More Than a Decade Later, Site-Blocking Is Still Censorship
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/more-decade-later-site-blocking-still-censorship
January 26, 2024, 7:45 PM
We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, addressing what's at stake and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation.
As Copyright Week comes to a close, it’s worth remembering why we have in it January. Twelve years ago, a diverse coalition of internet users, websites...
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Save your Twitter Account
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/save-your-twitter-account
January 26, 2024, 12:02 AM
We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, addressing what's at stake and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation.
Amid reports that X—the site formerly known as Twitter—is dropping in value, hindering how people use the site, and engaging in controversial account...
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Tell the FTC: It's Time to Act on the Right to Repair
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/tell-ftc-its-time-act-right-repair
January 25, 2024, 11:22 PM
Do you care about being able to fix and modify your stuff? Then it's time to speak up and tell the Federal Trade Commission that you care about your right to repair.
As we have said before, you own what you buy—and you should be able do what you want with it. That should be the end of the story, whether we’re talking about a car, a tractor, a smartphone, or a computer. If something breaks, you should be able to fix it yourself, or choose who you want to take care of it for you.
The Federal T...
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San Francisco: Vote No on Proposition E to Stop Police from Testing Dangerous Surveillance Technology on You
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/san-francisco-vote-no-proposition-e-stop-police-testing-dangerous-surveillance
January 25, 2024, 6:14 PM
San Francisco voters will confront a looming threat to their privacy and civil liberties on the March 5, 2024 ballot. If Proposition E passes, we can expect the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) will use untested and potentially dangerous technology on the public, any time they want, for a full year without oversight. How do we know this? Because the text of the proposition explicitly permits this, and because a city government proponent of the measure has publicly said as much.

...
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What Home Videotaping Can Tell Us About Generative AI
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/what-home-videotaping-can-tell-us-about-generative-ai
January 24, 2024, 9:04 PM
We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, addressing what's at stake and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation.
It’s 1975. Earth, Wind and Fire rule the airwaves, Jaws is on every theater screen, All In the Family is must-see TV, and Bill Gates and Paul Allen are...
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Victory! Ring Announces It Will No Longer Facilitate Police Requests for Footage from Users
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/ring-announces-it-will-no-longer-facilitate-police-requests-footage-users
January 24, 2024, 7:09 PM
Amazon’s Ring has announced that it will no longer facilitate police's warrantless requests for footage from Ring users. This is a victory in a long fight, not just against blanket police surveillance, but also against a culture in which private, for-profit companies build special tools to allow law enforcement to more easily access companies’ users and their data—all of which ultimately undermine their customers’ trust.
This announcement will also not stop police from trying to get Ri...
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Fragging: The Subscription Model Comes for Gamers
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/fragging-subscription-model-comes-gamers
January 24, 2024, 12:24 AM
We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, addressing what's at stake and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation.
The video game industry is undergoing the same concerning changes we’ve seen before with film and TV, and it underscores the need for meaningful digita...
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FTC Bars X-Mode from Selling Sensitive Location Data
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/ftc-bars-x-mode-selling-sensitive-location-data
January 23, 2024, 11:51 PM
Update, January 23, 2024: Another week, another win! The FTC announced a successful enforcement action against another location data broker, InMarket.
Phone app location data brokers are a growing menace to our privacy and safety. All you did was click a box while downloading an app. Now the app tracks your every move and sends it to a broker, which then sells your location data to the highest bidder, from advertisers to police.
So it is welcome news that the Federal Trade Commission has brought...
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EFF and More Than 100+ NGOS Set Non-Negotiable Redlines Ahead of UN Cybercrime Treaty Negotiations
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/eff-and-more-100-ngos-set-non-negotiable-redlines-ahead-un-cybercrime-treaty
January 23, 2024, 2:44 PM
EFF has joined forces with 110 NGOs today in a joint statement delivered to the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee, clearly outlining civil society non-negotiable redlines for the proposed UN Cybercrime Treaty, and asserting that states should reject the proposed treaty if these essential changes are not implemented. 
The last draft published on November 6, 2023 does not adequately ensure adherence to human rights law and standards. Initially focused on cybercrime, the proposed Treaty has alarmin...
