KALW (not EFF) will host this event. EFF Senior Staff Technologist William Budington will be speaking.
From the Organizers:
KALW examines how journalists can protect themselves, their sources and their devices in the current climate, with AHCJ and SPJ NorCal
The Bay Area chapter of the Association of Health Care Journalists and Society of Professional Jouralists Northern California come to KALW for a live panel discussion supporting the rights of journalists.
In one of the most high-profile recent cases, FBI agents raided the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on January 14, confiscating her electronic devices, which they said were tied to a classified documents case. Press freedom groups called the action “a tremendous intrusion,” by the Trump administration. In another recent case, former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested on January 29 while covering an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota.
The number of assaults on journalists in the United States in 2025 “nearly equals the last three years combined,” according to an AP article. The Trump administration’s attacks on press freedom and journalists is constant. As recently as March 17, President Trump, in social media posts accused news outlets of “lies” that might warrant “charges of treason,” for their coverage of the war in Iran.
In this panel discussion participants will learn:
- What kinds of security and safety issues journalists are experiencing
- How to assess their own risk
- How to fortify the security of their electronic devices to better protect themselves and their sources
- How one newsroom has implemented safety protocols for their journalists, sources and devices
Speakers include
- William Budington, senior technologist, Electronic Frontier Foundation
- Martin Shelton, deputy director of digital security, Freedom of the Press Foundation
- Matthew Tinoco, CEO and founder of the Los Angeles Public Press
- Laurie Udesky, Independent journalist: Panel organizer and moderator
When:
Tuesday, April 14
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Where:
220 Montgomery St., San Francisco, 2 blocks from BART/MUNI
Cost:
Refer to website
Event Requirements:
Registration is required.
About the Speaker:
Bill Budington is a longtime activist, cryptography enthusiast, and a Senior Staff Technologist on EFF's Public Interest Technology team. His research has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and cited by the U.S. Congress. He is the lead developer of Cover Your Tracks, apkeep, led HTTPS Everywhere from 2015 to 2018, and has contributed to projects like Let's Encrypt and SecureDrop. Bill has spoken at USENIX Enigma (2016), HOPE (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024), DEF CON (2023), CCC (2017), InfoSec Southwest (2017), ShmooCon (2019, 2020), and other infosec conferences. Bill's primary interest lies in dismantling systems of oppression, building up collaborative alternatives and, to borrow a phrase from Zapatismo, fighting for a 'world in which many worlds fit.' He loves hacker spaces and getting together with other techies to tinker, code, share, and build the technological commons..
About KALW:
KALW Public Media is not just a radio station — it’s an experiment in what public media should be. Based in the Bay Area, KALW serves as a catalyst for civic engagement, a home for groundbreaking storytelling, and a training ground for the next generation of media-makers.
We exist to ignite conversation, nurture new voices, challenge conventions, and empower communities to strive for and celebrate a better world. Through music, journalism, live events, and a deep commitment to inclusion and innovation, KALW amplifies stories that shape the future of democracy, justice, and belonging. Click here to read our inaugural report, From a Whisper to a Roar.
This event is organized not by EFF, but by KALW.
