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EFFector Vol. 30, No. 14 Friday, September 15, 2017 editor@eff.org
A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424
effector: n, Computer Sci. A device for producing a desired change.
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In our 724th issue:
* Defend Our Online Communities: Stop SESTA
A new bill is working its way through Congress that could be disastrous for free speech online. EFF is proud to be part of the coalition fighting back.
The Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) would weaken 47 U.S.C. 230 (commonly known as "CDA 230" or simply "Section 230"), which protects Internet intermediaries--individuals, companies, and organizations that provide a platform for others to share speech and content over the Internet. This includes social networks like Facebook, video platforms like YouTube, news sites, blogs, and other websites that allow comments.
SESTA would shift more blame for users' speech to the web platforms themselves, which would likely spur web communities to become much more restrictive in how they patrol and monitor users' contributions.
Read more: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/09/defend-our-online-communities-stop-ses...
* EFF, ACLU Sue Over Warrantless Phone, Laptop Searches at U.S. Border
EFF and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Department of Homeland Security this week on behalf of 11 travelers whose smartphones and laptops were searched without warrants at the U.S. border.
The lawsuit challenges the government's fast-growing practice of searching travelers' electronic devices without a warrant, and seeks to establish that the government must have a warrant based on probable cause to suspect a violation of immigration or customs laws before conducting such searches.
Read more: https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-aclu-media-conference-call-today-anno...
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EFF Updates
* We're Asking the Copyright Office to Protect Your Right to Remix, Study, and Tinker EFF has filed new petitions with the Copyright Office to give those in the United States protection against legal threats when you take control of your devices and media. We're also seeking broader, better protection for security researchers and video creators against threats from Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
DMCA 1201, an unconstitutional law, bans "circumvention" of access controls on copyrighted works--including software--and bans making or distributing tools that circumvent such digital locks. In effect, it lets hardware and software makers, along with major entertainment companies, control how your digital devices are allowed to function and how you can use digital media. It also creates legal risks for security researchers, repair shops, artists, and technology users. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/09/once-again-were-asking-copyright-offic...
* With iOS 11, More Options to Disable Touch ID Means Better Security Prior to the public release, some vigilant Twitter users using the iOS 11 public beta discovered a new way to quickly disable Touch ID by just tapping the power button five times, an improvement on previously known and relatively clunky methods for disabling Touch ID.
This is good news for users, particularly those who may be in unpredictable situations with physical security concerns that change over time. We call on other manufacturers to follow Apple's lead and implement this kind of design in their own devices. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/09/ios-11-more-options-disable-touch-id-m...
* Judge Cracks Down on LinkedIn’s Shameful Abuse of Computer Break-In Law A judge recently issued an early ruling against LinkedIn's abuse of the notorious Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) to block a competing service from perfectly legal uses of publicly available data on its website. LinkedIn's behavior is just the sort of bad development we expected after the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit delivered two dangerously expansive interpretations of the CFAA's ban on "unauthorized access."
We're asking the Supreme Court to step in and provide a clear, unequivocal ruling that using a computer in a way that violates corporate policies, preferences, and expectations cannot be grounds for a CFAA violation. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/08/judge-cracks-down-linkedins-shameful-a...
* India’s Supreme Court Upholds Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right A recent judgment by the Supreme Court of India endorsed the right to privacy as a fundamental right. Arising from a challenge to India's biometric identity scheme Aadhaar, the judgment clarifies that privacy is intrinsic to human dignity and liberty.
The judgment calls for the government to create a data protection regime that balances safeguarding the privacy of the individual and the legitimate concerns of the state. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/08/indias-supreme-court-upholds-right-pri...
* Will TPP-11 Nations Escape the Copyright Trap? Latest reports confirm that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is being revived. The agreement had been shelved following the withdrawal of the U.S. from the negotiation process, but those eager to keep the pact alive have rallied support to move forward with the agreement.
