Hundreds of Drone-as-First-Responder Programs Could Soon Be Launched Across the Country
Police departments across the country are lining up to launch drone-as-first-responder (DFR) programs, and hundreds have cleared a necessary hurdle toward making deployment a reality, expanding aerial surveillance and data collection even in areas patrol officers typically can't reach.As of February 2026, over 1,000 public safety agencies—including police, fire,...
The Fourth Circuit Says Border Agents Can Search Your Phone By Hand, No Suspicion Required
New EU Court of Justice Ruling on Platform Liability Could Cause Collateral Damage to Freedom of Expression
Intermediary liability laws around the world recognize that social media platforms, search engines, and other online service providers have become an integral part of our lives: they shape how we access information, communicate with others and participate in public debate, and foster innovation online. These laws generally shield...
Protect Your Privacy with California's DROP Tool
Are you a California resident? Then we've got exciting news for you: there's a tool just for you that lets you take a single, relatively easy step to protect your privacy. It's called a DROP request. (That's Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, if you're fancy). This one bit of paperwork...
An Explosion of Surveillance Towers is Coming to U.S. Borders, Costing Over $1 Billion
A new report from the Government Accounting Office reveals that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to nearly triple the number of surveillance towers along U.S. borders, from the current 830 to 2,300 by 2034.DHS expects to expend $1 billion in taxpayer dollars for this dangerous expansion of...
“Stealth Crawlers” Are Not a Threat to the Open Web. Bills Targeting Them Would Be.
There’s a new boogeyman in the battles over AI: so-called “stealth crawlers.” We’ll admit it—the term “stealth crawlers” sounds quite nefarious. In reality, they’re anything but.“Stealth crawlers” are simply automated tools to access and collect public web data—without disclosing the user’s identity. Private crawlers like these facilitate all kinds of...
Tech Trivia at DEF CON 34
EFF's privacy and security experts have crafted a new trivia challenge for DEF CON 34! Compete as a team in our no-holds-barred showdown to prove mastery over the obscure facts of digital security, online rights, and internet culture.The First Place team wins a set of custom...
