September 1, 2017 - 10:00am PDT to September 4, 2017 - 3:30pm PDT
Atlanta, GA

The Electronic Frontier Foundation returns to Dragon Con once again to participate in a series of panels about technology, civil liberties, activism, and pop culture. 

EFF Deputy Executive Director Kurt Opsahl and researchers Dave Maass and Gennie Gebhart will participate in a dozen panels on the Electronic Frontiers Forums track, as well as panels on the Robotics & Makers track and the Skeptics track. We will also have a table at the Hilton concourse where you can learn more about our work. 

On Friday night, you can also join us at the Black Girl Nerds' Tweet-up at Joystick Gamebar. It's free, and no Dragon Con pass is required. 

Stay tuned for more details about our schedule, meet-up, and special features at our table. 

Friday, September 1, 2017

10 am - Activism at the Statehouse - Hilton Room 208-209

In recent years, state legislators have begun tackling digital civil liberties issues, including broadband privacy, consumers drones, surveillance technology, and virtual currency. In this panel, we will discuss recent trends at our state capitols and how we can organize to pass and kill bills.

Featuring: EFF Investigative Researcher Dave Maass and Electronic Frontier and Electronic Frontiers Georgia organizer Scott M. Jones 

1 pm - Women in Science and Tech Careers - Hilton Room 208-209

A frank conversation on the issues women face in technology and science careers and what we can all do about it.

Featuring: EFF Researcher Gennie Gebhart, NASA Engineer Kim Steadman, video game developer Elonka Dunin, and others. 

Saturday, September 2, 2017

10 am - California and You: The Reach of California Privacy Laws - Hilton Room 208-209

California is leading the way in protecting its citizens’ online privacy, augmenting federal protections and enforcing new laws. But its actions may benefit all Internet users across the country and beyond. Learn how California is expanding your privacy rights.

Featuring: Attorney Andrew Glazier and EFF Investigative Researcher Dave Maass

1 pm - FOIA Workshop - Hilton Room 208-209

How to file a request under the Freedom of Information Act, with live demonstrations and results from prior years’ panels. Be your own activist!

Featuring: EFF Investigative Researcher Dave Maass, Access Now U.S. Policy Manager Amie Stepanovich, Attorney Pamela Maass, Virginia Beach Department of Human Services FOIA Specialist Kara Chappell 

2:30 pm - Why James Comey Was So Wrong About Encryption - Hilton Room 208-209

Embattled former FBI Director James Comey was adamant about having backdoors into mobile devices. Why was Apple so right to resist Comey’s demands, and what does the future hold with new leadership at the FBI?

Featuring: EFF General Counsel Kurt Opsahl, Access Now U.S. Policy Manager Amie Stepanovich, cryptographer Matt Blaze, and others. 

4 pm - Surveillance Self-Defense and Personal OpSec - Hilton Room 208-209

What you can do to protect yourself and your own communications by using encryption tools and practicing good ‘digital hygiene’.

Featuring: EFF Researcher Gennie Gebhart, cryptographer Matt Blaze, Access Now Senior Legislative Manager Nathan White, and others

5:30 pm - Social Media Monitoring by Law Enforcement- Hilton Room 208-209

Law enforcement agencies at all levels now routinely check social media as a part of investigations. Mass monitoring is also used, and social media identities are now being demanded for international travel in some cases. What are the implications, and how constitutional is all of this?

Feautring: EFF Researcher Gennie Gebhart, Access Now U.S. Policy Manager Amie Stepanovich, attorney TJ Mihill, and technologist Randal L. Schwartz

7 pm - Hunted, the TV Show: How Real Is It? - Hilton Room 208-209

The CBS show “Hunted” shows how easy it is for private investigators to track everyday people using ordinary technology and digital data. How real is this, and how exposed are our everyday lives using technology we take for granted, without considering the full implications?

Featuring: EFF Investigative Researcher Dave Maass and Purdue University Professor Jon Padfield 

8:30 pm - Hacking 101 - Crystal Ballroom

Hacking 101 returns for another glorious year! Just what is a hacker anyway? Culture, history, contacts, resources, and pointers for more info.

Featuring: EFF General Counsel Kurt Opsahl, and technologists Randal L. Schwartz, jonny X, David Benas, Shelby Allen, and Keith Watson

11 pm - Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality: How Crazy Can the Future Really Get? - Hilton Room 208-209

We are just scratching the surface of virtual reality, augmented reality, and immersive tech. Zombie games, Saturn voyages, military exercises, 360-degree movies: That’s just the beginning of a universe of applications. What are the possibilities of mixed reality tech, and what do we have to lose?

Featuring: EFF Investigative Researcher Dave Maass and video game developer Andrew Greenberg 

Sunday, September 3, 2017 

10 a.m - Lawsuit Against Techdirt - Hilton Room 208-209

The Techdirt technology blog is facing a lawsuit from someone who claims to have invented email. What is a SLAPP suit, and does this suit qualify? What are reasonable defenses against such a suit, and what protections should be provided as a matter of policy?

Featuring: EFF General Counsel, Kurt Opsahl, Techdirt contributor K'Tetch, and intellectual property attorney TJ Mihill

2:30 pm - Crypto Wars Update: U.S., Europe, and Beyond - Hilton Room 208-209

After key escrow and Clipper Chip were defeated in the 90’s, the crypto wars have flared up again, with governments around the world demanding broad access to crypto-protected data. What happens if governments get everything they are asking for, and how can our digital lives be defended?

Featuring: EFF General Counsel Kurt Opsahl, Access Now U.S. Policy Manager Amie Stepanovich, cryptographer Matt Blaze, and others. 

2:30 pm -  Drone Legislation: A Birds-Eye View of Federal, State and Local Regulation - Room Atlanta 4-5

This panel will discuss some of the bills that have taken flight, and sometimes crashed and burned, and give practical examples of how drone enthusiasts can advocate for themselves. 

Featuring: Roboticist and researcher Andrew Norton and EFF Investigative Researcher Dave Maass 

5:30 pm - Fake News and Social Media: The New Propaganda? - Hilton Room 208-209 

What is fake news and what kind of risk does it present to society? How can we defend ourselves from this threat and yet maintain a right to free expression? Does truth even matter any more on electronic media?

Featuring: EFF Researcher Gennie Gebhart, Access Now Policy Manager Amie Stepanovich, and others