Favorite In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently reached an agreement allowing the IRS to share with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) taxpayer information of certain immigrants. The redacted 15-page memorandum of understanding (MOU) was exposed in a court case, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos…
All posts tagged Privacy
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…
Digital Identities and the Future of Age Verification in Europe
Favorite This is the first part of a three-part series about age verification in the European Union. In this blog post, we give an overview of the political debate around age verification and explore the age verification proposal introduced by the European Commission, based on digital identities. Part two takes a closer look at the…
Florida’s Anti-Encryption Bill Is a Wrecking Ball to Privacy. There's Still Time to Stop It.
Favorite We’ve seen plenty of bad tech bills in recent years, often cloaked in vague language about “online safety.” But Florida’s SB 868 doesn’t even pretend to be subtle: the state wants a backdoor into encrypted platforms if minors use them, and for law enforcement to have easy access to your messages. This bill should…
Our Privacy Act Lawsuit Against DOGE and OPM: Why a Judge Let It Move Forward
Favorite Last week, a federal judge rejected the government’s motion to dismiss our Privacy Act lawsuit against the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). OPM is disclosing to DOGE agents the highly sensitive personal information of tens of millions of federal employees, retirees, and job applicants. This…
Calyx Institute: A Case Study in Grassroots Innovation
Favorite Technologists play a huge role in building alternative tools and resources when our right to privacy and security are undermined by governments and major corporations. This direct resistance ensures that even in the face of powerful adversaries, communities can find some safety and autonomy through community-built tools. One of the most renowned names in…
Online Tracking is Out of Control—Privacy Badger Can Help You Fight Back
Favorite Every time you browse the web, you’re being tracked. Most websites contain invisible tracking code that allows companies to collect and monetize data about your online activity. Many of those companies are data brokers, who sell your sensitive information to anyone willing to pay. That’s why EFF created Privacy Badger, a free, open-source browser…
Podcast Episode Rerelease: Dr. Seuss Warned Us
Favorite This episode was first released on May 2, 2023. We’re excited to announce that we’re working on a new season of How to Fix the Internet, coming in the next few months! But today we want to lift up an earlier episode that has particular significance right now. In 2023, we spoke with our…
A Win for Encryption: France Rejects Backdoor Mandate
Favorite In a moment of clarity after initially moving forward a deeply flawed piece of legislation, the French National Assembly has done the right thing: it rejected a dangerous proposal that would have gutted end-to-end encryption in the name of fighting drug trafficking. Despite heavy pressure from the Interior Ministry, lawmakers voted Thursday night (article…
EFFecting Change: Is There Hope for Social Media?
Favorite Please join EFF for the next segment of EFFecting Change, our livestream series covering digital privacy and free speech. EFFecting Change Livestream Series:Is There Hope for Social Media?Thursday, March 20th12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Pacific – Check Local TimeThis event is LIVE and FREE! Users are frustrated with legacy social media companies. Is it possible to effectively build…