Favorite It has now been nearly two months since UK Prime Minister Starmer spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, yet there has been no tangible progress in the case of Alaa Abd El Fattah, the British-Egyptian writer, activist, and technologist who remains imprisoned in Egypt. In yet another blow to his family and supporters,…
All posts tagged International
Six Years of Dangerous Misconceptions Targeting Ola Bini and Digital Rights in Ecuador
Favorite Ola Bini was first detained in Quito’s airport six years ago, called a “Russian hacker,” and accused of “alleged participation in the crime of assault on the integrity of computer systems.” It wouldn’t take long for Ecuadorean authorities to find out that he was Swedish and an internationally respected free software developer and computer…
Saving the Internet in Europe: Fostering Choice, Competition and the Right to Innovate
Favorite This post is part four and the final part in a series of posts about EFF’s work in Europe. Read about how and why we work in Europe here. EFF’s mission is to ensure that technology supports freedom, justice, and innovation for all people of the world. While our work has taken us to…
EFF Joins 7amleh Campaign to #ReconnectGaza
Favorite In times of conflict, the internet becomes more than just a tool—it is a lifeline, connecting those caught in chaos with the outside world. It carries voices that might otherwise be silenced, bearing witness to suffering and survival. Without internet access, communities become isolated, and the flow of critical information is disrupted, making an…
RightsCon Community Calls for Urgent Release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah
Favorite Last month saw digital rights organizations and social justice groups head to Taiwan for this year’s RightsCon conference on human rights in the digital age. During the conference, one prominent message was spoken loud and clear: Alaa Abd El-Fattah must be immediately released from illegal detention in Egypt. “As Alaa’s mother, I thank you…
EFF to UK PM Starmer: Call Sisi to Free Alaa and Save Laila
Favorite UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a public commitment on February 14 to Laila Soueif, the mother of Alaa Abd El Fattah, stating “I will do all that I can to secure the release of her son Alaa Abd el-Fattah and reunite him with his family.” While that commitment was welcomed by the family,…
Crimson Memo: Analyzing the Privacy Impact of Xianghongshu AKA Red Note
Favorite Early in January 2025 it seemed like TikTok was on the verge of being banned by the U.S. government. In reaction to this imminent ban, several million people in the United States signed up for a different China-based social network known in the U.S. as RedNote, and in China as Xianghongshu (小红书/ 小紅書; which…
Alaa Abd El Fattah's Mother, Laila Soueif, Calls on UK Government to Help as She Continues Hunger Strike
Favorite As calls by UK’s top leaders for the release of British-Egyptian blogger, coder, and activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah from prison in Cairo continue, Alaa’s mother, math professor Laila Soueif, grows weaker four months into a hunger strike she began in September to keep attention focused on her son and protest the lack of progress…
European Commission Gets Dinged for Unlawful Data Transfer, Sending a Big Message About Accountability
Favorite The European Commission was caught failing to comply with its own data protection regulations and, in a first, ordered to pay damages to a user for the violation. The €400 ($415) award may be tiny compared to fines levied against Big Tech by European authorities, but it’s still a win for users and considerably…
Restrictions on Free Expression and Access to Information in Times of Change: 2024 in Review
Favorite This was an historical year. A year in which elections took place in countries home to almost half the world’s population, a year of war, and collapse of or chaos within several governments. It was also a year of new technological developments, policy changes, and legislative developments. Amidst these sweeping changes, freedom of expression…