very first awards recognizing key leaders and organizations advancing innovation and championing digital rights. Now in 2023 we are continuing to celebrate the accomplishments of people working toward a better future for technology users with…
Arkansas Lawmakers Could Wreck A 50-Year-Old FOIA Law This Week
Arkansas residents right now are facing a sudden and serious attempt to block their access to important government information. In a special session of the state legislature, announced Friday by Gov. Sarah Sanders and convened Monday morning, lawmakers are expected…
Arkansas Shouldn’t Use a Hastily-Called Special Session To Make FOIA Less Functional
Arkansas residents right now are facing a sudden and serious attempt to block their access to important government information. In a special session of the state legislature, announced Friday by Gov. Sarah Sanders and convened Monday morning, lawmakers are expected…
EFF Award Winner: Library Freedom Project
In 1992 EFF presented our very first awards recognizing key leaders and organizations advancing innovation and championing digital rights. Now in 2023 we are continuing to celebrate the accomplishments of people working toward a better future for technology users with…
EFF Welcomes Erica Astrella and Yoshi Kohno to Its Board of Directors
Astrella and Kohno Bring Wealth of Experience in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Security Research and Data Privacy SAN FRANCISCO—The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is honored to announce today that Erica Astrella, Head of Technology at Parkwood Entertainment and a leading voice…
The UK Government Knows How Extreme The Online Safety Bill Is
The U.K.’s Online Safety Bill (OSB) has passed a critical final stage in the House of Lords, and envisions a potentially vast scheme to surveil internet users. The bill would empower the U.K. government, in certain situations, to demand that online platforms…
EFF Urges Appeals Court to Re-hear Case over Trump’s X Account
A federal appeals court undermined more than a century of First Amendment law by upholding a gag order that kept X—formerly known as Twitter—from discussing the government’s demand for Donald Trump’s account data, EFF argued in a brief urging a…
California’s Middle Mile Network Must Bridge the Digital Divide, Not Reinforce It
When California unanimously passed S.B. 156 in 2021, we embarked on a multi-year, multi-billion dollar endeavor to bring affordable, 21st-century fiber to every Californian. Done correctly, this nearly $7 billion investment—further supplemented by $ 1.8 billion in federal funding—would help…
EFF Award Winner: Alexandra Asanova Elbakyan
In 1992 EFF presented our very first awards recognizing key leaders and organizations advancing innovation and championing digital rights. Now in 2023 we are continuing to celebrate the accomplishments of people working toward a better future for technology users with…
Digital Rights Updates with EFFector 35.11
Summer break is over, so it’s time to catch up on the latest news in digital freedoms! There’s no better way to learn about what’s happening with digital privacy and free expression than with EFF’s EFFector newsletter. This latest issue…
UK Online Safety Bill Will Mandate Dangerous Age Verification for Much of the Web
This blog post was co-written by Dr. Monica Horten of Open Rights Group. Under new age verification rules in the UK’s massive Online Safety Bill, all internet platforms with UK users will have to stop minors from accessing ‘harmful’ content,…
Montana’s New Genetic Privacy Law Caps Off Ten Years of Innovative State Privacy Protections
Over the last 10+ years, Montana has, with little fanfare or national attention, steadily pushed to protect its residents’ privacy interests through sensible laws that recognize the unique threats posed by new technologies. Now Montana has passed one of the…
Podcast Episode Rerelease: Securing the Vote
This episode was first published on May 24, 2022. %3Ciframe%20height%3D%2252px%22%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20frameborder%3D%22no%22%20scrolling%3D%22no%22%20seamless%3D%22%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fplayer.simplecast.com%2Fc967800f-4f19-45df-91ce-cd044555c79e%3Fdark%3Dtrue%26amp%3Bcolor%3D000000%22%20allow%3D%22autoplay%22%3E%3C%2Fiframe%3E Privacy info. This embed will serve content from simplecast.com U.S. democracy is at an inflection point, and how we administer and verify our elections is more important than ever. From…
ISPs Should Not Police Online Speech—No Matter How Awful It Is.
