Author: Jillian C. York

When the independent Tunisian online media collective Nawaat announced that the government had suspended its activities for one month, the news landed like a punch in the gut for anyone who remembers what the Arab uprisings promised: dignity, democracy, and a free press. But Tunisia’s October 31 suspension of Nawaat—delivered quietly, without formal notice, and […]

BY JILLIAN C. YORK | September 19, 2025 This is the third installment in a blog series documenting EFF’s findings from the Stop Censoring Abortion campaign. You can read additional posts here.  Imagine sharing information about reproductive health care on social media and receiving a message that your content has been removed for violating a policy […]

As the European Commission prepares an upcoming proposal for a Digital Networks Act (DNA), a growing network of groups are raising serious concerns about the resurgence of “fair share” proposals from major telecom operators. The original idea was to introduce network usage fees on certain companies to pay ISPs. We have said it before and […]

U.S. sanctions on Syria have for several decades not only restricted trade and financial transactions, they’ve also severely limited Syrians’ access to digital technology. From software development tools to basic cloud services, Syrians were locked out of the global internet economy—stifling innovation, education, and entrepreneurship. EFF has for many years pushed for sanctions exemptions for […]

It has now been nearly two months since UK Prime Minister Starmer spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, yet there has been no tangible progress in the case of Alaa Abd El Fattah, the British-Egyptian writer, activist, and technologist who remains imprisoned in Egypt. In yet another blow to his family and supporters, who […]

In times of conflict, the internet becomes more than just a tool—it is a lifeline, connecting those caught in chaos with the outside world. It carries voices that might otherwise be silenced, bearing witness to suffering and survival. Without internet access, communities become isolated, and the flow of critical information is disrupted, making an already […]

Last month saw digital rights organizations and social justice groups head to Taiwan for this year’s RightsCon conference on human rights in the digital age. During the conference, one prominent message was spoken loud and clear: Alaa Abd El-Fattah must be immediately released from illegal detention in Egypt. “As Alaa’s mother, I thank you for […]

This was an historical year. A year in which elections took place in countries home to almost half the world’s population, a year of war, and collapse of or chaos within several governments. It was also a year of new technological developments, policy changes, and legislative developments. Amidst these sweeping changes, freedom of expression has […]