______ ______ ______ _
| ____|| ____|| ____|___ __ | |_ ___ _ _
| ____|| ____|| ____|/ -_)/ _|| _|/ _ | '_|
|______||_| |_| ___| __| __| ___/|_|

EFFector Vol. 37, No. 1 Monday, January 13, 2025 [email protected]

A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
ISSN 1062-9424

effector: n, Computer Sci. A device for producing a
desired change.

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

In our 818th issue:

* EFFecting Change Livestream 1/16
What direction will your digital rights take under Trump and the 119th
Congress? Find out about the topics EFF is watching and the effect they might
have on you. Join our panel of experts on *January 16, 2025 from 10:00am to
11:00am PST* as they discuss surveillance, age verification, and consumer
privacy. Learn how you can advocate for your digital rights and the resources
available to you with our panel featuring EFF Senior Investigative Researcher
Beryl Lipton, EFF Senior Staff Technologist Bill Budington, EFF Legislative
Director Lee Tien, and EFF Senior Policy Analyst Joe Mullin.

Read more: [link removed]

* 2024 Year in Review
If there is one thing uniting all of EFF's work in 2024, it's this: law and
policy should be careful, precise, practical, and technologically neutral.
Visit this page where we reflect on the past year through dozens of stories
about EFF fighting for digital rights. Importantly, we did not—indeed, we
cannot—do it without you. Your support keeps the lights on and ensures we
are not speaking just for EFF as an organization but for our thousands of
tireless members. Thank you, as always.

Read more: [link removed]

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

EFF Updates

* The Breachies 2024: The Worst, Weirdest, Most Impactful Data Breaches of the Year
Every year, countless emails hit our inboxes telling us that our personal
information was accessed, shared, or stolen in a data breach. But some of
these data breaches are more noteworthy than others, because they include
novel information about us, are the result of particularly noteworthy
security flaws, or are just so massive they’re impossible to ignore. That's
why we're introducing the Breachies, a series of tongue-in-cheek “awards”
for some of the most egregious data breaches of the year.

[link removed]

* Online Behavioral Ads Fuel the Surveillance Industry—Here’s How
Each time you see a targeted ad, your personal information is exposed to
thousands of advertisers and data brokers through a process called
“real-time bidding” (RTB). This process does more than deliver ads—it
fuels government surveillance, poses national security risks, and gives data
brokers easy access to your online activity. RTB might be the most
privacy-invasive surveillance system that you’ve never heard of.

[link removed]

* Sixth Circuit Rules Against Net Neutrality; EFF Will Continue to Fight
Early this month, the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the
FCC, rejecting its authority to classify broadband as a Title II
“telecommunications service.” In doing so, the court removed net
neutrality protections for all Americans and took away the FCC’s ability to
meaningfully regulate internet service providers. By ruling that broadband is
an “information service” and not a “telecommunications service,” this
court is saying that the ISPs that control your broadband access will
continue to face little to no oversight for their actions. This is
intolerable.

[link removed]

* Meta’s New Content Policy Will Harm Vulnerable Users. If It Really Valued Free Speech, It Would Make These Changes
Facebook has a clear and disturbing track record of silencing and further
marginalizing already oppressed peoples, and then being less than forthright
about their content moderation policy. If Meta truly values freedom of
expression, we urge it to redirect its focus to empowering historically
marginalized speakers, rather than empowering only their detractors.

[link removed]

* EFF Goes to Court to Uncover Police Surveillance Tech in California
Which surveillance technologies are California police using? Are they buying
access to your location data? If so, how much are they paying? These are
basic questions the Electronic Frontier Foundation is trying to answer in a
new lawsuit called /Pen-Link v. County of San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office/.
The public has a right to know the technology that law enforcement buys with
taxpayer money. This information is not a trade secret, despite what private
companies try to claim.

[link removed]

* Audio Version of EFFector Newsletter
Here’s an audio version of EFFector. We hope you enjoy it!

