Articles by Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
International free expression groups call for an end to Internet censorship in Jordan
IFEX members appeal to the King to end restrictions on news websites, nearly five months after Jordanian regulators blocked some 300 sites under a new licensing provision of the Press and Publications Law.
In case of illegal drug site, don’t blame privacy-preserving technology
The increased attention on anonymity technology following an arrest in the Silk Road case in the US is a good reminder about how important it is not to blame these tools for the actions of a small portion of their users. The public wouldn’t tolerate a campaign to malign the car because of its utility as a getaway vehicle for bank robbers; we must apply the same critical thinking to essential privacy-preserving technology, argues EFF.
How the NSA is making us all less safe
By weakening encryption, the NSA allows others to more easily break it. By installing back doors and other vulnerabilities in systems, the NSA exposes them to other malicious hackers—whether they are foreign governments or criminals.
Dear Playboy: Don’t abuse trademark law to silence critics
When feminist group FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture created a parody site posing as Playboy magazine, Playboy was quick to complain to the activists and their Internet service provider. The crux of Playboy’s complaint? The activists had used the Playboy name and logo.
Governments break silence on surveillance as activists launch human rights principles
During an event at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a coalition of civil society organisations launched a set of standards that interpret States’ human rights obligations in light of new technologies and surveillance capabilities.
Morocco urged to release editor arrested for reporting on Al-Qaeda video
Over 60 organisations signed a joint appeal to Moroccan authorities to free editor Ali Anouzla, jailed on 17 September for posting a link to an Al-Qaeda video on his news website alongside an article critical of the video.
U.S government releases NSA surveillance documents
The Director of National Intelligence has released hundreds of pages of documents related to the government’s secret interpretation of Patriot Act Section 215 and the NSA’s (mis)use of its massive database of every American’s phone records. The documents were released as a result of EFF’s ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
Vietnam’s Internet censorship bill goes into effect
An online censorship law known as Decree 72 went into effect in Vietnam; it bans bloggers and users of social media from quoting, gathering, or summarising information from press organisations or government websites.