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S.T.O.P.—Surveillance Technology Oversight Project

Nov 18

Wondering where you can find EFF beyond Twitter? Start with our webpage, eff.org. Our newsletter, EFFector, will put all the latest news in your mailbox. We only send a few emails a month, and EFF doesn’t share, swap, or sell your info.

Sarah Roth, of Electronic Frontier Alliance member

@STOPSpyingNY

, on the risks of surveillance-as-healthcare tools in

@techpolicypress

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@STOPSpyingNY

The right mental health care doesn't come from a wearable that collects your data and makes you a target for police activity. To learn more about the Preeta FitBit and the risks it poses to users, check out this op-ed by STOP's Sarah Roth. @techpolicypress techpolicy.press/the-virtual-as

What is doxxing? Elon Musk claims he was doxxed by the journalists suspended Thursday by Twitter.

EFF’s

@legind

spoke with MarketWatch about what is and isn’t “doxxing.” The motivation is “usually harassing,” and sharing public flight data not gathered from multiple sources falls pretty far underneath the threshold.

marketwatch.com

"I think this falls pretty far underneath the threshold of what's considered doxxing," says top technologist at nonprofit digital-rights group.

It's time once again: Share your transparency horror story with a nomination to The Foilies 2023

Calling all investigative reporters and transparency advocates: got a horror story about a public records request you filed in 2022? Nominate the agency for The Foilies!

muckrock.com

We are now accepting submissions for The Foilies 2023, the annual project to give tongue-in-cheek awards to the officials and institutions that behave badly (or ridiculously) when served with a...

We share our partner

@hiperderecho

’s serious concerns regarding the violent repression of protests by police and armed forces in Perú, which has already led to more than 20 deaths. The right to protest, document, and expose police brutality is key to safeguarding human rights.

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Hiperderecho

@hiperderecho

Dec 13

Como organización de sociedad civil que trabaja por defender y promover los derechos humanos, desde el uso y disfrute de las tecnologías nos pronunciamos.

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Ahora, más que nunca, los ciudadanos deben ser capaces de hacer responsables a los que están en el poder e inspirar a otros a través del acto de protesta. Proteger sus dispositivos electrónicos y...

¿Planeas asistir a una protesta? Proteger tus dispositivos electrónicos y activos digitales antes, durante y después de una protesta es vital para mantenerte a ti y a tu información a salvo, así como para difundir tu mensaje.

ssd.eff.org

Asistir a una protesta

The actions of social media platforms and payment intermediaries—like Stripe—are arbitrarily influencing what kind of speech and nudity can exist online. It’s time for payment processors to stop censoring legal content and grow up.

No Nudity Allowed: Censoring Naked Yoga

Most nude content is legal, and engaging with such material online provides individuals with a safe and open framework to explore their identities, build communities, and discover new interests.

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We're this close to a huge win for the right to repair. The New York legislature believes we should have more control over our stuff. Tell

that you do, too.

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New York's right to repair bill sets a new standard and would be a win for anyone who wants to fix their own stuff. Tell

to sign this bill!

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What you need to know about stalkerware

23h

"One of the reasons why getting full access to your device is really tempting for governments is the same reason it’s tempting for abusive partners and former partners: we carry tracking devices in our pockets." - EFF Director of Cybersecurity

@evacide

ted.com

"Full access to a person's phone is the next best thing to full access to a person's mind," says cybersecurity expert Eva Galperin. In an urgent talk, she describes the emerging danger of stalkerware...

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The Trojan House — S.T.O.P. - The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project

Thinking about getting a smart-home device this holiday season? Check out this report by Electronic Frontier Alliance member

@StopSpyingNY

before you make any purchases

stopspying.org

S.T.O.P.’s report, The Trojan House, details what “smart home” gifts not to buy due to surveillance concerns, including smart security cameras, speakers, thermostats, vacuums, and other home goods....

Targeted advertising based on online behavior doesn’t just hurt privacy. It also contributes to a range of other harms.