[link removed]

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

Announcements

* EFF at CactusCon 13
EFF is excited to be back in Mesa, AZ for CactusCon! If you're attending
CactusCon 13, be sure to stop by the EFF booth to chat. We're excited to say
hi and chat about our work with new and returning faces! 

[link removed]

* EFF at SCaLE 22x
EFF is also excited to be back in Pasadena, CA for SCaLE 22x! Stop by the EFF
booth to chat with some of our team and learn about the latest news in
defending digital freedom for all.

[link removed]

* Thanks to Our Organizational Members
EFF is the leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the
digital world. Organizational memberships and event sponsorships offer your
organization the opportunity to join our movement for a better technological
future. To learn more, please visit eff.org/thanks [1].


[1] [link removed]
[link removed]

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

Job Openings

* Legal Interns
Applications are now open through February 15 for the Summer 2025 Intern
Class! EFF’s legal internships provide law students with a unique
opportunity to develop valuable skills and real-world experience while
working with a nationally-recognized public interest law firm. Legal interns
learn from and assist EFF’s staff attorneys in all aspects of litigation,
including legal research, factual investigation, and drafting of memoranda
and briefs, while also helping with policy research, client counseling, and
the development of public education materials (e.g., blog posts). EFF’s
docket ranges across the technological and legal landscape, from online fair
use of copyrighted materials to illegal government spying.

[link removed]

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

MiniLinks

- License Plate Readers Are Leaking Real-Time Video Feeds and Vehicle Data (Wired)
“By leaving these incredibly insecure tracking devices on the open
internet, police have not only breached public trust but created a bounty of
location data for everyone who drives by which can be abused by stalkers and
other criminals,” explained EFF's Cooper Quintin. “Police shouldn't be
collecting this data at all unless there is an active investigation, and even
then, the devices must be strictly scrutinized for security and public
safety."

[link removed]

- The ‘Worst in Show’ CES products put your data at risk and cause waste, privacy advocates say (Associated Press)
EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn called out a data-sucking "smart crib" as
the least private device at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.
“Parents expect safety and comfort — not surveillance and privacy risks
— in their children’s cribs,” she said.

[link removed]

- It’s not just Tesla. Vehicles amass huge troves of possibly sensitive data. (Washington Post)
EFF's Eva Galperin helped highlight the reams of data that today's vehicles
vacuum up from drivers. In rental cars, this can include opt-in tracking
services and other functions that vehicle owners can turn off.

[link removed]

- 3 million photos a day: Inside SFPD’s huge tech expansion this year (SF Chronicle)
EFF's Saira Hussain expressed our concerns about the troubling expansion of
San Francisco's surveillance technology, including 400 automated license
plate readers. “When you’re talking about 400 concentrated in a very
dense location … it really starts to look like people are going to be able
to be identified as they’re moving about the city,” she said.

[link removed]

- TikTok Takes Its Case to the Supreme Court: What to Know (CNET)
"Shutting down communications platforms or forcing their reorganization based
on concerns of foreign propaganda and anti-national manipulation is an
eminently anti-democratic tactic," said EFF's David Greene, "one that the
U.S. has previously condemned globally."

[link removed]

: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

-------- SUPPORTED BY DONORS
-------------------------------------------------

Our members make it possible for EFF to bring legal and technological
expertise into crucial battles about online rights. Whether defending free
speech online or challenging unconstitutional surveillance, your
participation makes a difference. Every donation gives technology users who
value freedom online a stronger voice and more formidable advocate. Check out
our FAQ for information on memberships, donations, shop orders, corporate
giving, matching gifts, and other ways to give.
[link removed]

If you aren't already, please consider becoming an EFF member today.


[link removed]


: . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :

* Administrivia

Editor:
[email protected]

EFFector is published by:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
[link removed]

Membership & donation queries:
[email protected]

General EFF, legal, policy, or online resources queries:
[email protected]

Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is
encouraged. MiniLinks do not necessarily represent
the views of EFF.

Back issues of EFFector are available via the Web at:
[link removed]

Unsubscribe from future mailings or change your email preferences: [link removed]

Opt out of all EFF email: [link removed]

815 Eddy Street
San Francisco, CA 94109-7701
United States