Victory! ID.me to Drop Facial Recognition Requirement for Government Services
First, the Internal Revenue Service reversed course from its recent announcement that it was partnering with ID.me, a third-party identity verification service, to use facial recognition for verification of users managing many aspects of their taxes online. Now, ID.me—which provides identity verification services for dozens of government agencies—says...
What the Duck? Why an EU Proposal to Require "QWACs" Will Hurt Internet Security
It's become easier over the years for websites to improve their security, thanks to tools that allow more people to automate and easily set-up secure measures for web applications and the services they provide. A proposed amendment to Article 45 in the EU’s Digital Identity Framework...
EFF Joins Activists And Human Rights Groups To Reject Attacks on Encryption
Encryption is under attack. In liberal democracies, elected leaders are giving lip service to our right to privacy—while seeking to create a system where they can scan any data we send over the internet. Earlier this month, the U.K. Home Office spent public money on a high-priced ad campaign...
Send Surveillance Robot Dogs to the Pound, Not the Border
On February 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, the official research and development arm of the agency, released a cutesy press release about how robotic dogs made in collaboration with Ghost Robotics are “one step closer” to deployment on the U.S.-Mexico border. Covered...
If EARN IT Passes, What Happens On Your iPhone Won't Stay On Your iPhone
Last year, Apple announced a controversial plan to install photo scanning software in every device. Apple has long been seen as a pro-privacy company—billboards emblazoned with the slogan “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone” were common sights in 2019. A global coalition pushed back, and the...
Ohio: Don’t Give Big Tech a Pass On Privacy
Ohio lawmakers are giving big tech companies a gift in the form of the Ohio Personal Privacy Act. This law purports to strike a balance between consumer protection and company demands. Instead, it stacks the deck even further against individuals who want to protect their privacy.The OPPA would enshrine privacy...
EFF to Appeals Court: Apple’s Monopoly Doesn’t Make Users Safer
When users fork over money for an iPhone (average price: over $800), many expect to be able to play their favorite mobile game on it. They expect the apps they buy to work. Many users also expect to install apps that enhance their security and privacy beyond what Apple provides.Users...
Senate Commerce Committee is Letting Big Telecom Hamstring the FCC
SHOP SAFE Will Stomp Out Online Sales of Used and Homemade Goods
The House of Representatives has inserted SHOP SAFE—a piece of legislation that would make it extremely difficult for any individual to sell things online and equally difficult for any online platform to compete with Amazon—into a 3,000-page trade bill. It cannot remain there.The “Stopping Harmful Offers on Platforms by...
San Francisco Should Strengthen, Not Gut, Surveillance Ordinance
San Francisco is considering whether to strengthen or roll back civil rights protections against government surveillance. Nearly three years ago, EFF joined a coalition of community groups to support the city’s passage of the Surveillance Technology Ordinance, which bans government use of facial recognition technology and empowers the...
