Preliminary Injunction Limiting Government Communications with Platforms Tackles Illegal “Jawboning,” But Fails to Provide Guidance on What’s Unconstitutional
A July 4 preliminary injunction issued by a federal judge in Louisiana limiting government contacts with social media platforms deals with government “jawboning”—urging private persons and entities to censor another’s speech—a serious issue deserving serious attention and judicial scrutiny.The First Amendment forbids the government from coercing a private entity...
DSA Must Follow a Human-Rights Centered Enforcement Process, With Regulators Engaging International Civil Society Voices
EFF and its partners in the Digital Services Act (DSA) Human Rights Alliance called on European Union (EU) regulators today to engage international civil society voices and forge a human rights centered approach in talks about the implementation and enforcement of the DSA, which sets out new responsibilities and rules...
Raise a Glass: EFF's 15th Annual Cyberlaw Trivia Winners!
What do you get when you gather a bunch of the sharpest legal minds in one room with delicious food and obscure tech law trivia? That's right, you get EFF's 15th Annual Cyberlaw Trivia night!On June 29th we had a full house—with eight teams from technology law firms and internet...
EFF Urges Supreme Court to Make Clear That Government Officials Have First Amendment Obligations When They Use Their Social Media Accounts for Governmental Purposes
Washington, D.C. — Electronic Frontier Foundation urged the Supreme Court today to send a loud and clear message to government officials around the country who use social media in furtherance of their official duties, but then block people who criticize them: Doing so violates our First Amendment right to...
Digital Rights Updates with EFFector 35.8
There's a lot happening in the digital rights movement, but don't worry, we've got you covered! Catch up on the latest news with our EFFector newsletter, featuring updates, upcoming events, and more. Our latest issue features updates from Reddit's moderator strike and mass exodus of users, a recap of the...
The United States vs. Hansen Decision Is Not “Encouraging” for Speech Rights
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in United States v. Hansen upholds a law that makes it a crime to “encourage” a person to remain in the country without authorization. The Court had two choices in this case: instruct Congress and all legislatures to use the words they actually...
Data Sanctuary for Trans People
Around the World, Threats to LGBTQ+ Speech Deepen
Globally, an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ intolerance is impacting individuals and communities both online and off. The digital rights community has observed an uptick in censorship of LGBTQ+ websites as well as troubling attempts by several countries to pass explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ bills restricting freedom of expression and privacy—bills that also fuel...
VICTORY! Maine Increases Transparency and Accountability for its Fusion Center
In a major step for reigning in the unaccountable power of fusion centers, the Maine state House and Senate have passed HP 947, An Act to Increase the Transparency and Accountability of the Maine Information and Analysis Center. The bill creates an Auditor position within the Office of the...
Civil Society Calls on Tech Firms to Oppose Protest Song Ban
EFF and more than 24 civil society organizations have written to tech companies including Apple, Google, Meta, Twitter, and Spotify urging them to oppose the Hong Kong government’s application for an injunction to ban broadcasting and distribution of the 2019 protest song, “Glory to Hong Kong.” The injunction,...
