News

Floating turbines offer a solution where seas are too deep for conventional towers – but locals in Galicia fear the impact on their centuries-old maritime tradition

Brussels, 23 February - EDPB Chair Anu Talus has signed a Joint Statement on AI-Generated Imagery and the Protection of Privacy on behalf of the EDPB. The statement, coordinated by the Global Privacy Assembly's (GPA) International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group (IEWG), represents the united position of 61 authorities across the world. This reflects the Board’s commitment to contributing to the global dialogue on data protection as outlined in the fourth pillar of its work programme 2026-2

At 38, the D66 leader is set to become the Netherlands’ youngest prime minister and its first openly gay leader

We recently introduced a policy governing large language model (LLM) assisted contributions to EFF's open-source projects. At EFF, we strive to produce high quality software tools, rather than simply generating more lines of code in less time. We now explicitly require that contributors understand the code they submit to us and that comments and documentation be authored by a human. LLMs excel at producing code that looks mostly human generated, but can often have underlying bugs that can b

Renewables-centric Iberian Peninsula reaps record-low prices – but pays price for lack of EU cables

The move to simplify data centre efficiency reporting comes despite estimates suggesting that 75% to 85% of servers sit idle at any one time

Wisconsin’s S.B. 130 / A.B. 105 is a spectacularly bad idea. It’s an age-verification bill that effectively bans VPN access to certain websites for Wisconsinites and censors lawful speech. We wrote about it last November in our blog “Lawmakers Want to Ban VPNs—And They Have No Idea What They're Doing,” but since then, the bill has passed the State Assembly and is scheduled for a vote in the State Senate tomorrow. In light of this, EFF sent a letter to the entire Wisconsin Legislature urging

The DSA Human Rights Alliance has released 'Principles for a Human Rights-Centred Application of the Digital Services Act: A Global Perspective' to guide the European Commission, national policymakers, and regulators as the DSA moves from legislation to enforcement. The recommendations focus on the cross-border effects of DSA enforcement, empowering diverse groups to enforce users’ rights and providing input during enforcement actions. This will ensure that the law is applied in a way that respe

On 3 February 2026, the United States House Committee on the Judiciary launched a report in which EDRi member Bits of Freedom and Justice for Prosperity, among others, are called "censorous NGOs". In response, Bits of Freedom and Justice for Prosperity are issuing the following statement. The post US pressure on the Digital Services Act in the Netherlands appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

In today's edition: Parliament blocks AI features, MEPs meet MAGA committee amid censorship attacks

Culture Commissioner Glenn Micallef warns AI is one of the main threats to the sector's working conditions

Canadian leader pitched British counterpart on nascent Defense Security and Resilience Bank, as industry and backbench calls mount for the U.K. to take part.

Le Pen ally has 10-point lead over center-right incumbent in race to lead Nice.

Report from EFF, Center for Just Journalism, and IPVM Helps Cut Through Sales HypeSAN FRANCISCO — A new report released today offers journalists tips on cutting through the sales hype about police surveillance technology and report accurately on costs, benefits, privacy, and accountability as these invasive and often ineffective tools come to communities across the nation. The “Selling Safety” report is a joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Center for Just Journalism (

(This appeared as an op-ed published February 12, 2026 in the San Jose Spotlight, written by Huy Tran (SIREN), Jeffrey Wang (CAIR-SFBA), and Jennifer Pinsof.) As ICE and other federal agencies continue their assault on civil liberties, local leaders are stepping up to protect their communities. This includes pushing back against automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, which are tools of mass surveillance that can be weaponized against immigrants, political dissidents and other targets. In rec

Deep economic ties between the two countries have frayed in recent years

Mediating ties between allies and addressing the ongoing war in Europe dominated discussions on Saturday

Brussels, 13 February - The EDPB has recently adopted its work programme for 2026-2027, which is grounded in the four pillars of the EDPB strategy 2024-2027. The work programme is based on the priorities set out in the EDPB strategy and it also takes into account the commitments made in the Helsinki Statement on enhanced clarity, support and engagement aimed at making GDPR compliance easier, strengthening consistency, and boosting cross-regulatory cooperation. Easing compliance is at the top of

