This year, nearly half of U.S. states passed laws imposing age verification requirements on online platforms. EFF has opposed these efforts, because they censor the internet and burden access to online speech. Though age verification mandates are often touted as “online safety” measures for kids, the laws actually do more harm than good. They undermine…
The opening and closing months of 2024 saw federal enforcement against a number of location data brokers that track and sell users’ whereabouts through apps installed on their smartphones. In January, the Federal Trade Commission brought successful enforcement actions against X-Mode Social and InMarket, banning the companies from selling precise location data—a first prohibition of…
Some of the most picturesque landscapes in the United States can be found along the border with Mexico. Yet, from San Diego’s beaches to the Sonoran Desert, from Big Bend National Park to the Boca Chica wetlands, we see vistas marred by the sinister spread of surveillance technology, courtesy of the federal government. EFF refuses…
EFF has been sounding the alarm on algorithmic decision making (ADM) technologies for years. ADMs use data and predefined rules or models to make or support decisions, often with minimal human involvement, and in 2024, the topic has been more active than ever before, with landlords, employers, regulators, and police adopting new tools that have…
State lawmakers are increasingly shaping the conversation on technology and innovation policy in the United States. As Congress continues to deliberate key issues such as data privacy, police use of data, and artificial intelligence, lawmakers are rapidly advancing their own ideas into state law. That’s why EFF fights for internet rights not only in Congress,…
Every fall, EFF releases its annual report, and 2023 was the year of Privacy First. Our annual report dives into our groundbreaking whitepaper along with victories in freeing the law, right to repair, and more. It’s a great, easy-to-read summary of the year’s work, and it contains interesting tidbits about the impact we’ve made—for instance,…
We’ve been fighting against aerial surveillance for decades because we recognize the immense threat from Big Brother in the sky. Even if you’re behind within the confines of your backyard, you are exposed to eyes from above. Aerial surveillance was first conducted with manned aircrafts, which the Supreme Court held was permissible without a warrant…
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 has…
If you’ve purchased a car made in the last decade or so, it’s likely jam-packed with enough technology to make your brand new phone jealous. Modern cars have sensors, cameras, GPS for location tracking, and more, all collecting data—and it turns out in many cases, sharing it. Cars Sure Are Sharing a Lot of Information…
Although it feels a bit weird to be writing a year in review post for a site that hasn’t even been live for three months, I thought it would be fun to give a behind-the-scenes look at the work we did this year to build EFF’s newest site, Digital Rights Bytes. Since each topic Digital…