Top Features
After three years of virtual gatherings, RightsCon is back! The 12th edition of the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age will be a hybrid convening taking place online through the RightsCon platform and in San José, Costa Rica between June 5-8. We’re excited that many EFFers are heading to Costa Rica and will be actively participating in this year's event – both online and in person. Several members will be leading sessions and contributing as speakers, as well as being available for networking.
A months-long EFF investigation involving hundreds of public records requests uncovered that many California police departments share records containing detailed driving profiles of local residents with out-of-state agencies. EFF, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California demanded 71 California police agencies in 22 counties immediately stop sharing automated license plate reader data with law enforcement agencies in other states.
EFF Updates
We're piloting an audio version of EFFector's Newsletter. We hope you enjoy it!
An EFF public records request revealed documentation that the San Francisco Police Department received live access to hundreds of surveillance cameras in the Union Square Business Improvement District’s camera network in anticipation of potential protests following the police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee.
Latin American and Spanish telecommunications companies have made important advances in their privacy policies and practices. But persistent gaps and worrying trends pose potential risks for internet and mobile phone users, according to a new consolidated report published by EFF based on eight years worth of research by our partners.
A newly unsealed surveillance court order that details massive violations of Americans’ privacy by the FBI underscores why Congress must end or radically change the unconstitutional spying program enabled by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
With its decisions in Gonzalez v. Google and Twitter v. Taamneh, the Supreme Court refused to weaken Section 230—one of the key laws supporting free expression online—and recognized that digital platforms are not usually liable for their users’ illegal acts, ensuring that everyone can continue to use those services to speak and organize.
The Supreme Court has issued its long-awaited decision in Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith, a fair use case that raised fundamental questions about rights and obligations of commercial artists. The Court’s opinion affirmed both important fair use precedents and the role of fair use as a crucial element of the copyright system. EFF filed an amicus brief in the case.
Henry Claypool is a national policy expert and consultant specializing in both disability policy and technology policy, particularly where they intersect. He joins EFF’s Cindy Cohn and Jason Kelley to talk about motivating tech developers to involve disabled people in creating a world where people who function differently have a smooth transition into any forum and can engage with a wide variety of audiences, a seamless inclusion in the full human experience.
Announcements
Snag our new, heavier-weight hoodie with raglan sleeves and gunmetal zipper from our shop or when you donate at the Titanium level or above.
EFF members are invited to join EFF staff in-person for a drink on June 8 in Oakland! This event is a free, casual gathering to give you a chance to mingle with local EFF supporters and meet the activists, lawyers, and technologists behind the world's leading digital civil liberties organization. It is also our chance to thank you, the EFF members who make this work possible.
On Thursday, June 29th, the Bay Area's best legal minds gather in support of online freedom as we celebrate our 15th Annual Cyberlaw Trivia Night! This event brings lawyers from Bay Area firms and tech companies together in the ultimate battle of mastery over privacy, free speech, and intellectual property law. Who will bask in the glory of ultimate victory?
EFF is once again excited to be back in Las Vegas for Black Hat USA August 5-10! If you are interested in submitting a talk to Black Hat, you can contact info@eff.org about any legal concerns regarding your talk or any sensitive InfoSec research you are conducting.
MiniLinks
As the trial against Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev inches closer, EFF’s Cindy Cohn makes the case that writing code equates to free speech, and raises concerns about prosecutors’ failure to provide clarity to the millions of people who are worried that they might be at risk because of their contribution to other open-source projects.
While AI-powered tools like ChatGPT are swiftly gaining steam in medicine, patients rarely have any say—or even any insight—into how these powerful technologies are being used in their own care. EFF’s Rory Mir urges a collaborative and global research process.
The UK’s Online Safety Bill could push providers to create backdoors for monitoring encrypted messages, which creates a strong possibility that services will be intimidated away from using encryption altogether, EFF’s Joe Mullin says.
Montana became the first state in the U.S. to ban TikTok. EFF’s David Greene warns that this law, as a restriction on the way Montanans speak and receive speech, will need to be justified by the state as an appropriately narrow and effective way of protecting Montanans’ personal data.
AllWinner and RockChip Android TV boxes—which boast high ratings on Amazon with thousands of praiseful reviews—are sold preloaded with malware capable of hijacking the devices for any purpose, including coordinated cyberattacks. “It’s an impressive and unsettling operation,” EFF’s Bill Budington said.
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