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In our 557th issue:
In a landmark decision, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
ruled that the government must have a search warrant before
it can secretly seize and search emails stored by email
service providers. Closely tracking arguments made by EFF
in its amicus brief, the court found that email users have
the same reasonable expectation of privacy in their stored
email as they do in their phone calls and postal mail.
From fighting fiendish copyright trolls, to freeing your
smart phones from restrictions against jailbreaking, to
helping you take better control of your privacy on
Facebook, EFF works tirelessly for your digital rights.
What better way to celebrate than to chronicle a few of our
biggest fights in 8-bit style? These breakout victories
were only possible thanks to individuals like you, so
please consider making a year-end contribution if you
haven't yet done so.
The past few weeks have highlighted the vulnerability of
centralized information systems to censorship. Sites
hosting legitimate speech were caught up in an
anti-counterfeiting raid by the Department of Homeland
Security, EveryDNS stopped hosting WikiLeaks.org’s DNS,
Amazon refused hosting service to WikiLeaks, and
independent protesters conducted denial-of-service attacks
on businesses refusing service to WikiLeaks. What, then,
can digital activists do to protect speech on the Internet?
Here's EFF's guide to some of the innovative projects
underway right now.
EFF Updates
New Humble Indie Bundle: Pay-What-You-Want for Games and Help EFF, Again!
The Humble Indie Bundle, now in its highly successful
second year, lets users pay what they want to purchase a
collection of independently produced, DRM-free,
cross-platform computer games -- with a portion of the
proceeds headed to EFF!
EFF Location Privacy Victory at Third Circuit Stands, With Implications Far Beyond Your Cell Phone
In a victory for consumer privacy, the Third Circuit Court
of Appeals denied the government's request that it
reconsider its September decision regarding government
access to cell phone company records that reveal your past
locations.
Not-So-Gentle Persuasion: U.S. Bullies Spain into Proposed Website Blocking Law
A set of cables reported on by El Pais make clear that the
U.S. government played a key role in Spain’s controversial
website blocking bill which the Spanish government is now
trying to sneak through in a pre-holiday session this
month.
Indian Government Detains E-Voting Researchers
Two of the colleagues who assisted Hari Prasad in exposing
serious flaws in electronic voting machines used in India
were detained for hours when flying to Delhi for a security
conference.
Viacom Round-Up: Still Complaining about YouTube Even as They Profit from It
Viacom and its supporters are seeking a re-write of the
DMCA that would put all kinds of online service providers
at risk of huge statutory damages for copyright
infringement, rather than embracing a profitable new
business model.
Knowledge is Power: Facebook's Exceptional Approach to
Vulnerability Disclosure
Facebook has set itself apart by publishing a policy
intended to make those who discover vulnerabilities more
comfortable coming forward to report them.
Lawmakers and Legal Experts Call For Restraint in
Wikileaks Hearing
In a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the legal and
constitutional issues surrounding Wikileaks' publication
activities, committee members repeatedly emphasized the
importance of protecting First Amendment rights and
cautioned against overreaction.
Human Rights Organizations Worldwide Decry Attacks on
Freedom of Expression
In the weeks since cablegate.wikileaks.org was taken down,
human rights organizations around the world have condemned
the attacks on Wikileaks and have raised their voices to
protect freedom of expression online.
A Mixed Ninth Circuit Ruling in MDY v. Blizzard: WoW Buyers Are Not Owners But Glider Users Are Not Copyright
Infringers
The Ninth Circuit issued its decision in the second of a
trio of cases that raise the critical legal question of
whether "magic words" in a end-user license agreement
(EULA) slapped onto a consumer product can turn buyers (or
gift recipients) into mere licensees, rather than owners.
Commerce Department's Online Privacy Report a Positive
Step, But Self-Regulation Isn't Enough
The new Department of Commerce “green paper” on online
privacy echoes EFF's concerns about the enormous gap
between consumer privacy expectations and business reality
in the online environment, but stops short of endorsing
enforceable consumer privacy rules.
Season’s Greetings from EFF's International Team
EFF works in a range of international policy venues and
with partner organizations worldwide to defend your digital
rights; find out how EFF's International Team is working to
defend your digital freedom across the globe.
Work With EFF's International Policy Team Next Summer!
If you are you a student who is passionate about protecting
online civil liberties, then apply for a Google Policy
Fellowship to work with EFF's international policy team
next summer!
miniLinks
Your Apps Are Watching You
A new report from the Wall Street Journal shows that
application privacy isn't just a Facebook problem; iPhone
and Android phones leak personal data to apps, too.
Warner Brothers Won’t Fight ‘Yogi Bear’ Video Parody
This dark parody imagines a dire ending to the 'Yogi Bear'
movie - but refreshingly won't be subject to take down by
Warner Brothers, according to the studio.
Piracy Fight Shuts Down Music Blogs
Artist-endorsed music blogs are among sites silenced by
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Dream Job Alerts!
Criminal Defense Staff Attorney
EFF is seeking a senior staff attorney with a focus on criminal law matters to join our legal team.
Responsibilities will include litigation, public speaking, media outreach, and legislative and regulatory advocacy all in connection with civil liberties and our Coders Rights Project.
For the full announcement and information on how to apply:
https://www.eff.org/about/opportunities/criminal-defense-staff-attorney
Administrivia
ISSN 1062-9424
EFFector is a publication of
the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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Editor:
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