This year, nearly half of U.S. states passed laws imposing age verification requirements on online platforms. Though age verification mandates are often touted as “online safety” measures for kids, the laws actually do more harm than good.
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...
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...
La EFF lleva años dando la voz de alarma sobre las tecnologías de toma de decisiones algorítmicas (ADM). Las ADM utilizan datos y reglas o modelos predefinidos para tomar o respaldar decisiones, a menudo con una participación humana mínima, y en 2024, el tema ha estado más activo que nunca,...
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...
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...
We've been fighting againstaerial 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...
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...
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...
Mass surveillance authority Section 702 of FISA, which allows the government to collect international communications, many of which happen to have one side in the United States, has been renewed several times since its creation with the passage of the 2008 FISA Amendments Act. This law has been an incessant...
La EFF ha pasado este año instando a gobiernos de todo el mundo, desde Canadá hasta Australia, a que abandonen sus temerarios planes de introducir la verificación de la edad para una variedad de contenidos en línea bajo el pretexto de proteger a los niños en línea. Las herramientas...
Legislators are responding to heavy pressure to do something about generative AI. And it seems their highest priority is to give new or expanded rights to protect celebrity personas–living or dead–and the many people and corporations that profit from them.
The EFF-chaired Electronic Frontier Alliance (EFA) has had a big year! EFA is a loose network of local groups fighting for digital rights in the United States. With an ever-increasing roster of allies across the country, including significant growth on university campuses, EFA has also undergone a bit of...
Dear reader of our blog, surely by now you know the format: as we approach the end of the year, we look back on our work, count our wins, learn from our misses, and lay the groundwork strategies for a better future. It's been an intense year in the fight...
