Notices by Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff@mastodon.social)

"The idea that an organization that is an alternative host—for email, websites, and other services—could be designated a terrorist organization simply for providing a service that a lot of people want…is scary," EFF’s @jilliancyork told @reasonmagazine. https://reason.com/2026/08/27/rubio-uses-terrorism-law-to-ban-secure-email-service/

A statement from EFF Senior Counsel @davidgreene about today's Meta settlement:

“Young users will now have less access to Meta products, and a lesser ability to exercise their rights to speak, access information and art and culture, associate and form communities, and play. The settlement also embeds age assurance into every product, mandating the collection of even more personal information from users of all ages." (1/2)

“It is completely unsurprising that people are building apps to fight back against Meta glasses and other surreptitious public recording,” EFF’s @cooperq told @arstechnica. Many people “have a deep revulsion to being recorded without their consent, which is understandable.” https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/meta-ai-glasses-may-get-creepier-and-apps-that-detect-them-arent-perfect/

The Force is strong with this one. https://www.commondreams.org/news/darth-vader-flock

The Ninth Circuit’s misguided ruling not allowing immediate appeals of denials of Section 230 immunity will harm all internet users. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/ninth-circuit-ruling-will-force-online-platforms-host-user-speech-fight-lengthy

We are at a critical juncture. We must ensure AI works for everyone. Join Cory Doctorow and Nicole Ozer for a livestream with Q&A on August 12 to learn how you can help!
https://eff.org/livestream-sai

Tonight is EFF's annual Tech Trivia at #DEFCON! Our privacy and security experts crafted a fresh challenge—team up and prove you know the most obscure facts of digital security, online rights, and internet culture. Find us at the Contest Stage, 5 pm! https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/07/eff-bsideslv-black-hat-and-def-con

Lawmakers across the globe seem to think age gating the internet will "protect the kids." We're explaining why mandatory age verification will do more harm than good at 1:30 pm PT today at #DEFCON on Creator Stage 7. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/07/eff-bsideslv-black-hat-and-def-con

Companies offering online shopping are using AI-driven surveillance pricing to line their pockets. How do you defend against it? Join our livestream with Q&A on August 12 to find out.
https://eff.org/livestream-sai

Most AI tools require some sort of privacy sacrifice, so understanding the risk is important. https://ssd.eff.org/module/privacy-considerations-with-ai-tools

Four bills up for a Senate vote on Wednesday would push websites and apps to collect more personal information, putting privacy and anonymous access to lawful speech at risk. Tell your Senators to reject them today: https://www.acteff.org/campaign/167270/

KOSA doesn't just threaten free speech—it threatens privacy. It will push more online services to age verification, requiring people to hand over more personal information just to read the internet. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/senate-should-reject-kosas-privacy-risks

The internet shouldn’t become an ID checkpoint. https://www.acteff.org/campaign/167270/

Should you have to prove your age before you can read or speak online? KOSA would pressure online services to build age verification systems that put everyone's privacy at risk. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/senate-should-reject-kosas-privacy-risks

Showing your ID to a bartender isn’t the same as uploading your ID online and having it saved in a database. If the SCREEN Act passes, that’s what many adults will have to do to see lawful content online. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/07/screen-act-threatens-privacy-far-beyond-adult-websites

Check out this clip of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and make sure you search the Atlas of Surveillance to see what surveillance technologies are being used in your community. https://www.atlasofsurveillance.org/

"Flock cameras are just one part of a vast ecosystem," Last Week Tonight's John Oliver warned his audience last night. "Check out resources like the EFF's Atlas of Surveillance, which catalogs each of the technologies used in your area." https://www.atlasofsurveillance.org/

“It’s a scary mass surveillance machine,” EFF’s Jennifer Pinsof told ChicoSol, noting California Attorney General Rob Bonta has called other cities out for the same kind of illegal data sharing. “So it’s pretty clear that Chico’s in violation of the law.”
https://chicosol.org/2026/07/25/chico-pd-granted-ice-border-patrol-access-to-its-alpr-data/

Bars should stop using ID scanners that share information, return to standard ID checks, and prove to their customers that their privacy and security still matters. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/07/why-are-gay-bars-building-databases-their-patrons

A growing number of police departments are interested in sending a drone to nearly every call for service in their communities. The trend requires heightened public vigilance around use, policy, and data sharing.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/07/hundreds-drone-first-responder-programs-could-soon-be-launched-across-country