From my experience, the legal and technical realms are two of the most difficult subjects to master. When the two cross, say with the topic of civil rights on the Internet, it’s really getting into uncharted territory. Fortunately, we Internet users have advocates on our side. Whether the issue is net neutrality or copyright infringement or if the bad guys are intellectual property thieves, big corporations, or an overstepping government, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has been leveraging its resources on the behalf of Right and Freedom.
The EFF has been heavily involved in things that I’ve discussed before like net neutrality with the proposal Google and Verizon put together and Tor, The Onion Router. One of the recent issues it has been working on is the legislation surrounding online advertisers and the Do Not Track issues actively being discussed.
You can find more interesting videos about ongoing issues that EFF tackles or events that they sponsor by subscribing to their YouTube channel. I really liked the description of the Electronic Frontier Foundation in Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother. I put together a compilation from Chapter 17 and the bibliography that discusses the EFF.
Jail-breaking a phone, Fair Use of copyrighted materials, and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act have been big areas where the EFF has been at work lately. You can check out their work and learn more about the organization, it has had a fascinating history.
It hasn’t been long since the EFF was celebrating its accomplishments in 2010…
and tonight it will be celebrating its 21st year of existence with a birthday party.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Take a look at its records (Form 990), if you would like to. If you feel like you’ve benefited from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and want the organization to continue fighting for human rights in the digital age, consider giving them a birthday present in the form of a tax-deductible donation.