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The Public Domain Benefits Everyone – But Sometimes Copyright Holders Won’t Let Go
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/public-domain-benefits-everyone-sometimes-copyright-holders-wont-let-go
January 22, 2024, 9:36 PM
Every January, we celebrate the addition of formerly copyrighted works to the public domain. You’ve likely heard that this year’s crop of public domain newcomers includes Steamboat Willie, the 1928 cartoon that marked Mickey Mouse’s debut. When something enters the public domain, you’re free to copy, share, and remix it without fear of a copyright lawsuit. But the former copyright holders aren’t always willing to let go of their “property” so easily. That’s where trademark law en...
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The PRESS Act Will Protect Journalists When They Need It Most
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/press-act-will-protect-journalists-when-they-need-it-most
January 22, 2024, 7:45 PM
Our government shouldn’t be spying on journalists. Nor should law enforcement agencies force journalists to identify their confidential sources or go to prison. 
To fix this, we need to change the law. Now, we’ve got our best chance in years. The House of Representatives has passed the Protect Reporters from Exploitive State Spying (PRESS) Act, H.R. 4250, and it’s one of the strongest federal shield bills for journalists we’ve seen. 
Take Action
Tell Congress To Pass the PRESS Act Now...
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It's Copyright Week 2024: Join Us in the Fight for Better Copyright Law and Policy
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/its-copyright-week-2024-join-us-fight-better-copyright-law-and-policy
January 22, 2024, 7:12 PM
We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, addressing what's at stake and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation.
Copyright law affects so much of our daily lives, and new technologies have only helped make everyone more and more aware of it. For example, while 1998�...
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Tools to Protect Your Privacy Online | EFFector 36.1
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/tools-protect-your-privacy-online-effector-361
January 22, 2024, 6:02 PM
New year, but EFF is still here to keep you up to date with the latest digital rights happenings! Be sure to check out our latest newsletter, EFFector 36.1, which covers topics ranging from: our thoughts on AI watermarking, changes in the tech landscape we'd like to see in 2024, and updates to our Street Level Surveillance hub and Privacy Badger.
EFFector 36.1 is out now—you can read the full newsletter here, or subscribe to get the next issue in your inbox automatically! You can also listen t...
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The No AI Fraud Act Creates Way More Problems Than It Solves
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/no-ai-fraud-act-creates-way-more-problems-it-solves
January 19, 2024, 11:27 PM
Creators have reason to be wary of the generative AI future. For one thing, while GenAI can be a valuable tool for creativity, it may also be used to deceive the public and disrupt existing markets for creative labor. Performers, in particular, worry that AI-generated images and music will become deceptive substitutes for human models, actors, or musicians.
Existing laws offer multiple ways for performers to address this issue. In the U.S., a majority of states recognize a “right of publicit...
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Companies Make it Too Easy for Thieves to Impersonate Police and Steal Our Data
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/companies-make-it-too-easy-thieves-impersonate-police-and-steal-our-data
January 19, 2024, 4:29 PM
For years, people have been impersonating police online in order to get companies to hand over incredibly sensitive personal information. Reporting by 404 Media recently revealed that Verizon handed over the address and phone logs of an individual to a stalker pretending to be a police officer who had a PDF of a fake warrant. Worse, the imposter wasn’t particularly convincing. His request was missing a form that is required for search warrants from his state. He used the name of a police offic...
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EFF’s 2024 In/Out List
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/effs-2024-inout-list
January 19, 2024, 2:46 PM
Since EFF was formed in 1990, we’ve been working hard to protect digital rights for all. And as each year passes, we’ve come to understand the challenges and opportunities a little better, as well as what we’re not willing to accept. Accordingly, here’s what we’d like to see a lot more of, and a lot less of, in 2024.
in-out-2024.png





IN1. Affordable and future-proof internet access for all
EFF has long advocated for affordable, accessible, and future-pro...
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EFF Unveils Its New Street Level Surveillance Hub
https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-unveils-its-new-street-level-surveillance-hub
January 10, 2024, 6:56 PM
The Updated and Expanded Hub Sheds New Light on the Digital Surveillance Dragnet that Law Enforcement Deploys Against EveryoneSAN FRANCISCO—The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today unveiled its new Street Level Surveillance hub, a standalone website featuring expanded and updated content on various technologies that law enforcement agencies commonly use to invade Americans’ privacy. 
The hub has new or updated pages on automated license plate readers, biometric surveillance, body-worn...
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Privacy Badger Puts You in Control of Widgets
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/privacy-badger-puts-you-control-widgets
January 10, 2024, 2:34 PM
The latest version of Privacy Badger 1 replaces embedded tweets with click-to-activate placeholders. This is part of Privacy Badger's widget replacement feature, where certain potentially useful widgets are blocked and then replaced with placeholders. This protects privacy by default while letting you restore the original widget whenever you want it or need it for the page to function.
