When Zohran Mamdani was a New York state assembly member, he sponsored the Stop Fakes Act, which would have prohibited law enforcement from creating fake electronic communication service accounts and collecting users' account information. Digital dragnet surveillance is widespread and dangerous, yet it continues to go unregulated, Mamdani co-wrote in a 2023 City & State op-ed. Although the NYPD claimed in a Department of Justice report to keep detailed records of its undercover accounts, the department refuses to provide any documentation
Digital surveillance can affect workers' physical and mental health in both positive and negative ways, according to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. For instance, monitoring tools or apps can alert employees about potential health problems or increase their sense of safety. However, these technologies can also increase anxiety or the risk of injury by pushing workers to move faster to meet productivity goals.
It's no secret that digital surveillance and other tech-enabled oppressions are acute dangers for liberation movement workers. The rising tides of tech-fueled authoritarianism and hyper-surveillance are universal themes across the various threat models we consider. EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense project is a vital antidote to these threats, but it's not all we do to help others address these concerns. Our team often receives questions, requests for security trainings, presentations on our research,
Russia has a new way to surveil its citizens: a "super app." Made by the Russian tech company VK, the app is called Max, and as of September 1, it's required on every new phone sold in Russia. Max enables users to send messages, talk with one another, share files, and transfer money to and from Russian banks. The Kremlin's ultimate vision for the app is expansive: Citizens will use it to send texts and make
Over a decade ago, the crushing of the Arab Spring proved how the tools of the digital age, from smartphones to social media, could be weaponized against the very people many hoped they would uplift. Today, Israel's ability to livestream genocide for the world to see without facing any serious repercussions is showing us how easy it is for us to be collectively lulled into complacency, deterred by disinformation, and neutralized by surveillance.
This incident exemplifies how quickly personal lives can become public spectacles in the digital age. The internet reacts with both fury and entertainment as the narrative unfolds.
President Trump’s explicit warning that demonstrators will face "very heavy force" might deter individuals from exercising their right to protest, emphasizing the necessity for caution.
