The History of Cellular Network Security Doesn’t Bode Well for 5G
There’s been quite a bit of media hype about the improvements 5G is set to supposedly bring to users, many of which are no more than telecom talking points. One aspect of the conversation that’s especially important to get right is whether or not 5G will bring ...
During Pride Month and Always, Companies Must Consider the Impact of Their Policies on LGBTQ+ Users
This month, in many parts of the world, the LGBTQ+ community is celebrating Pride and, both online and off, the tech industry has paid lip service to supporting the community. Many social media companies participate in Pride parades or offer photo filters or other digital swag for users to show...
EFF to the California DOJ: Enforce the Prohibition on Assisting Immigration Enforcement
Update June 28, 2019: Albeit months late, the ICE division in Orange County has now submitted its misuse disclosure. Like every other DHS component, it reported it did not open a single misuse investigation in 2018. In response to the looming threat of mass deportations, EFF has sent a...
Congress Should Not Rush to Regulate Deepfakes
The House Intelligence Committee held a hearing earlier this month examining the issue of “deepfakes,” a term coined to describe images or videos created with a machine learning algorithm that allows people to make false footage that appears real. There is real potential for fake or manipulated images...
The FCC Is Siding With Landlords and Comcast Over Tenants Who Want Broadband Choices
In December of 2016, the city of San Francisco boldly enacted the “Occupant’s Right to Choose Communications Services Provider” ordinance (also known as Article 52) that hinders a payola scheme cooked up between big cable companies like Comcast and landlords. In just a few short years since its enactment,...
Hearing Wednesday: California Should Audit Use of License Plate Data
Sacramento – On Wednesday, June 26, at 10 am, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) will urge the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to approve an audit on the use of automated license plate readers (ALPR) by state law enforcement.ALPRs are camera systems that scan the license plates of vehicles in...
California’s ISP Deregulation Law Allows Recording VoIP Calls without Consent
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has been opposing A.B. 1366, legislation by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, which would renew a law that effectively shields a huge part of the telecommunications industry from state and local regulation. Comcast and AT&T law backed this law, Public Utilities Code Sec. 710, in...
Sen. Hawley’s “Bias” Bill Would Let the Government Decide Who Speaks
Despite its name, Sen. Josh Hawley’s Ending Support for Internet Censorship Act (PDF) would make the Internet less safe for free expression, not more. It would violate the First Amendment by allowing a government agency to strip platforms of legal protection based on their decisions to host or remove...
Massachusetts Can Become a National Leader to Stop Face Surveillance
Massachusetts has a long history of standing up for liberty. Right now, it has the opportunity to become a national leader in fighting invasive government surveillance. Lawmakers need to hear from the people of Massachusetts to say they oppose government use of face surveillance.Face surveillance poses a threat to our...
The Lofgren-Amash Amendment Would Check Warrantless Surveillance
The NSA has used Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act to justify collecting and storing millions of Americans’ online communications. Now, the House of Representatives has a chance to pull the plug on funding for Section 702 unless the government agrees to limit the reach of that program.The...
