Favorite The U.K.’s Online Safety Bill (OSB) has passed a critical final stage in the House of Lords, and envisions a potentially vast scheme to surveil internet users. The bill would empower the U.K. government, in certain situations, to demand that online platforms use government-approved software to search through all users’ photos, files, and messages, scanning for…
All posts tagged Commentary
UK Online Safety Bill Will Mandate Dangerous Age Verification for Much of the Web
Favorite This blog post was co-written by Dr. Monica Horten, and is also available on the Open Rights Group website. Under new age verification rules in the UK’s massive Online Safety Bill, all internet platforms with UK users will have to stop minors from accessing ‘harmful’ content, as defined by the UK Parliament. This will affect adult…
ISPs Should Not Police Online Speech—No Matter How Awful It Is.
Favorite Entrusting our speech to multiple different corporate actors is always risky. Yet given how most of the internet is currently structured, our online expression largely depends on a set of private companies ranging from our direct Internet service providers and platforms, to upstream ISPs (sometimes called Tier 2 and 3), all the way up…
The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act is A Terrible Alternative to KOSA
Favorite A new bill sponsored by Sen. Schatz (D-HI), Sen. Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Murphy (D-CT), and Sen. Britt (R-AL) would combine some of the worst elements of various social media bills aimed at “protecting the children” into a single law. It contains elements of the dangerous Kids Online Safety Act as well as several ideas pulled from state…
The Industry Discussion About Standards For Bluetooth-Enabled Physical Trackers is Finally Getting Started
Favorite Bluetooth-enabled location trackers such as Tiles and AirTags aren’t just a helpful way to find missing luggage or a misplaced wallet—they can also be easily slipped surreptitiously into a bag or car, allowing stalkers and abusers unprecedented access to a person’s location without their knowledge. At EFF, we have been sounding the alarm about…
Your Computer Should Say What You Tell It To Say
Favorite WEI? I’m a frayed knot Two pieces of string walk into a bar. The first piece of string asks for a drink. The bartender says, “Get lost. We don’t serve pieces of string.” The second string ties a knot in his middle and messes up his ends. Then he orders a drink. The bartender…
Facebook Apparently Will Ask for Consent Before Showing Behavioral Ads to Some Users
Favorite For many years now, EFF has argued that pervasive online behavioral surveillance, which powers the exploitative data broker industry as well as some of the largest online tech companies, should be banned. Companies should voluntarily make these changes to benefit their users, but EFF also strongly supports legislation that would require businesses to get…
FBI Seizure of Mastodon Server is a Wakeup Call to Fediverse Users and Hosts to Protect their Users
Favorite We’re in an exciting time for users who want to take back control from major platforms like Twitter and Facebook. However, this new environment comes with challenges and risks for user privacy, so we need to get it right and make sure networks like the Fediverse and Bluesky are mindful of past lessons. Last…
A Broad Federal Publicity Right Is a Risky Answer to Generative AI Problems
Favorite As users continue to experiment with generative AI tools, artists are increasingly concerned that use of the tools to mimic their respective “styles” will put them out of business. In addition to the now-infamous AI-generated song that seemed to feature Drake and The Weeknd, digital artists, musicians, actors, writers, and others are seeing their…
EFF's Comment to the Meta Oversight Board on United States Posts Discussing Abortion
Favorite This post was co-authored with EFF legal intern Virginia Kennedy. EFF recently submitted comments to the Meta Oversight Board’s call for submissions last month about posts in the United States discussing abortion that were removed under the company’s violence and incitement policy. EFF’s comments address the over-removal of abortion-related content and the use of…