👎 California’s Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Social Media Ban | EFFector 38.9

We’d all like the internet to be a better place—for kids and adults alike. But in the name of online safety, governments around the world are racing to impose a dangerous new system of control. Are age gates the silver bullet to the internet’s problems they’re being promoted as? Or are we being sold a bill […]

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Milestone 1.0.0 Release of APK Downloader `apkeep` Powers Research on Android Apps

Last week, we released apkeep version 1.0.0, the latest edition of our command-line Android package downloading software. Rather than indicating major changes for the project, this milestone instead signifies arriving at a relatively stable and mature place after gradual iteration on the project over the course of over four years. What’s New in 1.0.0 We […]

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Congress Narrowed the GUARD Act, But Serious Problems Remain

Following criticism, lawmakers have narrowed the GUARD Act, a bill aimed at restricting minors’ access to certain AI systems. The earlier version could have applied broadly to nearly every AI-powered chatbot or search tool. The amended bill focuses more narrowly on so-called “AI companions”—conversational systems designed to simulate emotional or interpersonal interactions with users.  That […]

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San José Airport launches AI-powered IntBot humanoid robot

San JosĂ© Mineta International Airport introduces AI humanoid robot ‘José’ at Terminal B, offering real-time multilingual assistance and pioneering the use of physical AI to enhance passenger experience and operational efficiency. Summary: San JosĂ© Mineta International Airport pilots AI-powered humanoid robot ‘José’ to enhance passenger service and experience. The robot provides real-time information and answers […]

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FCC Chair Carr’s Threats to Punish Broadcasters Are Unconstitutional

EFF joined other digital rights and civil liberties organizations in calling out the unconstitutionality of Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr’s recent threats to punish broadcasters for airing statements he disagrees with.  Carr’s recent threats, like his past threats, are unconstitutional efforts to coerce news coverage that favors President Donald Trump. He wrongly claims that the FCC’s “public interest” standard allows him and the commission to revoke the licenses of broadcasters […]

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Congress Is Dropping the Ball with a Clean Extension of FISA

Two years ago, Congress passed the “Reforming Intelligence and Securing America” Act (RISAA) that included nominal reforms to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The bill unfortunately included some problematic expansions of the law—but it also included a relatively big victory for civil liberties advocates: Section 702 authorities were only extended for […]

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Bonus Podcast Episode: Privacy’s Defender – Cindy Cohn with Cory Doctorow

While How to Fix the Internet is on hiatus, we wanted to share a great conversation with you from last week. EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn spoke with bestselling novelist, journalist, and EFF Special Advisor Cory Doctorow about Cindy’s new book, “Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance” (MIT Press). %3Ciframe%20height%3D%2252px%22%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20frameborder%3D%22no%22%20scrolling%3D%22no%22%20seamless%3D%22%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fplayer.simplecast.com%2F6c05474d-b4a1-4ffb-8ad8-943bccf09a10%3Fdark%3Dtrue%26amp%3Bcolor%3D000000%22%20allow%3D%22autoplay%22%3E%3C%2Fiframe%3E Privacy info. This […]

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Blocking the Internet Archive Won’t Stop AI, But It Will Erase the Web’s Historical Record

Imagine a newspaper publisher announcing it will no longer allow libraries to keep copies of its paper.  That’s effectively what’s begun happening online in the last few months. The Internet Archive—the world’s largest digital library—has preserved newspapers since it went online in the mid-1990s. The Archive’s mission is to preserve the web and make it […]

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EFFecting Change: Privacy’s Defender | Electronic Frontier Foundation

Join EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn in conversation with 404 Media Cofounder Jason Koebler to discuss Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance, Cindy’s personal story of standing up to the Justice Department, taking on the NSA, and tangling with the FBI to protect our right to digital privacy. The highly anticipated book asks the fundamental question: Can we still have […]

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EFF Launches New Fight to Free the Law

EFF is filing against the Consumer Product Safety Council (CPSC) to ensure that the public has full access to the laws that govern us. Our client Public.Resource.Org (Public Resource), a tiny non-profit founded by open records advocate Carl Malamud, has a mission that’s both simple and powerful: to make government information more accessible. Public Resource […]

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