Corporate Media Wants Copyright Law to Rewrite the Internet | EFFector 34.2

 

EFFector 34.2 Corporate Media Wants Copyright Law to Rewrite the Internet

In our 782nd issue: UPDATES ANNOUNCEMENTS JOB OPENINGS MINILINKS

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Top Features The New Filter Mandate Bill Is An Unmitigated Disaster Industry groups are pushing a new bill–the SMART Copyright Act–that would give the Copyright Office the power to set the rules for internet technology and services to address copyright infringement, with precious little opportunity for appeal. Remaking the internet to serve the entertainment industry was a bad idea ten years ago and it’s a bad idea today. EFF Updates Audio Version of EFFector Newsletter We're piloting an audio version of EFFector's Newsletter. We hope you enjoy it! You Should Not Trust Russia’s New “Trusted Root CA” Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development and Communications is instructing Russian citizens to download a government-approved web browser, or change their basic browser settings. But this would install a certificate authority that paves the way for a decade of digital surveillance, with the power to bypass the cryptographic privacy measures every internet user relies on. Telegram Harm Reduction for Users in Russia and Ukraine Russians and Ukrainians are both prolific users of Telegram, relying on the app for channels that act as newsfeeds, group chats (both public and private), and one-to-one communication, but what do you need to know about just how safe Telegram is, and how to use it more securely? Anti-War Hacktivism is Leading to Digital Xenophobia and a More Hostile Internet The Russian military invasion of Ukraine has led to a backlash against Russia, but that has evolved into bans on anything ethnically or historically Russian—a terrible idea with potentially harmful consequences. Podcast Episode: Watching the Watchers Laura Poitras joins EFF’s Cindy Cohn and Danny O’Brien to talk about her continuing work to uncover spying on journalists, and what we can do to fight back against mass surveillance. Podcast Episode: Saving Podcasts from a Patent Troll On this episode of How to Fix the Internet, Marc Maron and his producer Brendan McDonald join EFF’s Cindy Cohn and Danny O’Brien to talk about how they decided not to give into the legal threats of a patent troll, and how podcasters came together to support EFF’s work to defeat the patent. Ban Online Behavioral Advertising Tech companies earn staggering profits by targeting ads to us based on our online behavior, creating a mad dash to collect information on users without regard to privacy. Podcast Episode: Hack to the Future We talk to Zach Latta, founder of Hack Club, about the importance of high school student access to an open internet, why learning to code can increase equity, and how schools’ online security and the law often stand in the way. A Printer Company Is Putting DRM in Paper Now Printer companies have long profited from being the exclusive sellers of ink or toner for their own machines. Now, label maker Dymo is installing hardware in their printers to ensure that customers can only print on paper they sell. Announcements EFF's 6th Annual Tech Trivia Night Join us in-person on May 5th for our 6th annual exploration of the fascinating, obscure, and trivial minutiae of digital security, online rights, and internet culture. If you live in the Bay Area, register today! Job Openings Accounting Director EFF is looking for a senior-level Accounting Director ​​to manage all day-to-day accounting and reporting operations of a budget of $15 million, to eventually supervise a team of 2 staff members. Staff Attorney – Intellectual Property EFF is looking for a litigator who is excited about fostering digital creativity, justice and innovation to join our legal team. MiniLinks Newly Declassified Documents Reveal Previously Secret CIA Bulk Collection, Problems With CIA Handling of Americans’ Information (Senate.gov) The CIA has been engaging in mass surveillance of Americans' communications, violating everyone's privacy without any oversight from courts or Congress.  After protests around George Floyd’s murder ended, a police system for watching protesters kept going (MIT Technology Review) After MIT and Tech Review published scathing revelations of police spying in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, they took into account responses by both defenders and detractors and have published even more. A US surveillance program tracks nearly 200,000 immigrants. What happens to their data? (Guardian) The Biden administration is proposing to expand a controversial surveillance program that tracks the whereabouts of more than 180,000 immigrants awaiting their day in court. The Foilies 2022: Recognizing the year’s worst in government transparency (Muck Rock) Every year, EFF and Muckrock team up with Alt weeklies around the country to highlight how challenging FOIA & transparency can be.

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