Ban Online Behavioral Advertising

Tech companies earn staggering profits by targeting ads to us based on our online behavior. This incentivizes all online actors to collect as much of our behavioral information as possible, and then

People should not have to worry that their vaccine information will become a universal tracking tool that could be used against them.

has a chance to protect vaccine privacy. Tell her to sign today! act.eff.org/action/new-yor

Staying up-to-date on your digital rights has never been easier. Subscribe to our emailed newsletter or listen to the audio version:

Digital Rights Updates with EFFector 34.6

Want the latest news on your digital rights? Well, you're in luck! Version 34, issue 6 of our EFFector newsletter is out now. Catch up on the latest EFF news by reading our newsletter or listening to

In 2020, two copyright bills were added to the end-of-the-year spending package. That bill was what’s known as “must-pass” legislation—i.e. something that is considered vitally important and must...

As we get closer to a deal on the must-pass omnibus bill, now is the time to remind Congress that copyright creep has no place in it.

act.eff.org

Stop the Copyright Creep

New York is one step away from setting a new standard for the right to repair. Tell

@GovKathyHochul

to sign this bill! act.eff.org/action/new-yor

Police in London and South Wales have shown that the UK government, like all governments, cannot be trusted with the invasive power of face recognition technology. We follow a chorus of organizations & researchers in the UK demanding that authorities stop.

Ban Government Use of Face Recognition In the UK

In 2015, Leicestershire Police scanned the faces of 90,000 individuals at a music festival in the UK and checked these images against a database of people suspected of crimes across Europe. This was

If you missed the automated license plate reader (ALPR) panel hosted by Electronic Frontier Alliance member

, you can still watch it online. (This video also features the EFF's own José!):

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Lucy Parsons Labs #BLM

Automated License Plate Readers 101 twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1

The future of your Twitter account isn't guaranteed. Our guide will help you make a fediverse account on Mastodon.

How to Make a Mastodon Account and Join the Fediverse

The recent chaos at Twitter is a reminder that when you rely on a social media platform, you’re putting your voice, your privacy, and your safety in the hands of the people who run that system. Many

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Online behavioral targeting is almost single-handedly responsible for the worst privacy problems on the internet today.

Ban Online Behavioral Advertising

Tech companies earn staggering profits by targeting ads to us based on our online behavior. This incentivizes all online actors to collect as much of our behavioral information as possible, and then

The Kids Online Safety Act is bad enough on its own, but putting it into the must-pass “omnibus package” is a terrible idea.

Dangerous "Kids Online Safety Act" Does Not Belong in Must-Pass

Every year, Congress must follow through on an enormous and complicated task: agreeing on how to fund the government for the following year. The wrangling over spending often comes down to the wire,

Link taxes have no place in the omnibus. Tell Congress.

act.eff.org

Stop the Copyright Creep

New York is one signature away from making a historical step forward for the right to repair. Tell

: sign it now.

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We're down to our last few Stay Golden t-shirts! If you were looking to grab one of these, now might be your last chance. eff.org/join

Back of EFF's Stay Golden T-Shirt. Black t-shirt with a golden figure and white glow in the dark details.

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Along with

, and

, we oppose the latest version of the Kids Online Safety Act. Our statement:

Statement Opposing the Kids Online Safety Act (S.3663)
16 December 2022
Last month, our organizations signed the attached coalition letter raising serious concerns with
the proposed Kids Online Safety Act (S.3663). An amended version of that bill has since been
released, but we remain concerned about the negative impact KOSA would have on the privacy,
free expression, and safety of all youth, especially the most vulnerable. Our organizations
remain opposed to the legislation.
The new language in KOSA would still enable state Attorneys General to bring enforcement
actions against online services under a vague “duty of care” standard. Several state AGs are
already engaged in campaigns against trans youth and against social media content moderation
practices; giving them a tool that allows them to pursue both aims at once is irresponsible and
deeply threatening to the lives and rights of LGBTQ youth.
KOSA also still requires that parents be notified every time a minor (anyone under the ag

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Keep up on digital rights updates with our latest issue of EFFector!

