Should Congress close the FBI’s backdoor for spying on American communications? Yes.
All of us deserve basic protection against government searches and seizures that the Constitution provides, including requiring law enforcement to get a warrant before it can access our communications. But currently, the FBI has a backdoor into our communications, a loophole, that Congress can and should close.
Data brokers are the problem
Why should you care about data brokers? Reporting this week about a Substack publication outing a priest with location data from Grindr shows once again how easy it is for anyone to take advantage of data brokers’ stores to cause real harm.
EFF sues U.S. Postal Service for records about covert social media spying program
The service looked through people’s posts prior to street protests.
Right or left, you should be worried about Big Tech censorship
Claiming that “right-wing voices are being censored,” Republican-led legislatures in Florida and Texas have introduced legislation to “end Big Tech censorship” – these laws are deeply misguided and nakedly unconstitutional.
UK High Court grants limited permission for US to appeal Assange extradition ruling
The US appeal is against the January 2021 decision by UK District Judge Vanessa Baraitser, ruling against Assange’s extradition to the US on mental health grounds.
CPJ calls on U.S. to publish list of all websites recently seized in sanctions crackdown
The United States Justice Department should clarify its rationale for seizing dozens of media websites last week, and should publish a list of all websites targeted for allegedly violating sanctions.
A year of action in support of the Black-led movement against police violence and racism
“Black lives matter on the streets. Black lives matter on the internet.” The anniversary of George Floyd’s murder has inspired EFF to reflect on these commitments and the work of so many courageous people who stood up to demand justice.
EFF files amicus brief defending the right to repair in Massachusetts
The state’s right-to-repair law, which gives users and independent repair shops access to critical information about the cars they drive and service, passed by ballot initiative with an overwhelming 74.9% majority.
Rights groups condemn lawsuits brought by ENRC against public watchdogs
“ENRC’s campaign of legal action across two jurisdictions targeting more than a dozen people and other entities seems a deliberate attempt to shift the focus away from ENRC’s alleged corruption to those conducting legitimate investigations, whether journalists or public authorities.”
Newly released records show how Trump tried to retaliate against social media for fact-checking
A year ago, President Trump issued an Executive Order that deputized federal agencies to retaliate against online social media services on his behalf, a disturbing and unconstitutional attack on internet free expression.
EFF sues police standards agency to obtain use of force training materials
Police group abusing copyright law to withhold documents, violate Public Records Act.
EFF tells California Court that forensic software source code must be disclosed to the defendant
EFF filed an amicus brief in State v. Alvin Davis in California, in support of Mr. Davis’s right to inspect the source code of STRMix, the forensic DNA software used at his trial.
Unshuttered voices: A collaboration, an exhibit, and a call to action
IFEX partnered with the International Freedom of Expression Project on an exhibit to spotlight the work being done around the globe to defend freedom of expression, and launch a proposal for a ‘marketplace of ideas’ artist space in downtown Pittsburgh.
Proctoring tools and dragnet investigations rob students of due process
While many universities have used proctoring tools that purport to help educators prevent cheating, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine has gone dangerously further.
Victory for fair use: The Supreme Court reverses the Federal Circuit in Oracle v. Google
In a win for innovation, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that Google’s use of certain Java Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) is a lawful fair use. The Court recognized that copyright only promotes innovation and creativity when it provides breathing room for those who are building on what has come before.
Dystopia Prime: Amazon subjects its drivers to biometric surveillance
Amazon, the company that brought you Ring doorbell cameras and Rekognition face surveillance, has a tenuous understanding of both privacy and consent.