EFFector 37.2
Fresh Threats to Privacy Around the Globe
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In our 819th issue:
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Protect Online Privacy and Free Speech. Become an EFF member today!
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Top Features
In response to the U.K.’s demands for a backdoor, Apple has stopped offering users in the U.K. Advanced Data Protection, an optional feature in iCloud that turns on end-to-end encryption for files, backups, and more. As we’ve said time and time again, any backdoor built for the government puts everyone at greater risk of hacking, identity theft, and fraud.
EFF has fought to protect privacy for nearly 35 years at the local, state, and federal level, as well as around the world. We’re glad to join the brigade of lawsuits defending Americans’ privacy from the brazen violations that have played out across multiple federal agencies in the U.S.
EFF Updates
With reproductive rights under fire across the U.S. and globally, access to accurate abortion information has never been more critical and, alarmingly, censorship of this information by social media companies appears to be increasing. In response to this growing issue, EFF has partnered with the Repro Uncensored coalition to collect stories from individuals and organizations who have faced censorship on these platforms to expose the true scale of the issue. If you’ve been affected, let us know.
You might think of Meta as a social media company, but its primary business is surveillance advertising. If you want to limit Meta’s ability to collect and profit from your personal data, here’s what you need to know.
EFF has independently confirmed that Red Note retrieves posted content over plaintext http. Due to this lack of even basic transport layer encryption we don’t think this application is safe for anyone to use. Even if you don’t care about giving China your data, it is not safe to use any application that doesn’t use encryption by default.
As companies and the government become more entwined through CEO friendships, bureaucratic entanglements, and ideological harmony, we should all be asking what online data is private and what is sitting on a company's servers and accessible to corporate leadership at the drop of a hat.
Last month, a federal district court held that backdoor searches of databases full of Americans’ private communications collected under Section 702 ordinarily require a warrant. In light of this ruling, we ask Congress to uphold its responsibility to protect civil rights and civil liberties by refusing to renew Section 702 absent a number of necessary reforms.
As currently drafted, the TAKE IT DOWN Act recently passed by the Senate mandates a notice-and-takedown system that threatens free expression, user privacy, and due process, without addressing the problem it claims to solve. This misguided bill can still be stopped in the House of Representatives. Tell your Representative to vote NO on this bill.
Here’s an audio version of EFFector. We hope you enjoy it!
Announcements
Think attempts to restrict porn won't affect you? If you care about sex ed, we invite you to this event featuring EFF speakers hosted by EducateUS to think again.
EFF is 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.
Is it possible to effectively build the kinds of communities we want online while avoiding the pitfalls that have driven people away?Join our panel where we’ll explore the future of free expression online and why social media might still be worth saving.
EFF thanks Fastly, Corellium, Cyphercon, DeleteMe, SCaLE, and Cactus Con for their generous support, helping us fight for your rights online. To learn more about organizational membership and how your team can make an impact, visit eff.org/thanks.
MiniLinks
EFF’s Lena Cohen explained how Google’s decision to lift its ban on fingerprinting shows a blatant disregard for user privacy. "The same tracking techniques that Google claims are essential for online advertising also expose individuals' sensitive information to data brokers, surveillance companies, and law enforcement," she told the BBC.
Similar to filming the police as they operate, you have the right to film ICE, as long as you are not obstructing official duties. Reason quoted our blog post offering general guidelines when it comes to filming law enforcement, including ICE.
Last month, EFF called on attorneys general in four states to investigate crisis pregnancy centers that may be misrepresenting protections around client information. “We’re just concerned that people are providing deeply personal information in a time of crisis and not realizing that … there might not be actually enforceable guidelines around how that information is being handled,” EFF’s Corynne McSherry told The Dallas Morning News.
Looking at data on police surveillance of subsidized housing residents obtained by Gizmodo, EFF’s Beryl Lipton told the news site, “The idea that people who are already in a vulnerable space in their housing development are subject to increased levels of surveillance simply because that is where they live really highlights how inequitable and unjust these applications of surveillance can be.”
Although courts have the power to seal records in appropriate cases, if and when someone provides a copy of a sealed record to a reporter, the reporter shouldn’t be forced to ignore the newsworthy information in that record. As EFF’s Tori Noble said in a blog post quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle, “Instead, they should be allowed to do what journalists do: report the news.”
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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. https://www.eff.org/pages/membership-faq
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