Websites often include external elements such as social media buttons, comments sections, and video players. ...
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UAE Confirms Trial Against 84 Detainees; Ahmed Mansoor Suspected Among Them
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/uae-confirms-trial-against-84-detainees-ahmed-mansoor-suspected-among-them
January 10, 2024, 10:51 AM
The UAE confirmed this week that it has placed 84 detainees on trial, on charges of “establishing another secret organization for the purpose of committing acts of violence and terrorism on state territory.” Suspected to be among those facing trial is award-winning human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, also known as the “the million dollar dissident,” as he was once the target of exploits that exposed major security flaws in Apple’s iOS operating system—the kind of “zero-day” vuln...
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Craig Newmark Philanthropies – Celebrating 30 Years of Support for Digital Rights
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/craig-newmark-philanthropies-celebrating-30-years-support-digital-rights
January 9, 2024, 12:16 AM
EFF has been awarded a new $200,000 grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to strengthen our cybersecurity work in 2024. We are especially grateful this year, as it marks 30 years of donations from Craig Newmark, who joined as an EFF member just three years after our founding and four years before he launched the popular website craigslist.  
Over the past several years, grants from Craig Newmark Philanthropies have focused on supporting trustworthy journalism to defend our democracy and hold...
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EFF Urges Pennsylvania Supreme Court to Find Keyword Search Warrant Unconstitutional
https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-urges-pennsylvania-supreme-court-find-keyword-search-warrant-unconstitutional
January 5, 2024, 7:21 PM
These Dragnet Searches Violate the Privacy of Millions of Americans SAN FRANCISCO—Keyword warrants that let police indiscriminately sift through search engine databases are unconstitutional dragnets that target free speech, lack particularity and probable cause, and violate the privacy of countless innocent people, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and other organizations argued in a brief filed today to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. 
Everyone deserves to search online without pol...
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AI Watermarking Won't Curb Disinformation
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/ai-watermarking-wont-curb-disinformation
January 5, 2024, 6:46 PM
Generative AI allows people to produce piles upon piles of images and words very quickly. It would be nice if there were some way to reliably distinguish AI-generated content from human-generated content. It would help people avoid endlessly arguing with bots online, or believing what a fake image purports to show. One common proposal is that big companies should incorporate watermarks into the outputs of their AIs. For instance, this could involve taking an image and subtly changing many pixels...
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EFF Asks Court to Uphold Federal Law That Protects Online Video Viewers’ Privacy and Free Expression
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/eff-asks-court-uphold-federal-law-protects-online-video-viewers-privacy-and-free
January 4, 2024, 6:41 PM
As millions of internet users watch videos online for news and entertainment, it is essential to uphold a federal privacy law that protects against the disclosure of everyone’s viewing history, EFF argued in court last month.
For decades, the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) has safeguarded people’s viewing habits by generally requiring services that offer videos to the public to get their customers’ written consent before disclosing that information to the government or a private party...
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Victory! Police Drone Footage is Not Categorically Exempt From California’s Public Records Law
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/01/victory-police-drone-footage-not-categorically-exempt-californias-public-records
January 3, 2024, 6:20 PM
Video footage captured by police drones sent in response to 911 calls cannot be kept entirely secret from the public, a California appellate court ruled last week.
The decision by the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District came after a journalist sought access to videos created by Chula Vista Police Department’s “Drones as First Responders” (DFR) program. The police department is the first law enforcement agency in the country to use drones to respond to emergency calls, and se...
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Digital Rights for LGBTQ+ People: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/digital-rights-lgbtq-people-2023-review
January 1, 2024, 1:16 PM
An increase in anti-LGBTQ+ intolerance is impacting individuals and communities both online and offline across the globe. Throughout 2023, several countries sought to pass explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives restricting freedom of expression and privacy. This fuels offline intolerance against LGBTQ+ people, and forces them to self-censor their online expression to avoid being profiled, harassed, doxxed, or criminally prosecuted. 
One growing threat to LGBTQ+ people is data surveillance. Across t...
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Year In Review: Google’s Corporate Paternalism in The Browser
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/year-review-googles-corporate-paternalism-browser
January 1, 2024, 1:15 PM
It’s a big year for the oozing creep of corporate paternalism and ad-tracking technology online. Google and its subsidiary companies have tightened their grips on the throat of internet innovation, all while employing the now familiar tactic of marketing these things as beneficial for users. Here we’ll review the most significant changes this year, all emphasizing the point that browser privacy tools (like Privacy Badger) are more important than ever.
