Could Regulatory Backlash Entrench Facebook’s New Cryptocurrency Libra?
Facebook’s new cryptocurrency Libra has garnered attention from lawmakers and consumer groups since it was announced last month. And it’s no wonder: with a wince-inducing history of data disclosure scandals, the Facebook brand has become synonymous with ineptitude at protecting privacy. They’re bringing that tarnished reputation to cryptocurrency,...
A Better Digital Future Is Possible
It’s EFF’s 29th birthday, and we need you to help us celebrate! For two weeks only, become an EFF member for just $20 and get a set of Internet freedom-themed enamel pins to help you remember that together we’ve got this.Each summer we renew EFF’s promise to defend the...
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Signals It Will investigate NSA Surveillance, Facial Recognition, and Terror Watchlists
After a long dormant stretch, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) has signaled it’s ready to tackle another big review of government surveillance and overreach. The PCLOB, an independent agency in the executive branch, last published a 2014 report on warrantless surveillance of the Internet by the...
Media Briefing Monday: EFF and Partners Will Discuss California Bills Aimed at Weakening State’s Consumer Privacy Law
San Francisco—On Monday, June 8, at 11 am, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the ACLU, Common Sense Media, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, and Consumer Reports will hold a conference call to brief reporters about five bills designed to weaken consumer privacy protections that are set for hearing in the California Senate.Members...
Victory: Somerville, Massachusetts Stands Up to Stop Face Surveillance
The city council of Somerville, Massachusetts voted unanimously last week to become the first city on the East Coast to ban government face surveillance. It is encouraging to see cities across the country take this proactive step in anticipating the surveillance problems on the horizon and head them off in...
EFF and OTI Respond to the UK Government’s Online Harms White Paper
Earlier this year, the UK government produced the “Online Harms White Paper,” creating a plan for a “system of accountability and oversight for tech companies.” The draft scheme put forth by the government is flawed, and these flaws prompted EFF and OTI to respond to the questions asked...
Cheers to the Winners of EFF's 12th Annual Cyberlaw Trivia Night
The best legal minds in the Bay Area gathered at Github to participate in EFF's 12th Annual Cyberlaw Trivia Night on June 27th. Over 100 participants from technology law firms and Internet companies throughout the Bay Area attended for a night filled with obscure tech law trivia, delicious food, and...
Announcing “Gotta Catch 'Em All: Understanding How IMSI-Catchers Exploit Cell Networks”
Our phones hold a plethora of important, private information about our personal lives, and it’s not just their contents that matter: the data that our phones exchange with cell towers during basic connection procedures can reveal critical, and private, information. Perhaps you called the suicide prevention hotline from the Golden...
First Amendment Case Against Restrictive Copyright Law Can Proceed, Says Judge
A federal judge has ruled that litigation can go forward to determine whether Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act violates the First Amendment as applied. EFF brought this litigation on behalf of security researcher Matt Green, technologist bunnie Huang, and bunnie's company Alphamax, in order to...
Felony Contempt of Business Model: Lexmark's Anti-Competitive Legacy
In 2002, Lexmark was one of the leading printer companies in the world. A division of IBM—the original tech giant—Lexmark was also a pioneer in the now-familiar practice of locking customers in to expensive "consumables," like the carbon powder that laser-printers fuse to paper to produce printouts.Lexmark gave its customers...
