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In our 583rd issue:
In response to outrage over the temporary shutdown of cell phone service in four San Francisco subway stations on rumors of a planned protest, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officials have repeatedly claimed their decision was necessary to maintain public safety. BART spokesman Linton Johnson has gone so far as to invent a new Constitutional “right to safety” which trumps the First Amendment. As it happens, we are in full agreement that BART has an obligation to the safety of its passengers. We believe that working cell phones throughout the BART system do not pose a danger to riders; rather, they help to promote public safety.
TorrentFreak ran two posts offering opposing views on whether a person who runs an open wifi network can be held liable when others use the network for copyright infringement. The truth is that no court has ever found that anyone is liable simply because another user of his or her open wifi committed some legal wrong. Every day cafes, airports, libraries, and individuals operate open wifi router. The world gets a valuable public service, and the open wifi providers are not liable.
In Vietnam, being an outspoken blogger can land you in jail. Pham Minh Hoang, a university professor with dual French and Vietnamese citizenship, was sentenced on August 10 to three years in prison and an additional three years under house arrest, for trying to "overthrow the government." EFF joins the French and U.S. governments, Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and Viet Tan, in condemning the sentence and urging the Vietnamese government to release Pham Minh Hoang immediately.
EFF Updates
Public Attention Keeps Threatened Blogger Safe in China
Dan Ward, attorney to pro-democracy activist and blogger Du Daobin, noted the efficacy of EFF's campaign to spread awareness about Cisco’s responsibilities to stand up for human rights: "[R]ecent events lead us to believe that the safety of our clients in Du v. Cisco is dependent, in no small part, on the fact that the world is watching."
This Week in Internet Censorship
In Egypt, an activist and blogger is facing trial for a tweet allegedly defaming the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces, while the governments of Argentina and Pakistan escalate censorship of the Internet.
Al-Jazeera Follows EFF's Whistleblower Recommendations
In June, EFF criticized two Wikileaks imitators, the Al-Jazeera Transparency Unit (AJTU) and the Wall Street Journal's Safehouse, because their terms of use offered whistleblowers very little protection. On August 8, AJTU published its revised terms, attempting to address our concerns.
British Prime Minister Does a 180 on Internet Censorship
After several days of destructive riots throughout the UK, British Prime Minister David Cameron is practically tripping over himself in his eagerness to sacrifice liberty for security.
You Make a Difference
EFF would like to thank all of the attendees at this year's Black Hat USA, Security BSidesLV, and DEF CON conferences in Las Vegas. We are humbled by the infosec community's outpouring of generosity to sustain EFF's work defending coders rights and upholding our freedoms online.
miniLinks
Patent Pirates & the Duel with Android
EFF's Julie Samuels talks to Wireless Weekly about patents trolls and the effects on small developers.
U.K. Riots, Possible Social Networking Blockage
EFF's Jillian York visits Bloomberg TV to discuss potential social media censorship and freedom of expression issues in the UK.
The Blink-182 YouTube Film Festival You Didn't Know You Entered
The new Blink-182 video is a montage of YouTube videos created by fans using the group's music without permission.
Administrivia
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Announcements
Tell Cisco: Stop Helping China Abuse Human Rights
Reports indicate that networking giant Cisco Systems, Inc., an American company based in Silicon Valley, has been knowingly selling Internet surveillance and censorship tools to the Chinese government for years. Tell them to stand up for threatened activists like blogger Du Daobin and stop helping China abuse human rights.
SPEAKEASY: Burning Man
EFF is going to Burning Man! Join boardmembers John Gilmore, John Perry Barlow, and Brad Templeton, staff members Katitza Rodriguez and Peter Eckersley, and EFF fellow Cory Doctorow as they explore bleeding-edge digital rights issues.
Location: Black Rock City, NV
Date: August 31, 2011
Global Democracy – A Triumph for Social Networks?” - M100 Sanssouci Colloquium International Media Conference
Jillian York, EFF's Director for International Freedom of Expression, is participating in the seventh annual M100 conference. This year's conference will focus on the role of social networks in connection with the revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
Location: Potsdam, Germany
Date: September 8, 2011
Ohio LinuxFest 2011
Meet EFF Membership Coordinator Aaron Jue at the ninth annual Ohio LinuxFest to be held September 9-11, 2011 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in downtown Columbus. Hosting authoritative speakers and a large expo, the Ohio LinuxFest welcomes all Free and Open Source Software professionals, enthusiasts, and everyone interested in learning more about Free and Open Source Software.
Location: Columbus, OH
Date: September 9-11, 2011
Open Video Conference
EFF's Director of International Freedom of Expression, Jillian York, will be the keynote speaker at this year's OVC. Jillian will speak about the role of video in enabling activists around the world along with the inherent risks that it also creates.
Location: New York, NY
Date: September 10-12, 2011
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