Manifest V2 to Manifest V3: Final Death ...
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How To Fight Bad Patents: 2023 Year In Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/how-fight-bad-patents-2023-year-review
December 31, 2023, 2:14 PM
At EFF, we believe that all the rights we have in the offline world–to speak freely, create culture, play games, build things and do business–must hold up in the digital world, as well. 
EFF’s longstanding project of fighting for a more balanced, just patent system has always borne free expression in mind. And patent trolls, who simply use intellectual property (IP) rights to extract money from others, continue to be a barrier to people who want to freely innovate, or even just use techno...
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Taking Back the Web with Decentralization: 2023 in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/taking-back-web-decentralization-2023-review
December 31, 2023, 2:12 PM
When a system becomes too tightly-controlled and centralized, the people being squeezed tend to push back to reclaim their lost autonomy. The internet is no exception. While the internet began as a loose affiliation of universities and government bodies, that emergent digital commons has been increasingly privatized and consolidated into a handful of walled gardens. Their names are too often made synonymous with the internet, as they fight for the data and eyeballs of their users.
In the past fe...
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States Attack Young People’s Constitutional Right to Use Social Media: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/states-attack-young-peoples-constitutional-right-use-social-media-2023-year-review
December 30, 2023, 3:58 PM
Legislatures in more than half of the country targeted young people’s use of social media this year, with many of the proposals blocking adults’ ability to access the same sites. State representatives introduced dozens of bills that would limit young people’s use of some of the most popular sites and apps, either by requiring the companies to introduce or amend their features or data usage for young users, or by forcing those users to get permission from parents, and in some cases, share t...
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Fighting European Threats to Encryption: 2023 Year in Review 
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/fighting-european-threats-encryption-2023-year-review
December 30, 2023, 2:42 PM
Private communication is a fundamental human right. In the online world, the best tool we have to defend this right is end-to-end encryption. Yet throughout 2023, politicians across Europe attempted to undermine encryption, seeking to access and scan our private messages and pictures. 
But we pushed back in the EU, and so far, we’ve succeeded. EFF spent this year fighting hard against an EU proposal (text) that, if it became law, would have been a disaster for online privacy in the EU and thr...
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First, Let’s Talk About Consumer Privacy: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/first-lets-talk-about-consumer-privacy-2023-year-review
December 29, 2023, 7:53 PM
Whatever online harms you want to alleviate on the internet today, you can do it better—with a broader impact—if you enact strong consumer data privacy legislation first. That is a grounding principle that has informed much of EFF’s consumer protection work in 2023.
While consumer privacy will not solve every problem, it is superior to many other proposals that attempt to address issues like child mental health or foreign government surveillance. That is true for two reasons: well written ...
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Fighting For Your Digital Rights Across the Country: Year in Review 2023
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/fighting-your-digital-rights-across-country-year-review-2023
December 29, 2023, 7:42 PM
EFF works every year to improve policy in ways that protect your digital rights in states across the country. Thanks to the messages of hundreds of EFF members across the country, we've spoken up for digital rights this year from Sacramento to Augusta.
Much of EFF's state legislative work has, historically, been in our home state of California—also often the most active state on digital civil liberties issues. This year, the Golden State passed several laws that strengthen consumer digital rig...
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In the Trenches of Broadband Policy: 2023 Year In Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/trenches-broadband-policy-2023-year-review
December 29, 2023, 7:31 PM
EFF has long advocated for affordable, accessible, future-proof internet access for all. Nearly 80% of Americans already consider internet access to be as essential as water and electricity, so as our work, health services, education, entertainment, social lives, etc. increasingly have an online component, we cannot accept a future where the quality of your internet access—and so the quality of your connection to these crucial facets of your life—is determined by geographic, socioeconomic, o...
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Protecting Students from Faulty Software and Legislation: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/protecting-students-faulty-software-and-legislation-2023-year-review
December 28, 2023, 4:25 PM
Lawmakers, schools districts, educational technology companies and others keep rolling out legislation and software that threatens students’ privacy, free speech, and access to social media, in the name of “protecting” children. At EFF, we fought back against this overreach and demand accountability and transparency.
Bad bills and invasive monitoring systems, though sometimes well-meaning, hurt students rather than protect them from the perceived dangers of the internet and social media....
