The Law Should Not Require Parental Consent for All Minors to Access Social Media

Favorite Numerous state laws passed this year, and bills proposed in Congress, would set onerous new restrictions on what young people can do online, depriving teenagers of their First Amendment rights to express themselves, access protected speech, engage in anonymous speech, and participate in online communities. They also enforce a presumption that parents of minors…

The UK Online Safety Bill Must Not Violate Our Rights to Free Speech And Private Communication

Favorite As the UK’s Online Safety Bill moves through negotiations in the House of Lords, EFF, Open Rights Group, Wikimedia UK, and Index on Censorship have submitted a briefing urging the Lords to uphold the right to private messaging, and protect against prior restraint of lawful speech. Clause 110 of the bill requires websites and…

The Kids Online Safety Act is Still A Huge Danger to Our Rights Online

Favorite Congress has resurrected the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill that would increase surveillance and restrict access to information in the name of protecting children online. KOSA was introduced in 2022 but failed to gain traction, and today its authors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), have reintroduced it with slight…

Greenpeace Stands Up Against SLAPPs And Wins 

Greenpeace Stands Up Against SLAPPs And Wins 

Favorite The U.S. litigation system is meant to resolve serious disputes. Unfortunately, the high cost of litigation can be weaponized as a means of harassment and censorship. That’s become all too common, and the last few decades have seen the rise of what’s known as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, or SLAPP.  At EFF,…

Texas Should Leave Its Anti-SLAPP Law Alone

Favorite The Texas Citizens Participation Act, or TCPA, has been one of the strongest laws in the nation protecting citizens against lawsuits intended to silence or punish individuals who speak up on public matters. But HB 2781, a bill making its way through the state’s legislature right now, would needlessly undercut the protections Texans have…

EFF and ECNL's Comment to the Meta Oversight Board on the Term 'Shaheed'

Favorite EFF Intern Reema Moussa authored this post. EFF recently submitted comments in partnership with the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) in response to the Oversight Board’s request for input on the moderation of the Arabic word “shaheed.” The Oversight Board was created by Meta in 2020 as an appellate body and has 27…

The STOP CSAM Act Would Put Security and Free Speech at Risk

Favorite A new U.S. Senate bill introduced this week threatens security and free speech on the internet. EFF urges Congress to reject the STOP CSAM Act of 2023, which would undermine services offering end-to-end encryption, and force internet companies to take down lawful user content.    The bill is aimed at removing from the internet child…

Podcast Episode: Safer Sex Work Makes a Safer Internet

Podcast Episode: Safer Sex Work Makes a Safer Internet

Favorite An internet that is safe for sex workers is an internet that is safer for everyone. Though the effects of stigmatization and criminalization run deep, the sex worker community exemplifies how technology can help people reduce harm, share support, and offer experienced analysis to protect each other. But a 2018 federal law purportedly aimed…