SEC’s Action Against Decentralized Exchange Raises Constitutional Questions
A recent public statement from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission implied that those engaged in writing and publishing code might need to worry about running afoul of securities laws. In its statement about the cease and desist order against the co-founder of decentralized cryptocurrency exchange EtherDelta, the...
Enough of the 5G Hype
Wireless carriers are working hard to talk up 5G (Fifth Generation) wireless as the future of broadband. But don’t be fooled—they are only trying to focus our attention on 5G to try to distract us from their willful failure to invest in a proven ultrafast option for many Americans: fiber...
Video: How Justus Decher Beat a Patent Troll, With Help From Alice
Thousands of patent lawsuits are filed each year, and most of them deal with computer technology and software. Nearly 90 percent of those high-tech patent lawsuits are filed by shell companies that offer the public no products or services whatsoever. These patent-assertion entities, also known as “patent trolls,” simply...
That German-French Deal to "Rescue" the EU Copyright Directive? Everyone Hates It. EVERYONE.
This week started with a terrifying bang, when German and French negotiators announced a deal to revive the worst parts of the new EU Copyright Directive though a compromise on "Article 13," which requires copyright filters for any online service that allows the public to communicate.The Franco-German "compromise" was...
Real Net Neutrality Is More Than a Ban on Blocking, Throttling, and Paid Prioritization
The majority of Americans support net neutrality protections. Based on the comments in the most recent Congressional hearing on net neutrality, you could come away with the idea that most of Congress and most of the giant Internet Service Providers do, too. But if you read between the lines,...
The San Francisco District Attorney’s 10 Most Surveilled Neighborhoods
Texas Supreme Court Subtly Provides Stronger Protections for Anonymous Speakers
The Texas Supreme Court upheld protections for anonymous online speakers in a January ruling, albeit in a way that sidestepped thorny legal questions but will likely have the effect of vindicating First Amendment rights going forward.The case, Glassdoor, Inc. v. Andra Group, concerned an effort by clothing company...
Call to Action: Tell the Patent Office Not to Reopen the Software Patent Floodgates
The Supreme Court took a major step in cutting back on abstract software patents when it issued its landmark ruling in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank. Since then, courts have thrown out hundreds of patents that never should have issued. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s ruling is under threat. The...
Life as an EFF Activist
EFF Is Looking for a Great Writer to Help Us Fight SurveillanceI just woke up, and I’m drafting a memo for a Congressional staffer, explaining the ways that a new censorship bill will be dangerous for free speech and innovation. One of my colleagues is in Washington, D.C., and is...
Countries With Zero Rating Have More Expensive Wireless Broadband Than Countries Without It
When an ISP decides to exempt certain applications or services from cutting into a user's data cap, that's zero rating. And the evidence is in that it conclusively makes broadband more expensive. A comprehensive multi-year study by the non-profit Epicenter.works, comparing the 30 member countries of the European Union...
