In our 638th issue:
U.S. House of Representatives Shamefully Passes CISPA
You may have heard the
rumors: key staffers on the Hill say that the Senate is unlikely to take
up CISPA, even though it passed the House. But we're not out of the
woods yet. The Senate is going to be taking up some kind of
cybersecurity legislation. We need to make sure it's not the twin of
CISPA, which would allow companies to bypass all existing privacy law to
spy on communications and pass sensitive user data to the government.
Now's the time to let your senator know that we won't tolerate
privacy-killing legislation under CISPA or any other name. Users can
speak out against the bill through our action center.
California's New Open Access Bill
A new initiative -- the
California Taxpayer Access to Publicly Funded Research Act (AB 690) --
would give the public access to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of
research funded by California residents. Right now, universities and
research institutions are forced to pay exorbitant amounts for knowledge
they helped create -- and that you helped underwrite. This bill would
help fix that. Californians can take action here.
U.S. Drone Test Sites Must Include Stronger Privacy Protections
The Federal Aviation
Administration's proposed privacy requirements for domestic drone test
sites are not robust enough to protect the public, EFF argues in its
official comments filed with the agency this week. Staff Attorney
Jennifer Lynch outlines five key recommendations to safeguard privacy
and civil liberties while allowing unmanned-aerial-system operators to
explore the potentials of this emerging technology.
EFF Updates
Facebook’s new ad
targeting program works with four data brokers: Acxiom, Datalogix,
Epsilon, and BlueKai. Companies who want to advertise on Facebook can
use the data controlled by these data brokers to build custom groups and
then show those groups targeted ads on Facebook. Check out EFF's FAQ about the program and suggestions for protecting your privacy.
EFF filed a motion to
quash a subpoena from Prenda Law seeking the identity of the blogger
behind Die Troll Die, a website which for years has offered news and
views on "porn trolls." As we explained in our brief, Die Troll Die has a
constitutional right to speak its mind, and Prenda Law's claims of
defamation are meritless.
The Broadcasting Treaty is
a misguided proposal that would create a new bundle of copyright-like
controls for broadcasters (including major media companies like NBC and
Fox) that want to prevent new forms of innovative technology from
threatening their market position.
In a long-running lawsuit,
the publishing world is demanding that libraries pay fees for excerpts
they make available digitally to students. In an amicus brief filed on
behalf of several national library associations, EFF argued that
electronic reserves are protected fair uses that benefit the public.
Another innocent customer
unfortunately has been sued for defamation, simply for leaving a
negative review of a company on eBay. Cases like this reinforce the need
for strong anti-SLAPP laws, which provide remedies that allow innocent
free speakers to quickly shoot down frivolous lawsuits without having to
worry about legal fees.
This week, with
encouragement from a wide range of companies and civil liberties groups
like EFF, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would update
email privacy law. The bill is now ready to go to the full Senate for a
vote.
miniLinks
New documents obtained by
EPIC in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit reveal a collaboration
between the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and
private companies to allow government monitoring of private Internet
networks.
The BBC wittily nails
online-tracking agencies such as BlueKai in a video featuring EFF's
Technology Projects Director Peter Eckersley.
When Representative Mike
Rogers dismissed critics of his cybersecurity legislation as "14 year
olds" tweeting in a "basement," a campaign quickly went viral on Twitter
in which thousands of people tweeted at Rogers' account about how
they're not 14, not in a basement, but still very much opposed to CISPA.
Supported by Members
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possible for EFF to bring legal and technological expertise into crucial
battles about online rights. Whether defending free speech online or
challenging unconstitutional surveillance, your participation makes a
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online a stronger voice and more formidable advocate.
If you aren't already, please consider becoming an EFF member today.
Donate TodayAdministrivia
Editor: Rainey Reitman, Activism Director
editor@eff.org
editor@eff.org
EFFector is a publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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