The leading nonprofit defending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation.
FEATURED UPDATE
In 2014’s Alice v. CLS Bank , the Supreme Court ruled that an abstract idea does not become eligible for a patent simply by being implemented on a generic computer. Since then, Alice has provided a lifeline for real businesses threatened or sued with bogus patents. This week, on the third anniversary of Alice , EFF is launching a new series called Saved by Alice where we’ll collect these stories of times when Alice came to the rescue. Over the...
FEATURED UPDATE
Update 5:00pm: Zillow has released a statement saying the company has "decided against moving forward with legal action." EFF is pleased that Zillow has withdrawn its threat and won't be seeking to take down any of the posts on McMansion Hell. We hope that other companies seeking to shut down humor, criticism, and parody online see this as a cautionary tale and avoid sending threats in the first place. Earlier this week, Zillow sent an aggressive cease and desist letter...
FEATURED UPDATE
EFF has just launched the Summer Security Camp , a two-week membership drive that challenges people everywhere to gather ‘round the online rights movement and prepare for the privacy and free speech challenges in their paths. Through the 4th of July, anyone can join EFF or renew as a Silicon level member for just $20 and receive a set of miniature field guides with shareable security tips covering these crucially relevant issues : Border Search : know your rights and...
Pull the Plug on Internet Spying Programs
Description:
Every day, the U.S. government sweeps up the emails, text messages, and other online communications of millions of innocent Americans. Congress has a chance to rein in this unconstitutional spying when a key surveillance authority expires at the end of this year.
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Privacy Badger
Description:
Privacy Badger is a browser add-on that stops advertisers and other third-party trackers from secretly tracking where you go and what pages you look at on the web. If an advertiser seems to be tracking you across multiple websites without your permission, Privacy Badger automatically blocks that...
Surveillance Self-Defense
Description:
Surveillance Self-Defense is EFF's online guide to defending yourself and your friends from surveillance by using secure technology and developing careful practices...
The Latest
EFF, Access Now, CDT, and OTI Fight Back Against “Secret” Search Warrants
Can the government stop you from finding out it’s been looking through your private Facebook content as part of a “secret” investigation that’s not actually secret? That’s the question raised by an alarming case pending in the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals. Facebook has described the investigation as "known to...
A July 4 Message from EFF Co-founder John Perry Barlow
There’s no need to make America great again. America has been great since it became the first nation on Earth where a set of ideas became the ruling principles of governance. America was great when it was established that authority did not come from divine right, or indeed anything beyond...
Congress Needs to End Warrantless Spying, Not Make It Permanent
Lawmakers are getting serious about renewing the U.S. government’s Internet spying powers, so we need to get serious about stopping their bad proposals. First out of the gate is a bill from Sen. Tom Cotton, an ardent defender of government surveillance. His bill would not just reauthorize, but make permanent...
Stupid Patent of the Month: Using A Computer To Count Calories
This month’s stupid patent, like many stupid patents before it, simply claims the idea of using a computer for basic calculations. U.S. Patent No. 6,817,863 (the ’863 patent) is titled “Computer program, method, and system for monitoring nutrition content of consumables and for facilitating menu planning.” It claims...
Internet, Activate! Stand Up for Net Neutrality on July 12
Two months ago, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced his plan to abandon the agency’s commitment to protecting net neutrality . On July 12, let’s give the world a preview of what the Internet will look like if the FCC goes forward with its plan to dismantle open Internet protections...
Californians: Demand a Vote on Your Broadband Privacy Before the Telecom Lobby Runs Out the Clock
What do they do when they can’t win the vote? Try to Stop a Vote. Right now, politicians in Sacramento are holding up a bill that would restore your broadband privacy rights and directly reject Congress and the Trump Administration’s decision to side with Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon. It is...
Don’t Trust in Antitrust Law to Protect Net Neutrality
Back in 2014, we considered many possible ways of protecting net neutrality that would not rely on the FCC, including antitrust law. Unfortunately, U.S. antitrust law is not up to the challenge. Antitrust law is an economic doctrine that gives little if any weight to freedom of expression and other...
Five Eyes Unlimited: What A Global Anti-Encryption Regime Could Look Like
This week, the political heads of the intelligence services of Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (the "Five Eyes" alliance) met in Ottawa. The Australian delegation entered the meeting saying publicly that they intended to "thwart the encryption of terrorist messaging." The final...
McMansion Hell Responds to Zillow’s Unfounded Legal Claims
Update 5:00pm: Zillow has released a statement saying the company has "decided against moving forward with legal action." EFF is pleased that Zillow has withdrawn its threat and won't be seeking to take down any of the posts on McMansion Hell. We hope that other companies...
Copyright Office Proposes Modest Fixes to DMCA 1201, Leaves Fundamental Flaws Untouched
The U.S. Copyright Office just released a long-awaited report about Section 1201 , the law that bans circumventing digital restrictions on copyrighted works. Despite years of evidence that the social costs of the law far outweigh any benefits, the Copyright Office is mostly happy with...
