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Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis

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Getting Digital Fairness Right: EFF's Recommendations for the EU's Digital Fairness Act

For digital fairness to work, the European Union must focus on addressing the root causes of harm, not requiring platforms to exert more control over their users. This means safeguarding privacy, freedom of expression, and the rights of users and developers. The EU’s Digital Fairness Act must first prioritize privacy...
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Smart Locks Endanger Tenants’ Privacy and Should Be Regulated

The growing deployment of smart locks in apartments, often installed without tenants’ permission, has created a new stream of sensitive location data for law enforcement, landlords, and private companies. Tenants should not be forced to submit to tracking just to enter their home.
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Bracelets, Beacons, Barcodes: Wearables in the Global Response to COVID-19

In their efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic, governments around the world are rolling out body-worn devices (“wearables”) to assist in fighting the virus. Some governments want a technological silver bullet to solve the public health crisis. But many of the tools aimed at solving problems come with...

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EU’s Proposed Cyber Resilience Act Raises Concerns for Open Source and Cybersecurity

The EU is in the middle of the amendments process for its proposed Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), a law intended to bolster Europe’s defenses against cyber-attacks and improve product security. This law targets a broad swath of products brought to market intended for European consumers, including Internet of Things (IoT)...

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From Past Lessons to Future Protections: EFF's Advice to the EU Commission on Extended Reality Governance

EFF, in partnership with Access Now and the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), has responded to the European Commission's consultation, "Virtual Worlds (Metaverses) – A Vision for Openness, Safety, and Respect." This follows our joint statement on International Human Rights Day in 2021, "Virtual Worlds,...

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Negotiations Over UN Cybercrime Treaty Under Way in New York, With EFF and Partners Urging Focus on Human Rights

While tensions run high across the globe over the invasion of Ukraine, the world’s governments are meeting at the UN this week and next to find common ground on a proposed treaty to facilitate international cooperation and coordination in computer crime investigations. The treaty, if approved, may reshape criminal laws...

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Letter to the United Nations to Include Human Rights Safeguards in Proposed Cybercrime Treaty

December 22, 2021H.E. Ms Faouzia Boumaiza MebarkiChairpersonAd Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Criminal PurposesYour Excellency,We, the undersigned organizations and academics, work to protect and advance human rights, online and offline. Efforts to address cybercrime are of concern...

Proposed UN Cybercrime Treaty

UN Committee To Begin Negotiating New Cybercrime Treaty Amid Disagreement Among States Over Its Scope

As a UN-convened committee of government experts from around the world gets ready to begin negotiations to draft a Cybercrime Treaty, there's a pronounced lack of consensus among UN member states about what constitutes a "cybercrime" and how expansive the treaty will be. After years of discussion, the UN General...

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What the Duck? Why an EU Proposal to Require "QWACs" Will Hurt Internet Security

It's become easier over the years for websites to improve their security, thanks to tools that allow more people to automate and easily set-up secure measures for web applications and the services they provide. A proposed amendment to Article 45 in the EU’s Digital Identity Framework...

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