When Nudity Isn’t Even Nude: Chilean Artist’s Protest of Police Brutality Hidden on Instagram
In 2019, Chilean singer Mon Laferte won a Latin Grammy for best alternative album. She also used her appearance at the awards to make a statement about violence in her home country of Chile, baring her chest to show the words “En Chile torturan violan y matan”—"In Chile they torture,...
Tough Nuts: Twitter Suspends Meme-Sharing Planters Accounts
Peanut fans were devastated last month when the brand Planters killed off their famous mascot in an advertisement, but had cause to celebrate when the company announced the birth of adorable Baby Nut, a new mascot, during the Superbowl.In the runup to the big game, Planters reserved several Twitter...
When the Public is Private: Project Veritas Provocateur Wrongfully Suspended by Twitter
Since the 2016 U.S. election, political speech on social media—and how it’s moderated—has been a subject of much debate. Conservatives have repeatedly accused platforms of bias, while we’ve seen plenty of examples of wrongful takedowns from across the political spectrum. While many of the most talked-about conservative takedowns have involved...
Ring Updates Device Security and Privacy—But Ignores Larger Concerns
Amazon’s surveillance doorbell company Ring has announced extra layers of security and control for users after a wave of backlash from civil liberties and cyber security organizations like EFF and Mozilla. Organizations raised major concerns over Ring’s lack of effort in protecting the data and security of users,...
Virginia Anti-SLAPP Bill is Good for Free Speech But Can Still Be Made Stronger
Update March 31: Earlier this month, the Virginia Legislature closed down without passing any version of an anti-SLAPP bill. We hope Virginia lawmakers will protect free speech in their state by passing such a bill in the next legislative session.The Virginia legislature is on the verge of a big step...
In Foreshadowing Cryptocurrency Regulations, U.S. Treasury Secretary Prioritizes Law Enforcement Concerns
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin foreshadowed the Trump administration’s plans for greater surveillance of cryptocurrency users during his testimony before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday. He noted that cryptocurrency was a “crucial area” for the Treasury Department to examine, and said:We are working with FinCEN and we...
California Auditor Releases Damning Report About Law Enforcement’s Use of Automated License Plate Readers
California police and sheriffs are failing to protect the privacy of drivers on city streets, the California State Auditor’s office determined after a seven-month investigation into the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) by the Los Angeles Police Department and three other local law enforcement agencies. California State...
Reevaluating the DMCA 22 Years Later: Let’s Think of the Users
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is one of the most important laws affecting the Internet and technology. Without the DMCA’s safe harbors from crippling copyright liability, many of the services on which we rely, big and small, commercial and noncommercial, would not exist. That means Youtube, but also Wikipedia,...
EFF Fights to Protect Anonymity of Glassdoor Commenter
San Francisco – The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is asking a state court to protect the identity of an anonymous Glassdoor commenter who is being targeted by their former employer. EFF filed a motion to quash a subpoena for identifying information of its client after the cryptocurrency exchange company...
EFF letter on the DMCA to Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property (Feb 11, 2020)
Letter details EFF's findings on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) from its 22 years of efforts to reduce its harms to speech, innovation, competition, and fair use.
