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EFFector - Volume 26, Issue 15 - Half a million protest NSA

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EFFector - Volume 26, Issue 15 - Half a million protest NSA

Half a million protest NSA | EFFector 26.15
 
 
EFFector! Electronic Frontier Foundation
 
 

In our 642nd issue:

Campaign to End NSA Warrantless Surveillance Surges Past 500,000 Signers

Over half a million people have signed onto the Stop Watching Us campaign, a nonpartisan, grassroots effort opposing the dragnet surveillance programs of the NSA. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, also has added his support to the campaign and was joined by internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei. Add your name now.

On the Fourth of July, groups of concerned individuals will take to the streets in dozens of cities across the United States in support of the Fourth Amendment. The movement -- known as Restore the Fourth -- aims to end all forms of unconstitutional surveillance of digital communications by the United States government. Visit the website to learn more and find a protest in your area.

EFF Throttles Notorious Patent Used to Threaten Public Transit Systems

Great news in the patent world: The USPTO has drastically narrowed the patent owned by ArrivalStar, which was used to wrongfully demand payment from cities and other municipalities that use tracking systems to tell transit passengers if their buses and trains are on time. EFF filed a formal request to reexamine the patent's legitimacy.

Historic Milestone for Rights of Readers as UN Negotiators Finalize Treaty for the Blind

Member states of the United Nations concluded the draft of an international treaty that gives people with visual and reading disabilities better access to copyrighted works. People with reading and visual disabilities have faced a “book famine,” in which, at best, 7% of published books are converted into accessible formats. The treaty comes as the result of collective efforts to carve out protections for the blind and reading disabled that faced years of resistance from rightsholder industries.

Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order Blocking Enforcement of Dangerous New Jersey Law

Good news out of New Jersey: a judge has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking a dangerous a provision of a recently-passed New Jersey statute that would have left online service providers legally on the hook for user-generated content. The TRO blocks enforcement of the new law until the court hears additional arguments in support of a permanent injunction in early August. EFF represents the Internet Archive in this legal challenge to the law.

EFF Updates

In Depth Review: New NSA Documents Expose How Americans Can Be Spied on Without A Warrant

The Guardian published a new batch of secret leaked FISA court and NSA documents recently, which details how the government has been accessing Americans’ emails without a warrant, in violation of the Constitution. The documents lay bare fundamental problems with the ineffectual attempts to place meaningful limitations on the NSA’s massive surveillance program.

Appeal Filed to Free Andrew 'Weev' Auernheimer

A team of computer-crime legal experts, including EFF, filed an appeal of the federal felony conviction and lengthy prison sentence handed down to Andrew "Weev" Auernheimer, a computer researcher who revealed a massive security flaw in AT&T's website and was subsequently prosecuted under the CFAA.

Mandatory Data Retention Defeated in Australia, For Now

Australia’s security agencies have spent years pushing for the mandatory retention of the communications data of every citizen, which would require private companies to keep communications metadata of all customers for two years. Essentially, it treats every person as a criminal suspect. Now, a parliamentary committee has issued a report declining to recommend data retention and the governing Labor Party announced it will not pursue data retention before the next election. So data retention in Australia has been defeated, for now.

Renowned Security Expert Bruce Schneier Joins EFF Board of Directors

EFF is honored to announce the newest member of its Board of Directors: renowned security expert Bruce Schneier. Schneier is widely acclaimed for his criticism and commentary on everything from network security to national security.

EFF Sues FBI For Access to Facial-Recognition Records

As the FBI is rushing to build a "bigger, faster and better" biometrics database, it's also dragging its feet in releasing information related to the program's impact on the American public. In response, EFF filed a lawsuit to compel the FBI to produce records under the Freedom of Information Act.

miniLinks

Leaked NSA inspector general report on email and internet data collection by NSA

The Guardian published a leaked NSA inspector general report that details untold history of the NSA surveillance program.

New NSA slides explain PRISM data collection

The Washington Post published four new slides on the NSA Internet surveillance program that better explain how the collection works.

Misinformation on classified NSA programs includes statements by senior U.S. officials

In this excellent report, Washington Post documents all of the misleading statements, deceptions, and outright lies told by US officials about the NSA surveillance program.

Supported by Members

Our members make it possible for EFF to bring legal and technological expertise into crucial battles about online rights. Whether defending free speech online or challenging unconstitutional surveillance, your participation makes a difference. Every donation gives technology users who value freedom online a stronger voice and more formidable advocate.

If you aren't already, please consider becoming an EFF member today.

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Administrivia

Editor: Trevor Timm, Activist
editor@eff.org

EFFector is a publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged. MiniLinks do not necessarily represent the views of EFF.

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Announcements

Restore the Fourth Protest Against Unconstitutional Surveillance

This Fourth of July, groups of concerned individuals will be taking to the streets in dozens of cities across the United States in support of the Fourth Amendment. EFF Activist Parker Higgins will be speaking at the San Francisco protest, which starts by Civic Center at 11 am.
July 4, 2013 - 11:00am
San Francisco, CA and other cities around the country

SigInt

The SigInt is an annual three-day conference on technical and social aspects of our digital society. This year, EFF activism director Rainey Reitman will be discussing NSA dragnet surveillance and efforts to fight back.
July 5 to July 7, 2013
Cologne, Germany

To See or Not to See? That is the Question: Maintaining Privacy in the Age of Social Media

Staff Attorney Hanni Fakhoury will join Sunny Park from Microsoft and Martin Cole from Accenture to talk about social media and privacy at the IADC's Annual Meeting.
July 7, 2013 - 10:30am
Maui, Hawaii

Black Hat Briefings

Join EFF at Black Hat Briefings! Be sure to stop by our information booth to find out about the latest developments in protecting digital freedom. You can even sign up as an EFF member and pick up some great swag!
July 31, 2013 to August 1, 2013
Las Vegas, NV

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