DRM and the laws that back it up actively undermine our computer security. On this Day Against DRM, the first one since we learned about the US government’s efforts to sabotage the integrity of our cryptography and security technology, it’s more important than ever to consider how the unintended consequences of copyright enforcement make us all less safe. How does this happen? In a misguided effort to “protect” digital media, DRM makes computer users more vulnerable. It does this by inhibiting research on security and encryption, and by devising methods for computers to disobey their owners. Laws That Prop Up…
Author: EFFSource
EVENT TODAY: We’re taking this day to educate people about the threats of DRM and the current policy challenges we face around DRM. We just completed a live video discussion at 10:00 AM PDT / 1:00 PM EDT to learn more about these fights and what we can do to take back our rights to control over the digital media and devices that we own. EFF Staff Attorney Mitch Stoltz, International Director Danny O’Brien, and Global Policy Analyst Maira Sutton were featured on this live discussion moderated by Activist April Glaser. Privacy info. This embed will serve content from youtube-nocookie.com…
In the latest legislative move to rein in NSA surveillance, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner today released new language for the USA FREEDOM Act that will be reviewed this Wednesday by the House Judiciary Committee. If passed, the bill will move forward for the full House for a vote. EFF Senior Staff Attorney Lee Tien issued this statement on the proposed “manager’s amendment” text: While we are still analyzing the bill, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner’s new language is a potentially powerful approach to stopping the mass collection of phone records under the Patriot Act—amending several legal provisions that the government can use to…
Last week, the White House released its report on big data and its privacy implications, the result of a 90-day study commissioned by President Obama during his January 17 speech on NSA surveillance reforms. Now that we’ve had a chance to read the report we’d like to share our thoughts on what we liked, what we didn’t, and what we thought was missing. What We Liked Support for ECPA Reform We were happy to see that the report recognized that email privacy is critical, and the law should “ensure the standard of protection for online, digital content is consistent with…
Today is Press Freedom Day. We, along with dozens of organizations, take this opportunity to highlight the cases of journalists and bloggers in danger around the world. But World Press Freedom day is more than that. Any journalist, online or off, will tell you that their freedom to report depends not just on their own safety, but on the safety of a network of contributors and supporters. Confidential sources risk their jobs, their own freedom, or even their lives to provide the leads that end up as a story. Editors, publishers, and Internet hosting services in many countries share legal…
EFF has been working with EarthRights International to quash subpoenas issued to Yahoo!, Google, and Microsoft for the email and personal information of dozens of Ecuadorian environmental activists, attorneys, and journalists in a case that is rooted in a decades-long battle over environmental damage caused by oil drilling in Ecuador. The case should have ended with a $19 billion judgment against Chevron in 2011. But the oil giant refused to pay up, and instead filed suit against the plaintiffs’ lawyer, claiming that the Ecuadorian judgment was the result of a massive conspiracy and fraud against it. As part of that…
EFF is launching a new extension for Firefox and Chrome called Privacy Badger. Privacy Badger automatically detects and blocks spying ads around the Web, and the invisible trackers that feed information to them. You can try it out today: Privacy Badger is EFF’s answer to intrusive and objectionable practices in the online advertising industry, and many advertisers’ outright refusal to meaningfully honor Do Not Track requests. This week, Mozilla published research showing that privacy is the single most important thing that users want from their web browsers. Privacy Badger is part of EFF’s growing campaign to deliver that privacy by…
The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week heard oral argument in two cases involving whether the police, after arresting someone, can search his or her cell phone without a search warrant. Although the police have been allowed to do a limited search of a person after they’ve been arrested, this exception to the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement was never intended to cover the massive amounts of sensitive information on a cell phone. But as the oral arguments made clear, the government is relying on dangerous misconceptions about cell phone technology in an attempt to justify a significant privacy intrusion. The…
Debate Over Mass Surveillance Hampered by Undisclosed FISA Court DecisionsSan Francisco – In a continuing campaign to uncover the government’s secret interpretations of the surveillance laws underlying the National Security Agency (NSA)’s spying programs, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today filed another lawsuit against the Department of Justice, demanding that the government hand over key Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA court) opinions and orders. “We can’t have an informed debate about mass surveillance with access to only half the story,” EFF Staff Attorney Mark Rumold said. “The government’s secret interpretation of laws and the Constitution needs to end. Disclosure of…
The Supreme Court heard oral argument today in another patent case, Limelight Networks, Inc. v. Akamai Technologies, Inc. In this case, the Court considers what to do when one party performs some steps of a patented method and another party performs the remaining steps. Specifically, Akamai wants to hold Limelight liable for patent infringement even though its customers perform one of the steps of the patent (i.e. four steps are performed by Limelight, one by the customers). The Federal Circuit had ruled for Akamai and effectively held Limelight responsible for the actions of its customers. In our amicus brief, we…