Notices by Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff@mastodon.social), page 4

You might know how expensive it can be to repair a cell phone, laptop, or even a washing machine. But, it doesn't need to be this way: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/10/why-it-so-expensive-repair-my-devices

People are fighting back against the privatization and consolidation of our online communities. We documented these and several other exciting developments in the world of decentralization late last year. (4/4) https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/taking-back-web-decentralization-2023-review

What if we took things further than just decentralizing our social media platforms? Some technologists are looking at fully peer-to-peer models for communications. (3/4) https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/meet-spritely-and-veilid

In just the last few years radical and controversial changes to major platforms were a wake up call to many and are driving people to seek alternatives to the billionaire-driven monocultures. Here are just a few of them. (2/4) https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/06/whats-difference-between-mastodon-bluesky-and-threads

As more people online have expressed their desire for social media platforms that respect their autonomy and that make them feel empowered, decentralization has become a hot topic. We’ve had a lot to say about it 🧵 (1/4)

“X is really teaching everyone the importance of who owns the sites that we use and rely on to communicate online,” EFF’s @falsemirror told @NBCNews. “What people are seeing with X is that it has subjectively deteriorated in value.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/x-sees-largest-user-exodus-musk-takeover-rcna179793

A critical Senate vote on two patent bills has been re-set for tomorrow, Thursday Nov. 14. We need your help: tell Congress to reject these terrible proposals. https://act.eff.org/action/tell-congress-we-can-t-afford-more-bad-patents

An average of 27 weeks between a data breach and that breach’s public disclosure is “definitely not fast enough,” EFF’s @Thorin told @nbcbayarea. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/consumer/companies-data-breaches/3708380/

“Cruz is a conservative...but there's been a lot of conservatives who are still very interested in privacy,” EFF’s India McKinney told National Journal. Could he solve the private right of action & state preemption fights that doomed earlier data-privacy bills? https://www.nationaljournal.com/s/726774/with-sen-ted-cruz-poised-to-take-over-the-commerce-committee-congressional-oversight-of-the-tech-industry-could-mean-dramatic-change/?unlock=9LAUSVIT39S9XH10

Speaking Freely is back! In our latest interview we spoke with Tanka Aryal, President of Digital Rights Nepal, to learn about the state of freedom of expression in the country. Read what he had to say here: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/11/speaking-freely-tanka-aryal

The #UNCybercrimeTreaty “gives states a huge amount of leeway to decide whether or not to require human rights safeguards at all,” assuming all will act in good faith, EFF’s Karen Gullo told @therecord_media. But we already know how that'll play out. https://therecord.media/un-cybercrime-treaty-clears-vote

This bill would re-open the door to the worst software patents, and even patents on human genes. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/11/tell-congress-stop-these-last-minute-bills-help-patent-trolls

Location data is one of the most important and revealing data points about all of us. The recent reveal of the Locate X software shows exactly how law enforcement can use it. Here’s what you can do. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/11/creators-police-location-tracking-tool-arent-vetting-buyers-heres-how-protect

The Senate will vote this week on a bill that’s a giveaway to patent trolls. https://act.eff.org/action/tell-congress-we-can-t-afford-more-bad-patents

We must rethink lack of privacy in public spaces, EFF’s Beryl Lipton told @WIRED. “We don't want to be in a position, either as protesters or just as regular individuals, trying to live a life where we're essentially being followed and listened to all the time.” https://www.wired.com/story/the-real-problem-with-banning-masks-at-protests/

The dangers of law enforcement access to location data presents are especially grave for those traveling to or from out-of-state reproductive health clinics, places of worship, and the border. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/11/creators-police-location-tracking-tool-arent-vetting-buyers-heres-how-protect

Every social network has slightly different privacy and security settings, but the core ideas for protecting yourself are the same across nearly every one of them. https://ssd.eff.org/module/protecting-yourself-social-networks
 

Digital security doesn't start and end with tools. It's just as often about a mindset. https://ssd.eff.org/module/seven-steps-digital-security

Aaron Swartz was a digital rights champion who believed deeply in keeping the internet open. The organizers of Aaron Swartz Day will celebrate his life at 2 pm PT on Nov. 9. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/11/celebrating-life-aaron-swartz-aaron-swartz-day-2024

Whether you're new to WhatsApp or a longtime user, there are a bunch of settings buried away that can help improve your security. https://ssd.eff.org/module/how-to-use-whatsapp