Entrusting our speech to multiple different corporate actors is always risky. Yet given how most of the internet is currently structured, our online expression largely depends on a set of private companies ranging from our direct Internet service providers and…
Apple, Long a Critic of Right to Repair, Comes Out in Support of California Bill
Apple has announced a surprising stance in support of California’s Right to Repair Act (S.B. 244). This is a sign that the public’s strong support of the right to repair has forced Apple to change its position, and now is…
Tornado Cash Civil Decision Limits the Reach of the Treasury Department’s Actions while Skirting a Full First Amendment Analysis
A District Court recently considered a civil claim that the Treasury Department overstepped when it listed Tornado Cash on the U.S. sanctions list. This claim took some steps, if not enough, to address EFF’s concerns about coders rights. In…
Fourth Circuit Decision in Marriott Data Breach Case Kicks the Can Down the Road
When a company that collected your personal data negligently fails to secure it, you should have accountability and relief—including standing to sue. EFF and our friends at Electronic Privacy Information Center filed an amicus brief in late November pointing this…
Proposed UN Cybercrime Treaty Threatens to be an Expansive Global Surveillance Pact
This is Part V in EFF’s ongoing series about the proposed UN Cybercrime Convention. Read Part I for a quick snapshot of the ins and outs of the zero draft; Part II for a deep dive on Chapter IV dealing…
EFF Benefit Poker Tournament at DEF CON 31
August marked the return of DEF CON, the world’s largest computer hacking conference. That means it was also the return of the EFF Benefit Poker Tournament, an official DC31 Contest hosted by security expert and EFF advisory board member Tarah…
Vulnerability in Tencent’s Sogou Chinese Keyboard Can Leak Text Input in Real-Time
Security researchers at Citizen Lab discovered a number of cryptographic vulnerabilities in the Sogou Input Method keyboard software made by Tencent, the most popular input method in China. These vulnerabilities allow adversaries with a privileged network position (such as an…
Media Briefing: As UN Cybercrime Treaty Negotiations Enter Final Phase, Time is Running Short to Bolster Human Rights Protections
Draft Text Enhances Government Surveillance Across Borders but Offers Weak Checks and Balances New York—On Wednesday, August 23, at 1:30 pm Eastern Time (10:30 am Pacific Time) experts from Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Human Rights Watch, and four international allies…
Digital Rights Updates with EFFector 35.10
Need to catch up on the latest in the digital freedoms movement? EFF has you covered with our EFFector newsletter, featuring updates, upcoming events, and more! Our newest issue covers work around various censorship bills like KOSA, the illegal spying…
Portland’s TA3M: Expanding the Scope of Their Work in PDX
Techno-Activism 3rd Mondays (TA3M) is an informal meet-up designed to connect software creators and activists who are interested in issues like censorship, surveillance, and open technology. Portland’s TA3M continues to focus on educational events and recently expanded that focus to…
The Industry Discussion About Standards For Bluetooth-Enabled Physical Trackers is Finally Getting Started
Bluetooth-enabled location trackers such as Tiles and AirTags aren’t just a helpful way to find missing luggage or a misplaced wallet—they can also be easily slipped surreptitiously into a bag or car, allowing stalkers and abusers unprecedented access to a…
Jordan’s King Should Reject the Country’s Draft Cybercrime Law
Jordan’s parliament recently passed a new cybercrime law that will severely restrict individual human rights across the country. With the law now heading to Jordan’s Senate and Jordan’s King Abdullah II for final approval, EFF and 18 other civil society…
Dissecting the UN Cybercrime Convention’s Threat to Coders’ Rights at DEFCON
This is a segment in EFF’s ongoing series about the proposed UN Cybercrime Convention, focusing on the threats to security researchers in the proposed treaty. Read Part I for a quick snapshot of the ins and outs of the zero…
Federal Judge Upholds Arizonans’ Right to Record the Police
The Arizona legislature last year passed a law (H.B. 2319 codified at A.R.S. § 13-3732) banning the video recording of police activity within eight feet of officers, making doing so a class 3 misdemeanor (which would allow for up to…
The U.S. Government Wants To Control Online Speech to “Protect Kids”
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill that allows for a wide range of government penalties for online speech, could soon be passed by Congress. If that happens, the access we have to information may be forever changed. KOSA…
