Category: Business

Simply using extra electricity to power some Christmas lights or a big fish tank shouldn’t bring the police to your door. In fact, in California, the law explicitly protects the privacy of power customers, prohibiting public utilities from disclosing precise “smart” meter data in most cases.  Despite this, Sacramento’s power company and law enforcement agencies […]

If you thought going to a Pride event or drag show was just another night out, think again. If you were in Florida, it might land your name in a government database. That’s what’s happening in Vero Beach, FL, where the Florida Attorney General’s office has subpoenaed a local restaurant, The Kilted Mermaid, demanding surveillance […]

By publishing its guidelines under Article 28 of the Digital Services Act, the European Commission has taken a major step towards social media bans that will undermine privacy, expression, and participation rights for young people that are already enshrined in international human rights law.  EFF recently submitted feedback to the Commission’s consultation on the guidelines, […]

Staying safe whilst dating online should not be the responsibility of users—dating apps should be prioritizing our privacy by default, and laws should require companies to prioritize user privacy over their profit. But dating apps are taking shortcuts in safeguarding the privacy and security of users in favour of developing and deploying AI tools on […]

Samsung Electronics has finalized a $16.5 billion contract to supply semiconductors to Tesla, marking a major milestone for the South Korean tech giant’s foundry business. The agreement, confirmed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on July 28, 2025, will run through December 31, 2033 and centers on the production of Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chips. The chips […]

The federal government is trying to use Medicaid data to identify and deport immigrants. So EFF and our friends at EPIC and the Protect Democracy Project have filed an amicus brief asking a judge to block this dangerous violation of federal data privacy laws. Last month, the AP reported that the U.S. Department of Health […]

Whether you’ve been following EFF for years or just discovered us (hello!), you’ve probably noticed that our team is kind of obsessed with the ✨future✨. From people soaring through the sky, to space cats, geometric unicorns, and (so many) mechas—we’re always imagining what the future could look like when we get things right. That same spirit […]

The Trump administration is continuing its dangerous push to surveil and suppress foreign students’ social media activity. The State Department recently announced an unprecedented new requirement that applicants for student and exchange visas must set all social media accounts to “public” for government review. The State Department also indicated that if applicants refuse to unlock […]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has mapped the evolving contours of globalization, revealing a complex and uneven landscape shaped by rising trade uncertainty, plateauing global imports, and divergent regional integration patterns. Key Takeaways from the IMF’s Globalization Assessment: These findings underscore a transition from uniform globalization to a more fragmented and regionally nuanced framework. The […]

The Canadian government is preparing to give away Canadians’ digital lives—to U.S. police, to the Donald Trump administration, and possibly to foreign spy agencies. Bill C-2, the so-called Strong Borders Act, is a sprawling surveillance bill with multiple privacy-invasive provisions. But the thrust is clear: it’s a roadmap to aligning Canadian surveillance with U.S. demands.  […]