A recent statement by New Zealand's Prime Minister suggests that countries favor an approach that seeks to replicate TPP provisions with minimal number of changes. Avoiding renegotiation or opening up of TPP will lead to enactment of its flawed and untested provisions--including the copyright term extension--with far-reaching ramifications on innovation, creativity and culture. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/08/will-tpp-11-nations-escape-copyright-t...
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miniLinks
~ AI Will Soon Identify Protesters With Their Faces Partly Concealed (Motherboard) Researchers are quickly figuring out how to identify obscured faces, and governments are quickly figuring out how to exploit that. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/mbby88/ai-will-soon-identify-prot...
~ Virginia Bars Voting Machines Considered Top Hacking Target (Politico) In an effort to prevent election tampering, Virginia will not use touchscreen voting machines for November’s gubernatorial vote. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/08/virginia-election-machines-hacking-...
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Announcements
* Cryptoparty Hosted by Digital Freedom Initiative A local community group in the Electronic Frontier Alliance will host a cryptoparty in Cleveland, OH on September 16. https://eff.org/event/cryptoparty-hosted-digital-freedom-initiative
* Cryptoparty Hosted by CyPurr A local community group in the Electronic Frontier Alliance will host a cryptoparty in Brooklyn, NY on September 17. https://eff.org/event/cryptoparty-hosted-cypurr
* Discussion Hosted by TA3M Portland A local community group in the Electronic Frontier Alliance will host a discussion on privacy in Portland, OR on September 18. https://eff.org/event/discussion-hosted-ta3m-portland
* EFF at NAFTA in Ottawa When EFF attends NAFTA negotiations in Ottawa, we will co-host a roundtable event open to the public on September 22 where trade and digital policy experts will discuss the potential impacts of NAFTA on digital rights. https://www.eff.org/event/eff-nafta-ottawa
* EFF at World Maker Faire New York 2017 On September 23 & 24 EFF will participate in the world's most diverse showcase of creativity and innovation in technology, craft, science, fashion, art, food and more. https://www.eff.org/event/eff-world-maker-faire-new-york-2016-0
* Free Movie Screening & Discussion with EFF EFF Activism Director Rainey Reitman is coming to Lexington and Roanoke on September 26 to meet with Virginians who care about civil liberties. We'll host a movie screening of CITIZENFOUR with a discussion to follow. https://www.eff.org/event/free-movie-screening-discussion-eff
* Drinks, Dinner & Surveillance Presentation with EFF Join EFF Activism Director Rainey Reitman in Lexington, VA on September 27 at the Rockbridge Country Democratic Committee’s bimonthly cocktails & dinner for a discussion on NSA surveillance. Note that while this is a Democratic club, EFF is a nonpartisan nonprofit attending to discuss the issue of surveillance, not endorse candidates or political parties. https://www.eff.org/event/drinks-dinner-surveillance-presentation-eff
* EFF at the University of Iowa EFF's Legal Director Corynne McSherry will lead a discussion exploring who should protect free expression during times of crisis at the University of Iowa's Center for Human Rights on September 27 at 7:30pm. https://eff.org/event/eff-university-iowa
* Color of Surveillance Hill Briefing EFF Activism Director Rainey Reitman will moderate a Hill briefing on how foreign intelligence surveillance intersects with race, class, and policy in Washington, D.C. on September 28. https://www.eff.org/event/color-surveillance-hill-briefing
* EFA September 2017 Teleconference EFF's Electronic Frontier Alliance team will host a remote teleconference to highlight opportunities for grassroots organizers on September 28 at 6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET. https://www.eff.org/event/efa-september-2017-teleconference
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If you aren't already, please consider becoming an EFF member today.
Donate: https://supporters.eff.org/join/effector
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* Administrivia
Editor: Camille Ochoa, Activist editor@eff.org
EFFector is published by: The Electronic Frontier Foundation https://www.eff.org/
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