Digital Rights Updates with EFFector 34.6

Want the latest news on your digital rights? Well, you're in luck! Version 34, issue 6 of our EFFector newsletter is out now. Catch up on the latest EFF news by reading our newsletter or listening to

⬇️

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Nov 18

Still craving social media? We’re on

Facebook at Facebook.com/EFF

Mastodon at mastodon.social/@eff

Instagram at instagram.com/efforg

YouTube at youtube.com/efforg

Twitch at twitch.tv/efflive/

LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/eff

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Cops Often Use Facial Recognition as Sole Basis for Arrests: Study

Cops Say They Only Use Facial Recognition for Leads, But It’s Often the Sole Basis for Arrests

gizmodo.com

A massive report highlights fundamental problems with facial recognition and how police lie about its uses.

Federal agencies are refusing to release their procedures for dealing with #FOIA requests, blocking the public from how they implement a key mechanism of government transparency. #FOIAFriday

Federal Agencies Keep Rejecting FOIA Requests for Their Procedures

The majority of federal agencies — including law enforcement agencies like Customs and Border Protection — are refusing to release some of the most basic guidance materials used by their Freedom of

WAR ON FREE SPEECH: Twitter ban decisions are 'arbitrary and capricious,' digital rights advocate...

"He and the corporation are exercising their First Amendment rights, which they are allowed to do," EFF’s

@cmcsherr

told

@FoxNews

, but "it's not consistent with some of the statements that he's made where he's been very critical of content moderation."

foxnews.com

Electronic Frontier Foundation's legal director shared how Twitter CEO Elon Musk has made "arbitrary" suspensions despite his criticism of content moderation.

Why bills to totally ban TikTok in the US might do more harm than good

A total ban of TikTok “is not narrowly tailored to the least restrictive means to address the security and privacy concerns, and instead lays a censorial blow against the speech of millions of ordinary Americans,” EFF’s

@KurtOpsahl

told

@PopSci

popsci.com

A US-wide ban would disrupt billions of everyday social media users, and not offer a true solution to protecting privacy online.

We can't wait any longer for the right to repair. Tell

to sign New York's Right to Repair bill today.

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Senators have made last-minute changes to the Kids Online Safety Act in an attempt to assuage concerns with the bill’s sweeping censorship requirements, but these updates don’t resolve its fundamental problems.

Dangerous "Kids Online Safety Act" Does Not Belong in Must-Pass

Every year, Congress must follow through on an enormous and complicated task: agreeing on how to fund the government for the following year. The wrangling over spending often comes down to the wire,

Donate in Honor of Friends and Family

Stronger digital rights are a gift that impact everyone. Don't know what to give a family member this holiday season? Donate in their honor! You can even send them EFF gear.

supporters.eff.org

Support the Electronic Frontier Foundation below in honor of your colleagues, friends, and family. It's a wonderful way to pay tribute to the people you care for while...

U.S. federal employees and retirees give through the CFC to change the world for the better, together. With your support, EFF can continue our strides toward a diverse and free internet that benefits all of its users.

Only A Few More Weeks Left to Support EFF Through The CFC!

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the world's largest and most successful annual charity campaign for U.S. federal employees and retirees. The pledge period for this year's campaign ends on

Democratic Majority at the FCC Still Blocked

“Senate Democrats got played and it was a huge mistake to decouple,” EFF’s

@EFFFalcon

told

@TheProspect

. “There’s no reason why Jessica was voted on by herself without Gigi but for the will of the Democratic caucus and here we are a year later.”

prospect.org

The nomination of Gigi Sohn for the fifth commissioner’s slot has languished for over a year. Numerous policies affecting telecom interests are at stake.

In one hour, join Electronic Frontier Alliance member

for a webinar panel on the privacy risks imposed by automated license plate readers.

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Lucy Parsons Labs #BLM

Dec 12

Interested in learning more about ALPRs? Join us on Wednesday! Register at bit.ly/alpr101

Size options for EFF's Stay Golden t-shirt are going fast! Now might be your last chance to grab one of these glow-in-the-dark t-shirts ⚡️ eff.org/join

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Apple is reportedly preparing to allow third-party app stores on the iPhone

We're happy to hear Apple is thinking about allowing iPhone users to use alternative app stores, as the DMA requires. Apple should give choice and autonomy to its users around the world, not just in Europe.

theverge.com

You might be able to have more than one app store.

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EFF has had a ton of victories in the past few weeks. Learn about them, and more work that we are doing defending digital freedoms with this issue of EFFector.