• Section 702’s Unconstitutional Domestic Spying Program Must End

    On its face, Section 702 allows the government to conduct surveillance inside the United States so long as the surveillance is directed at foreigners currently located outside the United States. And yet, the NSA routinely (aka “incidentally”) acquires innocent Americans’ communications without a probable cause warrant. Then, rather than “minimize” the sharing and retention of Americans’ data, as Congress required, the NSA routinely shares such data with other government agencies, which retain it for at least five years.

  • German Court to Rule About Phone Searches of Asylum-Seekers

    Judges could announce this week if authorities broke the law when they combed an asylum-seeker’s phone to find out where she was from. The searches are common practice — and the ruling could have major consequences.

  • EFF Files Amicus Briefs in Two Important Geofence Search Warrant Cases

    Unlike traditional warrants for electronic records, a geofence warrant doesn’t start with a particular suspect or even a device or account; instead police request data on every device in a given geographic area during a designated time period, regardless of whether the device owner has any connection to the crime under investigation. The EFF argues these warrants are unconstitutional “general warrants” because they don’t require police to show probable cause to believe any one device was somehow linked to the crime under investigation.

  • New Web Tracking Technique is Bypassing Privacy Protections

    Advertisers and web trackers have been able to aggregate users’ information across all of the websites they visit for decades, primarily by placing third-party cookies in users’ browsers. Two years ago, several browsers that prioritize user privacy – and advertisers have responded by pioneering a new method for tracking users across the Web, known as user ID (or UID) smuggling.

  • Smart AI Tools Could Protect Social Media Users’ Privacy

    Digital assistants could help prevent users from unknowingly revealing their views on social, political and religious issues by fighting AI with AI, researchers say.

  • Consumers Feel Left Out of Debates on Cyberattacks and Data Security

    Illegal cyberattacks on thousands of citizens’ personal data in Australia have heightened awareness of the hazards of insecure digital systems, – and consumers want to play a more active role in building more resilient systems to reduce risks caused by hacking, online deception, bots and other threats.Illegal cyberattacks on thousands of citizens’ personal data in Australia have heightened awareness of the hazards of insecure digital systems, – and consumers want to play a more active role in building more resilient systems to reduce risks caused by hacking, online deception, bots and other threats.

  • Top Prosecutors in CA, NY and DC Are Speaking Up for End-to-End Encryption

    We all should have the ability to have a private conversation, and it follows that we need ways to communicate privately online as well. In the digital world, end-to-end encryption is our best chance to maintain our privacy and security.

  • EFF's Atlas of Surveillance Database Now Documents 10,000+ Police Tech Programs

    The EFF has created a searchable and mappable repository of which law enforcement agencies in the U.S. use surveillance technologies such as body-worn cameras, drones, automated license plate readers, and face recognition.

  • Improving Security for Smart Systems

    In an increasingly connected and smart world, sensors collect and share large amounts of data to help people make decisions. Researchers has recently developed a way to statistically analyze such complex sensor data, so that the computer algorithms that make data-based decisions can be more resilient and better able to cope with small errors.

  • Intrusive Surveillance and Interrogation of Portland Demonstrators by DHS Agents

    DHS surveillance of 2020 protestors in Portland, Oregon was broader and more intrusive than had previously been knows. DHS agents created individual dossiers on many of the protestors, dossiers which included lists of friends and family, travel history, social media postings, and other records unrelated to securing federal property or homeland security. Documents also reveal that Trump appointees at DHS endorsed baseless conspiracy theories in justifying what Senator Ron Wyden D-Oregon) called “violations of Oregonians’ civil rights.”

  • Extracting Personal Information from Anonymous Cell Phone Data

    Researchers haves extracted personal information, specifically protected characteristics like age and gender, from anonymous cell phone data using machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms, raising questions about data security.

  • China’s Extensive Use of Genetic Information Sounds a Warning

    As China increasingly relies on biometric data collection for public and national security purposes, it is time for democracies to address its role in their systems.

  • The Same App Can Pose a Bigger Security and Privacy Threat Depending on the Country Where You Download It, Study Finds

    In a perfect world, access to apps and app security and privacy capabilities would be consistent everywhere. My colleagues and I found differences in app availability, security and privacy.

  • More Governments Use Spyware to Monitor Their People, Compromising Privacy

    The right to privacy is under siege as an increasing number of governments are using spyware to keep tabs on their people. Many governments are using modern digital networked technologies to monitor, control and oppress their populations.

  • EFF’s “Cover Your Tracks” Will Detect Your Use of iOS 16’s Lockdown Mode

    Apple’s new iOS 16 offers a powerful tool for its most vulnerable users. Lockdown Mode reduces the avenues attackers have to hack into users’ phones by disabling certain often-exploited features. But there is a catch.