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Kids Online Safety Shouldn’t Require Massive Online Censorship and Surveillance: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/kids-online-safety-shouldnt-require-massive-online-censorship-and-surveillance
December 28, 2023, 4:25 PM
There’s been plenty of bad news regarding federal legislation in 2023. For starters, Congress has failed to pass meaningful comprehensive data privacy reforms. Instead, legislators have spent an enormous amount of energy pushing dangerous legislation that’s intended to limit young people’s use of some of the most popular sites and apps, all under the guise of protecting kids. Unfortunately, many of these bills would run roughshod over the rights of young people and adults in the process. W...
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The Atlas of Surveillance Hits Major Milestones: 2023 in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/atlas-surveillance-hits-major-milestones-2023-review
December 28, 2023, 4:24 PM
"The EFF are relentless."
That's what a New York Police Department lieutenant wrote on LinkedIn after someone sent him a link to the Atlas of Surveillance, EFF's moonshot effort to document which U.S. law enforcement agencies are using which technologies, including drones, automated license plate readers and face recognition. Of course, the lieutenant then went on to attack us with unsubstantiated accusations of misinformation — but we take it all as a compliment.
If you haven't checked out ...
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International Threats to Freedom of Expression: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/international-threats-freedom-expression-2023-year-review
December 27, 2023, 6:36 PM
2023 has been an unfortunate reminder that the right to free expression is most fragile for groups on the margins, and that it can quickly become a casualty during global conflicts. Threats to speech arose out of the ongoing war in Palestine. They surfaced in bills and laws around the world that explicitly restrict LGBTQ+ freedom of expression and privacy. And past threats—and acts—were ignored by the United Nations, as the UN’s Secretary-General announced it would grant Saudi Arabia host ...
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Equitable Access to the Law Got Stronger: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/equitable-access-law-got-stronger-year
December 27, 2023, 6:32 PM
It seems like a no-brainer that everyone should be able to read, copy, and share the laws we all must follow, but few things are simple in the internet age. Public.Resource.Org’s victory at the D.C. Circuit appeals court in September, in which the court ruled that non-commercial copying of codes and standards that have been incorporated into the law is not copyright infringement, was ten years in the making.The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), National Fire Protection Associa...
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Just a Little Does a Whole Lot
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/just-little-does-whole-lot
December 27, 2023, 5:51 PM
You might’ve heard that most of EFF’s funding comes from regular people’s modest donations—we’re proud of that. But did you know that EFF members who donate $10 or less each month raised over $400,000 for digital rights this year?
That covers multiple staff members who work in the courts, run advocacy campaigns, and build privacy-enhancing free tech. It might seem like a small gift from you, but it's a huge help to EFF. Truly, just a little does a whole lot. You can be a Sustaining Don...
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The U.S. Supreme Court’s Busy Year of Free Speech and Tech Cases: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/2023-year-review-us-supreme-courts-busy-year-free-speech-and-tech-cases
December 27, 2023, 1:40 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court has taken an unusually active interest in internet free speech issues. EFF participated as amicus in a whopping nine cases before the court this year. The court decided four of those cases, and decisions in the remaining five cases will be published in 2024.   
Of the four cases decided this year, the results are a mixed bag. The court showed restraint and respect for free speech rights when considering whether social media platforms should be liable for ISIS content, ...
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EFF Membership: 2023 Year In Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/eff-membership-2023-year-review
December 26, 2023, 3:25 PM
Throughout the many years that EFF has been around, our goal has remained consistent: creating a future where you have your rights when you go online, and one where they are enhanced by new technologies. But our goal isn't the only part of EFF that has remained consistent: for decades, the digital freedom supporters that lift our organization have been stalwart allies that help ensure we can continue fighting for privacy, free expression, and innovation online.
It's because of these supporters t...
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Surveillance Self-Defense: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/surveillance-self-defense-2023-year-review
December 26, 2023, 3:20 PM
It's been a big year for Surveillance Self-Defense (SSD), our repository of self-help resources for helping better protect you and your friends from online spying. We've done a number of updates and tackled a few new emerging topics with blog posts.
Fighting for digital security and privacy rights is important, but sometimes we all just need to know what steps we can take to minimize spying, and when steps aren't possible, explaining how things work to help keep you safe. To do this, we break S...
