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EFFector - Volume 28, Issue 10 - Searched, questioned, and detained for hours

EFFECTOR

EFFector - Volume 28, Issue 10 - Searched, questioned, and detained for hours

 
 
EFFector! Electronic Frontier Foundation
 
 

In our 681st issue:

EFF Represents Laura Poitras in Suing U.S. Government

On more than 50 occasions, award-winning documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras was searched, questioned, and often subjected to hours-long security screenings at U.S. and overseas airports. Now EFF is representing her in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the U.S. government. We're seeking records related to her harassment at the border, which in turn may shed light on how the U.S. government exploits border crossings for retaliation, harassment, or other reasons beyond the rule of law. Poitras is the creator of the documentary CITIZENFOUR about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Democracy.io Helps You Reach Members of Congress More Easily

We're pleased to launch Democracy.io, a tool that lets people send an email to their congressional representatives, on any topic they wish, through one super-simple interface. It’s built on the same free software that EFF uses for our own action center, and connects you to Congress through the open data set created by volunteer web developers across the world.

The First Amendment of the United States protects "the right of the people...to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Democracy.io is a tool to help people exercise that crucial right. We hope you use it.

TPP's Copyright Trap

When works enter the public domain, they fuel creativity, experimentation, and renewed interest in writing, music, and art that would otherwise have languished under onerous copyright terms. In the U.S., corporate lobbyists have successfully ratcheted up copyright terms year after year, at great cost to our culture. Now they're trying to export those same terms to other countries with the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. We've launched a campaign against the TPP's Copyright Trap, mounting our last stand against an undemocratic international trade agreement that seeks to devastate the public domain.

EFF Updates

EFF and ACLU Win Review of Automated License Plate Reader Case

The California Supreme Court granted our petition to review the lawsuit filed by EFF and the ACLU of Southern California that seeks to shine a light on the collection of license plate data by the Los Angeles Police and Sheriff’s Departments. This gives us a chance to convince the state’s highest court that police agencies should turn over data so the privacy risks of this mass data collection can be scrutinized.

Stupid Patent of the Month: Do It With A Computer

Recently, a company called Tzu Technologies, LLC began suing makers of sex toys for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,368,268. This resulted in more than a few news stories (and probably a few snickers as well). But the case also shows how our broken patent system is preventing innovation in many spaces.

NSA Tries to Blame Privacy Advocates for Keeping Americans' Telephone Records

The NSA is dragging its heels about destroying records of innocent Americans' phone calls, saying that it must maintain the records until court cases about phone record surveillance are resolved. The implication is that the privacy advocates are the reason that these records aren't being destroyed. To set the record straight: we've been asking them to destroy records for years.

Jeep Hack Shows Why the DMCA Must Get Out of the Way of Vehicle Security Research

Security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek have once again exposed automobile security flaws that allow attackers to take over a vehicle’s crucial systems. In their latest work, they learned how an attacker could remotely control a car over the Internet. One major reason that serious vulnerabilities have gone undisclosed and unfixed is that laws like Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act chill independent security research. That’s why we filed for an exemption to Section 1201 that would specifically protect security and safety research on vehicle software from DMCA liability.

Busting Myths and Countering Misinformation From the Campaign Against Patent Reform

We’ve seen an all-out assault aimed at killing the House’s Innovation Act and the Senate’s PATENT Act. As a result, patent reform stands on shaky ground in Congress. The reality is this bill would do much to promote innovation and address some of the problems of patent trolls.

The Crypto Wars Have Gone Global

Congress recently heard testimony about whether or not backdoors should be introduced into encryption technologies, a technically problematic proposal that would fundamentally weaken the security of the Internet. But while Congress is reliving these debates from the nineties, the Crypto Wars are very much alive and well in other parts of the world.

miniLinks

Medium: This Bill Won't Protect You From Hackers

Senator Ron Wyden explains why the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) invades privacy without making us more secure.

Australian Digital Alliance: Will TPP Set a Copyright Trap?

Copyright term extension disproportionately affects countries like Australia that have relatively narrow and limited exceptions to copyright.

New App Explains Fair Use

New Media Rights has a free app that will walk you through some of the questions you should ask yourself about your video project if you intend to reuse existing content such as images, audio, or video.

Supported by Donors

Our members make it possible for EFF to bring legal and technological expertise into crucial battles about online rights. Whether defending free speech online or challenging unconstitutional surveillance, your participation makes a difference. Every donation gives technology users who value freedom online a stronger voice and more formidable advocate.

If you aren't already, please consider becoming an EFF member today.

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Administrivia

Editor: Rainey Reitman, Activism Director
editor@eff.org

EFFector is a publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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Membership & donation queries: membership@eff.org

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Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged. MiniLinks do not necessarily represent the views of EFF.

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Announcements

Stop the TPP's Copyright Trap

Officials are now working overtime to finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a secret controversial trade agreement that would trap the U.S. and its partners into excessive copyright term lengths. Speak out now and help us fight back against backroom deals that keep culture and knowledge locked up for decades.

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Check out our new job openings, and join the team of liberty enthusiasts at EFF.

Black Hat Briefings USA

Join EFF at Black Hat Briefings! Be sure to check out the EFF presentations and stop by our information booth in the Business Hall (Wednesday and Thursday) to find out about the latest developments in digital freedom.
August 1-6, 2015
Las Vegas, NV

Security BSidesLV 2015

EFF is proud to host an info table and panel discussion at BSidesLV this year. Join EFF's Nadia Kayyali, Kurt Opsahl, and Nate Cardozo for our Ask the EFF panel on Wednesday night.
August 4-5, 2015
Las Vegas, NV

DEF CON 23

Join EFF at DEF CON 23! Catch EFF speakers and stop by our information booth in the Vendor and Contest areas to find out about the latest developments in digital freedom. You can even sign up as an EFF member and pick up some great swag!
August 6-9, 2015
Las Vegas, NV

24th USENIX Security Symposium

EFF is a proud supporter of the USENIX Security Symposium. USENIX Security '15 brings together researchers, practitioners, systems programmers and engineers, and others interested in the latest advances in the security of computer systems and networks. EFF supporters get $50 off of event registration! Just use the code EFF50SEC15DISC when you register.
August 12-14, 2015
Washington, D.C.

Free Culture Forum

The Free Culture Forum brings together key organizations and active voices in the free culture and knowledge space under a single roof. It is an open space for drawing up proposals to present the position of civil society on the privatization of culture and access to knowledge. Participants debate the role of government in access to knowledge, on the creation and distribution of art and culture, and other areas. EFF will be participating in both days.
October 30-31, 2015
Barcelona, Spain

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