US and UK governments turn a blind eye to Bahrain’s dismal human rights record
So long as the US and UK governments are content to ignore the torture, unfair trials, and killing of protesters and government critics, Bahrain’s monarchy will feel at ease to continue its policy of systematic repression.
Copyright is not a shortcut around the Constitution’s anonymous speech protections, EFF tells court
Courts do not always apply the correct tests to protect anonymous speakers, particularly when they use others’ copyrighted material to engage in commentary and criticism.
Victory! More lawsuits proceed against Clearview’s face surveillance
Face surveillance is a growing menace to racial justice, privacy, free speech, and information security. So EFF supports bans on government use of this dangerous technology, and laws requiring corporations to get opt-in consent.
Educational gag orders target speech about LGBTQ+ identities with new prohibitions and punishments
The effort to censor anti-LGBTQ identities is expanding rapidly.
CPJ calls on US Justice Department to stop compelling media outlets to register as foreign agents
The Committee to Protect Journalists submitted comments to the US Department of Justice concerning problems presented by labeling media organizations as “foreign agents”.
Open letter to the school board of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
PEN America urges the school board not to pass Resolution No. 21-12, “Resolution Opposing the Teaching of Critical Race Theory.”
San Francisco Police illegally used surveillance cameras at the George Floyd protests. The courts must stop them
A year and a half ago, the San Francisco Police Department illegally spied on activists and thousands of Bay Area residents as they marched against racist police violence and the murder of George Floyd. EFF and the ACLU of Northern California have taken the SFPD to court.
Surveillance industry finally facing scrutiny, but will it change anything?
In December, eighteen U.S. lawmakers demanded that the U.S. government impose sanctions on four non-US surveillance companies for, as they mention in their letter, facilitating “disappearance, torture and murder of human rights activists and journalists”.
Court orders authorizing law enforcement to track people’s air travels in real time must be made public
A news organization and its reporter are trying to make public a court order and related records concerning an FBI request to use the All Writs Act to compel a travel data broker to disclose people’s movements.
Scope and speed of educational gag orders worsening across the country
In the month since the release of PEN America’s report on the topic, state lawmakers introduced 12 new bills, bringing the total to a staggering 66 educational gag orders for the year in 26 states, 12 of which have passed into law.
EFF to Federal Appeals Courts: Hold police accountable for violating civilians’ right to record
EFF argues that Americans have the right under the First Amendment to livestream and record on-duty police officers and officers who interfere with that right should be held accountable.
UK High Court’s decision opens door for Julian Assange’s extradition to the US
“We condemn today’s decision, which will prove historic for all the wrong reasons. We fully believe that Julian Assange has been targeted for his contributions to journalism, and we defend this case because of its dangerous implications for the future of journalism and press freedom around the world” – RSF
Police aerial surveillance endangers our ability to protest
The California Highway Patrol directed aerial surveillance, mostly done by helicopters, over protests in Berkeley, Oakland, Palo Alto, Placerville, Riverside, Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Luis Obispo. Dragnet aerial surveillance is often unconstitutional.
Educational gag orders: Legislative restrictions on the freedom to read, learn, and teach
Between January and September 2021, 24 legislatures across the United States introduced 54 separate bills intended to restrict teaching and training in K-12 schools, higher education, and state agencies and institutions. The majority of these bills target discussions of race, racism, gender, and American history.
Author Ashley Hope Perez and social activist Padma Venkatraman on what book bans are really about
The PEN Children’s and Young Adult Books Committee is responding to recent efforts to ban books and intimidate teachers and librarians with a new conversation series called “PEN Pals.” This series of articles gives voice to the challenged creators of books for children and young adults through an exchange of nuanced conversations that illuminate today’s issues.
CPJ extremely concerned by court order restricting “New York Times” coverage
The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed grave concern over a New York Supreme Court order restricting the “New York Times”’ coverage of Project Veritas.