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Recent Surveillance Revelations, Enduring Latin American Issues: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/recent-surveillance-revelations-enduring-latin-american-issues-2023-year-review
December 25, 2023, 5:39 PM
 The challenges in ensuring strong privacy safeguards, proper oversight of surveillance powers, and effective remedy for those arbitrarily affected continued during 2023 in Latin America. Let’s take a few, non-exhaustive, examples.
We saw a scandal unveiling that Brazilian Intelligence agents monitored movements of politicians, journalists, lawyers, police officers, and judges. In Perú, leaked documents indicated negotiations between the government and an U.S. vendor of spying technologies. ...
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The Last Mile of Encrypting the Web: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/year-review-last-mile-encrypting-web
December 25, 2023, 5:21 PM
At the start of 2023, we sunsetted the HTTPS Everywhere web extension. It encrypted browser communications with websites and made sure users benefited from the protection of HTTPS wherever possible. HTTPS Everywhere ended because all major browsers now offer the functionality to make HTTPS the default. This is due to the grand efforts of the many technologists and advocates involved with Let’s Encrypt, HTTPS Everywhere, and Certbot over the last 10 years.
The immense impact of this “Encrypt ...
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Protecting Encryption And Privacy In The US: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/protecting-encryption-and-privacy-us-2023-year-review
December 24, 2023, 5:30 PM
EFF believes you have the right to have a private conversation–in the physical world, and in the digital world. The best technology to protect that right is end-to-end encryption. 
Governments around the world are working hard to monitor online conversations, far beyond the bounds of traditional targeted law enforcement. 2023 has been a year of unprecedented threats to encryption and privacy. 
In the US, three Senate bills were introduced that, in our view, would discourage, weaken, or creat...
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Corporate Spy Tech and Inequality: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/corporate-spy-tech-and-inequality-2023-year-review
December 24, 2023, 5:30 PM
Our personal data and the ways private companies harvest and monetize it plays an increasingly powerful role in modern life. Throughout 2023, corporations have continued to collect our personal data, sell it to governments, use it to reach inferences about us, and exacerbate existing structural inequalities across society. 
EFF is fighting back. Earlier this year, we filed comments with the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration addressing the ways that corporate data s...
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Sketchy and Dangerous Android Children’s Tablets and TV Set-Top Boxes: 2023 in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/sketchy-and-dangerous-android-childrens-tablets-and-tv-set-top-boxes-2023-review
December 23, 2023, 9:29 PM
You may want to save your receipts if you gifted any low-end Android TV set-top boxes or children's tablets to a friend or loved one this holiday season. In a series of investigations this year, EFF researchers confirmed the existence of dangerous malware on set-top boxes manufactured by AllWinner and RockChip, and discovered sketchyware on a tablet marketed for kids from the manufacturer Dragon Touch. 
Though more reputable Android devices are available for watching TV and keeping the little o...
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Artificial Intelligence and Policing: Year in Review 2023
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/artificial-intelligence-and-policing-year-review-2023
December 23, 2023, 5:33 PM
Machine learning, artificial intelligence, algorithmic decision making–regardless of what you call it, and there is hot debate over that, this technology has been touted as a supposed threat to humanity, the future of work, as well as the hot new money-making doohickey. But one thing is for certain, with the amount of data required to input into these systems, law enforcement are seeing major opportunities, and our civil liberties will suffer the consequences. In one sense, all of the informat...
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Electronic Frontier Alliance Comes Back Strong: 2023 in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/electronic-frontier-alliance-comes-back-strong-2023-review
December 22, 2023, 7:03 PM
The Electronic Frontier Alliance (EFA) is a loose network of local groups fighting for digital rights in the United States, chaired by EFF. Members’ efforts have been recovering from the limitations put on local organizing caused by the pandemic. More EFA members have been holding in-person workshops and meet-ups that help cement the relationships needed to do their work.
If you’re a member of a local or state group in the United States that fights for digital rights and might want to join, ...
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EFF Continues Fight Against Unconstitutional Geofence and Keyword Search Warrants: 2023 Year in Review
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/eff-continues-fight-against-unconstitutional-geofence-and-keyword-search-warrants
December 22, 2023, 6:30 PM
EFF continues to fight back against high-tech general warrants that compel companies to search broad swaths of users’ personal data. In 2023, we saw victory and setbacks in a pair of criminal cases that challenged the constitutionality of geofence and keyword searches. 
These types of warrants—mostly directed at Google—cast a dragnet that require a provider to search its entire reserve of user data to either identify everyone in a particular area (geofence) or everyone who has searched f...
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