Proposed Cybercrime Treaty’s International Cooperation Provisions Could Let Tyrants Run Amok
This is the third segment in EFF’s series on the proposed UN Cybercrime Convention focusing on Chapter V, International Cooperation. Read Part I for a quick snap of what ins and outs of the zero draft, and Part II for…
Congress Amended KOSA, But It’s Still A Censorship Bill
A key Senate committee voted to move forward one of the most dangerous bills we’ve seen in years: the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). EFF has opposed the Kids Online Safety Act, S. 1409, because it’s a danger to the…
California’s DELETE Act Protects Us From Data Brokers
When it comes to the reckless trade of our personal information, data brokers are the problem. These entities collect then sell personal information they’ve amassed on individuals with very little oversight. This includes very sensitive information such as buying habits,…
Announcing the Tor University Challenge
Tor is a valuable tool for browsing the web anonymously, but since it’s powered by volunteers willing to share some bandwidth and a computer, it’s always in need of additional help. Which is why EFF is announcing the Tor University…
EFF at Las Vegas Hacker Summer Camp
The EFF team is pleased to return to the Las Vegas hacker summer camp conferences—BSidesLV, Black Hat USA and DEF CON 31—to rally behind computer security researchers and tinkerers. This entire week of events is a meaningful opportunity to reconnect…
It’s Summer Security Week at EFF
Let me be frank: it’s always security week at EFF! But this week is extra special. EFF will take flight to the Las Vegas hacker summer camp conferences—BSidesLV, Black Hat USA and DEF CON 31—to rally behind computer security researchers…
Your Computer Should Say What You Tell It To Say
WEI? I’m a frayed knot Two pieces of string walk into a bar. The first piece of string asks for a drink. The bartender says, “Get lost. We don’t serve pieces of string.” The second string ties a knot in…
EFF to 9th Circuit: App Stores Shouldn’t Be Liable for Processing Payments for User Content
EFF filed a brief this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit arguing that app stores should not be liable for user speech just because they recommend that speech or process payments for those users. Those…
The Impending Privacy Threat of Self-Driving Cars
Within a few years, fully self-driving cars have gone from science fiction to a very common reality for people in San Francisco with other places in the U.S. also testing the new technology. With innovations often come unintended consequences—one of…
Celebrating Ten Years of Encrypting the Web with Let’s Encrypt
Ten years ago, the web was a very different place. Most websites didn’t use HTTPS to protect your data. As a result, snoops could read emails or even take over accounts by stealing cookies. But a group of determined researchers…
Facebook Apparently Will Ask for Consent Before Showing Behavioral Ads to Some Users
For many years now, EFF has argued that pervasive online behavioral surveillance, which powers the exploitative data broker industry as well as some of the largest online tech companies, should be banned. Companies should voluntarily make these changes to benefit…
UN Cybercrime Convention Negotiations Enter Final Phase With Troubling Surveillance Powers Still on the Table
This is Part II of EFF’s analysis of the zero draft of the UN Cybercrime Convention. Part I is here. As one of the last negotiating sessions to finalize the UN Cybercrime Convention approaches, it’s important to remember that the…
The White House Acknowledges the Pressure on Section 702, But Much More Reform is Needed
After months of continued public confirmation that Americans’ privacy is being violated by surveillance under Section 702, and widespread criticism from civil society, activists, surveillance-skeptical bipartisan congressional committees, and even the overly timid Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board—a group…
Government Needs Both the Ability to Talk to Social Media Platforms and Clear Limits, EFF Argues in Brief to Appellate Court
EFF Filed Its Missouri v. Biden Amicus Brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit SAN FRANCISCO—Government input into social media platforms’ decisions about user content raises serious First Amendment concerns and the government must be held…
Deja Vu: The FBI Proves Again it Can’t be Trusted with Section 702
We all deserve privacy in our communications, and part of that is trusting that the government will only access them within the limits of the law. But at this point, it’s crystal clear that the FBI doesn’t believe that either…
