Topic: Electronic Frontier Foundation

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New cybersecurity bill: Privacy threat or crucial band-aid?

The cybersecurity bill was a flash point for privacy advocates a year ago. Now, changes have been made to the bill, which was the focus of a closed hearing Wednesday by the House Intelligence Committee.
Is Facebook smartphone just a new way to collect data about you? (+video)

Facebook's smartphone launch raises alarms with consumer advocates who worry that more ease for consumers also means less privacy, as Facebook extends its capacity to mine personal data.
Focus Drones over America: public safety benefit or 'creepy' privacy threat?

Drones are not just for tracking terrorists abroad. Some 327 are authorized to fly in US airspace – most for military training. But as their numbers grow, so is domestic scrutiny.
White House opposes restrictions on unlocking cellphones

The Obama administration came out in favor of legalizing unlocking cellphones on Monday. The statement raises questions about what restrictions the Digital Millennial Copyright Act places on consumers with its ban on unlocking personal devices.
Could Vine get pulled from the App Store for featuring porn?

The video-sharing app released by Twitter on Thursday is off to a bumpy start for hosting pornographic content. Vine could get the boot from the App Store if it does not clean up its content.
Reddit co-founder, Internet activist, Aaron Swartz, dies at age 26

Aaron Swartz, co-founder of the popular social news site Reddit and creator of RSS feeds, hanged himself in his Brooklyn apartment Friday night. Swartz would have gone on trial in a few weeks on charges of stealing millions of scholarly articles he was attempting to make available to the public.
Instagram uproar: A testing ground for Facebook? (+video)

A popular photo sharing site owned by Facebook, Instagram released new terms of service on Monday. Now Instagram users have a month to decide how much control over their data they are willing to give up.
Horizons Twitter bans Neo-Nazi group, a first for the website

Twitter has blocked the account of a German Neo-Nazi group known as Besseres Hannover, or Better Hannover.
Briefing Apple vs. Samsung: Who owns smart phones?

Why Apple and Samsung suits and counter suits still fly, and what's next.
Syria's cyberwars: using social media against dissent

Social media fueled the Arab Spring. In Syria, it's helping the government quash it. The Syrian uprising has opened a new chapter in the history of cyber-espionage, and activists and experts are watching closely to see how it plays out.
The Monitor's View: The Internet needs its own ‘declaration of independence’

A new ‘Declaration of Internet Freedom’ should spark a much-needed discussion about online rights and privacy.
House passes cybersecurity bill despite veto threat over privacy protections

The cybersecurity bill seeks to protect the nation from cyberattack, but concerns over how personal information is shared with the government and corporations has sparked opposition and a veto threat from the Obama administration.
Horizons Megaupload given two more weeks to deal with user data

Megaupload has negotiated a 14-day reprieve for troves of data stored on the site. But that doesn't mean Megaupload users will see their files anytime soon.
Horizons #TwitterBlackout: Protests brew as complaints over censorship come to a boil

Twitter on Thursday announced it would invoke the ability to censor some tweets on a country-by-country basis. Cue the global backlash.
Would SOPA and PIPA bills 'break Internet?' Anti-piracy measure being revised.

On the verge of passage in Congress, the SOPA and PIPA bills targeting online piracy have been bounced back for revision in the face of a public outcry and high-profile Internet protests.
Court rules for telecoms' role in domestic eavesdropping

A US appellate court has ruled that telecom companies have the right to legal immunity for helping the government eavesdrop on private communications. But in a separate opinion, the court also ruled that customers can sue the government for tracking e-mail and phone calls.
European Court: Internet providers can't be forced to monitor users

The European Court of Justice overturned a Belgian court's injunction in what experts say is a victory for Internet providers and users over proponents of tighter copyright controls online.
S.978: What Justin Bieber has to do with online streaming bill

S.978 is the latest chapter in the fight to protect major content providers, including the movie industry, which say they lose millions of dollars yearly from illegal streams on sites like YouTube.
Is OnStar turning your car against you? Senator Schumer thinks so.

Senator Schumer of New York criticizes in-vehicle emergency tool OnStar because it collects information about its users even after they cancel the service. It's the latest flareup over whether new technologies are violating users' privacy rights.
Iranian government may be behind hack of Dutch security firm

The cyberattack, which affected hundreds of thousands of users in Iran, may have been meant to allow the Iranian government to eavesdrop on its citizens via Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and other sites.
How much are Twitter and BlackBerry to blame for British riots?

British officials have criticized social media for its role in organizing and fanning the riots throughout England. But experts suggest that much of the criticism is misplaced.
Social media: Did Twitter and Facebook really build a global revolution?

Social media: From Iran to Tunisia and Egypt and beyond, Twitter and Facebook are the power tools of civic upheaval – but social media is only one factor in the spread of democratic revolution.
What's at stake in Google's plan to digitize all the world's books

Google, publishers, and authors asked a judge for another 60 days Wednesday to hammer out a deal to make Google Books a reality. The agreement could shape the nascent industry.
FBI set to kill secret-stealing Russian 'botnet.' Is your computer infected?

The FBI has seized control of a Russian cybercrime enterprise, but to kill it completely, officials may ask to rip some malware out of your computer. US diplomatic secrets could be at stake.
New Internet privacy bill: How would it protect consumers?

Legislation proposed Tuesday would require companies to notify users before data is collected and allow users to change the collected data or opt-out entirely.