Social Media and Online Video Firms Are Conducting ‘Vast Surveillance’ on Users, FTC Finds
Agency accuses Meta, Google, TikTok and other companies of sharing troves of user information with third-parties.
online privacy
Adtech Surveillance and Government Surveillance are Often the Same Surveillance
Many smartphone application developers are all too eager to sell your data to the highest bidder–and that often includes the government.
California Takes Some Big Steps for Digital Rights
California often sets the bar for technology legislation across the country. This year, the state enacted several laws that strengthen consumer digital rights.
Your Messaging Service Should Not Be a DEA Informant
A new U.S. Senate bill would require private messaging services, social media companies, and even cloud providers to report their users to the DEA if they find out about certain illegal drug sales.
EU Lawmakers Must Reject This Proposal To Scan Private Chats
Having a private conversation is a basic human right. Like the rest of our rights, we shouldn’t lose it when we go online. But a new proposal by the European Read More…
The Selective Prosecution of Julian Assange
As the extradition hearing for Wikileaks Editor-in-Chief Julian Assange unfolds, it is increasingly clear that the prosecution of Assange fits into a pattern of governments selectively enforcing laws in order to punish those who provoke their ire.
Yes, Section 215 Expired. Now What?
On March 15, 2020, Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act—a surveillance law with a rich history of government overreach and abuse—expired. Along with two other PATRIOT Act provisions, Section 215 lapsed after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a broader set of reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
The Challenge of Proximity Apps For COVID-19 Contact Tracing
As part of the nearly unprecedented societal response to COVID-19, such contact tracing apps raise difficult questions about privacy, efficacy, and responsible engineering of technology to advance public health. Above all, we should not trust any application—no matter how well-designed—to solve this crisis or answer all of these questions.