Managed by the US state department and the US Agency for Global Media, the programme broadly called Internet Freedom funds small groups all over the world, from Iran to China to the Philippines, who built grassroots technologies to evade internet controls imposed by governments. It has dispensed well over $500m (370m) in the past decade, according to an analysis by the Guardian, including $94m in 2024.
When Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web in 1989, his vision was clear: it would used by everyone, filled with everything and, crucially, it would be free. Today, the British computer scientist's creation is regularly used by 5.5 billion people and bears little resemblance to the democratic force for humanity he intended. In Australia to promote his book, This is for Everyone, Berners-Lee is reflecting on what his invention has become and how he and a community of collaborators can put the power of the web back into the hands of its users.
As a token of appreciation for supporting EFF's mission to protect privacy and free expression online for all people, we put a lot of care into meeting the members who make our work possible. Whether it's hosting meetups, traveling to conferences, or finding new and fun ways to explain what we're fighting for, connecting with you is always a highlight of the job.
The US legal profession was just one of the pillars of American democracy that was targeted in the early days of the second Trump administration. At EFF, we were proud to publicly and loudly support the legal profession and, most importantly, continue to do our work challenging the government's erosion of digital rights-work that became even more critical as many law firms shied away from pro bono work.
In this issue, we're helping you take control of your online privacy with Opt Out October; explaining the UK's attack on encryption and why it's bad for all users; and covering shocking new details about an abortion surveillance case in Texas. Prefer to listen in? Check out our audio companion, where EFF Security and Privacy Activist Thorin Klosowski explains how small steps to protect your privacy can add up to big changes. Catch the conversation on YouTube or the Internet Archive.
According to an analysis of shutdowns in 11 different African countries by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN), each internet blackout deprives millions of citizens and businesses of access to information and communication tools that are essential to their social, economic and political life.
We received nearly 100 submissions from a variety of users both in the U.S. and abroad, including personal accounts, influencers, healthcare clinics, research organizations, and advocacy groups,
"We've been talking about the draft since last year and how we continue to build on that. ESPN has been a partner in that from day one, bringing the fans closer to that event and building that event into one of the most popular events on the sporting calendar, which is incredible if you think back a few decades."
The EFF found that the tech "seems designed to stymie any attempts at auditing, transparency, and accountability." Cops don't have to disclose when AI is used in every department.
"This conception that the cyber laws are perhaps meant to intrude, to go into your personal details in a willy-nilly fashion is not correct," said Mulambo Haimbe, Zambia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He articulated that the legislation aims to protect citizens online, countering claims that the government's objective is to compromise personal privacy.
The copies used to train specific LLMs were justified as fair use. Every factor but the nature of the copyrighted work favors this result. The technology at issue was among the most transformative many of us will see in our lifetimes.
Cutting off telecommunications during an active military campaign is not only a violation of basic human rights—it is a direct attack on the ability of civilians to survive.
This is really one of the issues at the heart of our digital freedoms for the future. We live our lives on our smartphones. We're connected constantly to people.
Ola Bini, initially detained as a 'Russian hacker', has faced ongoing prosecution in Ecuador despite being acquitted in 2023, illuminating deep flaws in the legal approach to digital security.