Maryland Supreme Court: Police Can’t Search Digital Data When Users Revoke Consent
This post was co-authored by EFF legal intern Virginia Kennedy Under the Fourth Amendment, police can search your home, your computer, and other private spaces without a warrant or even probable cause if you freely and voluntarily consent to the…
The U.K. Government Is Very Close To Eroding Encryption Worldwide
The U.K. Parliament is pushing ahead with a sprawling internet regulation bill that will, among other things, undermine the privacy of people around the world. The Online Safety Bill, now at the final stage before passage in the House of…
International Rights Groups to Thierry Breton: You Need to Make Clear That Under the DSA States Can’t Shut Down the Internet as Punishment for Hateful Content on Platforms
EFF and 66 human rights and free speech advocacy groups across the globe today called on EU Internal Commissioner Thierry Breton to clarify that the Digital Services Act (DSA)—new regulations aimed at reining in Big Tech companies that control the…
FBI Seizure of Mastodon Server is a Wakeup Call to Fediverse Users and Hosts to Protect their Users
We’re in an exciting time for users who want to take back control from major platforms like Twitter and Facebook. However, this new environment comes with challenges and risks for user privacy, so we need to get it right and…
The NDAA is No Place for Sweeping Internet Legislation Like the STOP CSAM Act
The STOP CSAM Act of 2023 would undermine services offering end-to-end encryption and incentivize internet companies to take down lawful user speech. This dangerous bill would threaten security and free speech on the internet—but incredibly, it may pass Congress without even…
Digital Rights Updates with EFFector 35.9
There’s been a lot happening in the digital rights movement, so if you need to catch up, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about the latest news with EFF’s EFFector newsletter, featuring updates, upcoming events, and more. This…
DC Circuit FOSTA Ruling Lets a Bad Law Stay on the Books, But Offers Meaningful Protection for Some Sex Work Forums and Sex Workers Using Online Services
The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on July 7 affirmed the dismissal of Woodhull Freedom Foundation v. US, the constitutional challenge to FOSTA. That’s certainly disappointing: this bad law will now stay on the books. But the good…
Court Rejects Efforts to Identify Anoymous Webhost
Note: The post was co-authored by EFF legal intern Janelle Robins In a victory for online expression, a U.S. District Court judge has quashed a subpoena aimed at revealing the identity of an anonymous person who simply hosted a website.…
Young People Should Oppose the Kids Online Safety Act
Next week, Congress plans to move a bill forward that is opposed by dozens of organizations, digital rights protectors, LGBTQ+ activists, and human rights defenders: the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). As we’ve written before, KOSA would lead to censorship…
Victory! Embedded Links to Photos on Instagram Don’t Infringe Photographers’ Copyrights, Court Rules
Every day, we visit websites or read news articles that contain photos embedded from somewhere else, usually other websites or servers where the images were first published or stored. What’s happening behind the scenes when you click on a website…
First Draft of UN Cybercrime Convention Drops Troubling Provisions, But Dangerous And Open-Ended Cross Border Surveillance Powers Are Still on the Table
This is Part I of a two-part post about the first draft of the UN Cybercrime Convention. Part I provides background on treaty negotiations and analyzes our first take on the Zero draft and its human rights implications. Part II analyzes…
First Draft of UN Cybercrime Convention Drops Troubling Provisions, But Dangerous And Open-Ended Cross Border Surveillance Powers Are Back on the Table
This is Part I of a two-part post about the first draft of the UN Cybercrime Convention. Part I provides background on treaty negotiations and analyzes our first take on the Zero draft and its human rights implications. Part II analyzes…
Amended Cooper Davis Act Is a Direct Threat to Encryption
Last week, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary amended and passed S.1080, which would require private messaging services, social media companies, and even cloud providers to report their users to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) if they find out about…
You Can Help Stop These Bad Internet Bills
Red alert! For the last six months, EFF, our supporters, and dozens of other groups have been sounding the alarm about several #BadInternetBills that have been put forward in Congress. We’ve made it clear that these bills are terrible ideas,…