A draft of the Trans-Pacific Partnership's (TPP) Intellectual Property chapter from May 2014 leaked this past fall, confirming what previous leaks had suggested: this so-called trade agreement would bring copyright enforcement provisions that threaten users' right to free expression, privacy, and unfettered access to knowledge...

2014 has seen a flurry of events surrounding the issues of privacy and security when it comes to mobile devices. Here are some highlights.
EFF started the year by releasing HTTPS Everywhere on Firefox for Android. Before, HTTPS Everywhere could only protect web browsing on desktop platforms,...

Three major vulnerabilities rocked the world of Internet security this year, including two high-profile bugs that jeopardized the security of HTTPS encryption itself. These vulnerabilities may have each cost sysadmins around the world some sleepless nights, but they also reinforced the idea that best security practices can protect...

EFF submitted an amicus letter to the California Supreme Court urging the justices to review a case that has significant implications for the free speech rights of anonymous online speakers under California law.

EFF wrote the amicus letter in support of an anonymous defendant (Doe 1) who created a website...

We've long worried about the government's use of IMSI catchers or cell site simulators. Commonly known as a "Stingray" after a specific device manufactured by the Harris Corporation, IMSI catchers masquerade as a legitimate cell phone tower, tricking phones nearby to connect to the device...

It's been a mixed year for open access but we've seen some real victories and a steady march toward a comprehensive federal open access policy.
We entered January with a bad taste still in our mouth: the previous month, the academic publisher Reed Elsevier sent thousands of...

What if there were one thing we could do today to make it harder for the NSA and other intelligence agencies to eavesdrop on millions of people's email communications, without users having to change their habits at all?
There is. It's called STARTTLS for email, a standard for...

Back in January, Congress held a hearing on the state of fair use, as part of a year-long review of all things copyright that, in 2015, may lead to real legislative proposals. Among the witnesses was Professor Peter Jaszi, who had good news for the Committee: “[F]air use...

“Good Spirit,” he pursued, as down upon the ground he fell before it: “Your nature intercedes for me, and pities me. Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life!” – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
As our devoted readers are...

After a banner year for shedding light on the NSA’s secret surveillance programs in 2013, the pace of disclosures in 2014—both from whistleblowers and through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits—slowed significantly.
But that’s not because all the secrets of NSA surveillance have been revealed.
In fact,...