Category: Business

The State of California is currently rolling out a “mobile driver’s license” (mDL), a form of digital identification that raises significant privacy and equity concerns. This post explains the new smartphone application, explores the risks, and calls on the state and its vendor to focus more on protection of the users.  What is the California […]

On March 18, the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez led the U.S. delegation to the first High Level Economic Dialogue with Guatemala to advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Root Causes Strategy and Vice President Harris’ Central America Forward initiative.  President Arévalo led the Guatemalan government delegation along with Vice President Herrera. […]

EFF legal intern Jack Beck contributed to this post. A California trial court recently departed from wide-ranging precedent and held that Snap, Inc., the maker of Snapchat, the popular social media app, had created a “defective” product by including features like disappearing messages, the ability to connect with people through mutual friends, and even the […]

In a stunning reversal against the popular Transparent & Responsible Use of Surveillance Technology (TRUST) ordinance, the San Diego city council voted earlier this year to cut many of the provisions that sought to ensure public transparency for law enforcement surveillance technologies.  Similar to other Community Control Of Police Surveillance (CCOPS) ordinances, the TRUST ordinance was […]

Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez will travel to Guatemala City, Guatemala, to lead the U.S. delegation at the first U.S.-Guatemala High Level Economic Dialogue on March 18. Additional representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Departments of State, Agriculture, and Labor, the U.S. Trade and […]

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is one of the most insidious and secretive mass surveillance authorities still in operation today. The Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act would make some much-needed and long fought-for reforms, but it also does not go nearly far enough to rein in a surveillance law that […]

In a case being heard Monday at the Supreme Court, 45 Washington lawmakers have argued that government communications with social media sites about possible election interference misinformation are illegal. Agencies can’t even pass on information about websites state election officials have identified as disinformation, even if they don’t request that any action be taken, they […]

Assistant Secretary Geoffrey R. Pyatt will lead the Department of State delegation to CERAWeek, the world’s largest energy gathering, March 18-21 in Houston. The delegation will meet with American private sector and government counterparts and speak on panels covering topics including U.S. support for Ukraine, global energy security, diversification of critical mineral supply chains, and U.S. efforts to promote increased energy access and decarbonization in the […]

EFF Legal Intern Alissa Johnson contributed to the writing of this blog post. Earlier this month, the European Union Court of Justice ruled that harmonized standards are a part of EU law, and thus must be accessible to EU citizens and residents free of charge. While it might seem like common sense that the laws […]

Special thanks to EFF legal intern Jack Beck, who was the lead author of this post. Amid heavy criticism for its ties to weapons manufacturers supplying Israel, South by Southwest—the organizer of an annual conference and music festival in Austin—has been on the defensive. One tool in their arsenal: bogus trademark and copyright claims against […]