Favorite For years now, deep-pocketed individuals and corporations have been turning to civil lawsuits to silence their opponents. These Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs, aren’t designed to win on the merits, but rather to harass journalists, activists, and consumers into silence by suing them over their protected speech. While 34 states have laws…
All posts tagged Free Speech
Tell the Senate: Don’t Weaponize the Treasury Department Against Nonprofits
Favorite Last week the House of Representatives passed a dangerous bill that would allow the Secretary of Treasury to strip a U.S. nonprofit of its tax-exempt status. If it passes the Senate and is signed into law, H.R. 9495 would give broad and easily abused new powers to the executive branch. Nonprofits would not have…
On Alaa Abd El Fattah’s 43rd Birthday, the Fight For His Release Continues
Favorite Today marks prominent British-Egyptian coder, blogger, activist, and political prisoner Alaa Abd El Fattah’s 43rd birthday—his eleventh behind bars. Alaa should have been released on September 29, but Egyptian authorities have continued his imprisonment in contravention of the country’s own Criminal Procedure Code. Since September 29, Alaa’s mother, mathematician Leila Soueif, has been on…
EFF to Court: Reject X’s Effort to Revive a Speech-Chilling Lawsuit Against a Nonprofit
Favorite This post was co-written by EFF legal intern Gowri Nayar. X’s lawsuit against the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate is intended to stifle criticism and punish the organization for its reports criticizing the platform’s content moderation practices, and a previous ruling dismissing the lawsuit should be affirmed, EFF and multiple organizations argued in…
The 2024 U.S. Election is Over. EFF is Ready for What's Next.
Favorite The dust of the U.S. election is settling, and we want you to know that EFF is ready for whatever’s next. Our mission to ensure that technology serves you—rather than silencing, tracking, or oppressing you—does not change. Some of what’s to come will be in uncharted territory. But we have been preparing for whatever…
Triumphs, Trials, and Tangles From California's 2024 Legislative Session
Favorite California’s 2024 legislative session has officially adjourned, and it’s time to reflect on the wins and losses that have shaped Californians’ digital rights landscape this year. EFF monitored nearly 100 bills in the state this session alone, addressing a broad range of issues related to privacy, free speech, and innovation. These include proposed standards…
Podcast Episode Rerelease: So You Think You’re A Critical Thinker
Favorite This episode was first released in March 2023. With this year’s election just weeks away, concerns about disinformation and conspiracy theories are on the rise. We covered this issue in a really enlightening talk in March 2023 with Alice Marwick, the director of research at Data & Society, and previously the cofounder and principal…
Calls to Scrap Jordan's Cybercrime Law Echo Calls to Reject Cybercrime Treaty
Favorite In a number of countries around the world, communities—and particularly those that are already vulnerable—are threatened by expansive cybercrime and surveillance legislation. One of those countries is Jordan, where a cybercrime law enacted in 2023 has been used against LGBTQ+ people, journalists, human rights defenders, and those criticizing the government. We’ve criticized this law…
Square Peg, Meet Round Hole: Previously Classified TikTok Briefing Shows Error of Ban
Favorite A previously classified transcript reveals Congress knows full well that American TikTok users engage in First Amendment protected speech on the platform and that banning the application is an inadequate way to protect privacy—but it banned TikTok anyway. The government submitted the partially redacted transcript as part of the ongoing litigation over the federal…
Human Rights Claims Against Cisco Can Move Forward (Again)
Favorite Google and Amazon – You Should Take Note of Your Own Aiding and Abetting Risk EFF has long pushed companies that provide powerful surveillance tools to governments to take affirmative steps to avoid aiding and abetting human rights abuses. We have also worked to ensure they face consequences when they do not. Last week,…