Discord has begun rolling out mandatory age verification and the internet is, understandably, freaking out. At EFF, we’ve been raising the alarm about age verification mandates for years. In December, we launched our Age Verification Resource Hub to push back against laws and platform policies that require users to hand over sensitive personal information just to access basic online services. At the time, age gates were largely enforced in polities where it was mandated by law. Now they’re landi

Surveillance technology vendors, federal agencies, and wealthy private donors have long helped provide local law enforcement “free” access to surveillance equipment that bypasses local oversight. The result is predictable: serious accountability gaps and data pipelines to other entities, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), that expose millions of people to harm. The cost of “free” surveillance tools — like automated license plate readers (ALPRs), networked cameras, face recognit

The event will give the opportunity to the researchers, the University of Amsterdam and Eurecat – Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, to showcase the results of their analyses, presenting the policy options that can inform future policy-making. The post Information Integrity & Wikipedia: How community-governed platforms can inform future policy-making. appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

Group led by EFF and Imperial Valley Equity & Justice Asks Gov. Newsom and Caltrans Director to Act Immediately SAN FRANCISCO – California must revoke permits allowing federal agencies such as Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to put automated license plate readers along border highways, a coalition led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Imperial Valley Equity & Justice (IVEJ) demanded today. In a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and Ca

Amazon Ring’s Super Bowl ad offered a vision of our streets that should leave every person unsettled about the company’s goals for disintegrating our privacy in public. In the ad, disguised as a heartfelt effort to reunite the lost dogs of the country with their innocent owners, the company previewed future surveillance of our streets: a world where biometric identification could be unleashed from consumer devices to identify, track, and locate anything — human, pet, and otherwise. The ad for Ri

Flock contracts have quietly spread to cities across the country. But Flock ALPR (Automated License Plate Readers) erode civil liberties from the moment they're installed. While officials claim these cameras keep neighborhoods safe, the evidence tells a different story. The data reveals how Flock has enabled surveillance of people seeking abortions, protesters exercising First Amendment rights, and communities targeted by discriminatory policing. This is exactly why cities are saying no. Fr

Section 230 helps make it possible for online communities to host user speech: from restaurant reviews, to fan fiction, to collaborative encyclopedias. But recent debates about the law often overlook how it works in practice. To mark its 30th anniversary, EFF is interviewing leaders of online platforms about how they handle complaints, moderate content, and protect their users’ ability to speak and share information. A decade ago, Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, rece

Section 230 helps make it possible for online communities to host user speech: from restaurant reviews, to fan fiction, to collaborative encyclopedias. But recent debates about the law often overlook how it works in practice. To mark its 30th anniversary, EFF is interviewing leaders of online platforms about how they handle complaints, moderate content, and protect their users’ ability to speak and share information. Yelp hosts millions of reviews written by internet users about local businesses

We are sad to report the passing of longtime EFF Board member, Dave Farber. Dave was 91 and lived in Tokyo from age 83, where he was the Distinguished Professor at Keio University and Co-Director of the Keio Cyber Civilization Research Center (CCRC). Known as the Grandfather of the Internet, Dave made countless contributions to the internet, both directly and through his support for generations of students. Dave was the longest-serving EFF Board member, having joined in the early 1990s, before t

Federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have descended into utter lawlessness, most recently in Minnesota. The violence is shocking. So are the intrusions on digital rights. For example, we have a First Amendment right to record on-duty police, including ICE and CBP, but federal agents are violating this right. Indeed, Alex Pretti was exercising this right shortly before federal agents shot and killed him. So were the many people wh

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have descended into utter lawlessness, most recently in Minnesota. The violence is shocking. So are the intrusions on digital rights and civil liberties. For example, immigration agents are routinely scanning faces of people they suspect of unlawful presence in the country – 100,000 times, according to the Wall Street Journal. The technology has already misidentified at least one person, according to 404 Media. Fac

The phrase "artificial intelligence" has been around for a long time, covering everything from computers with "brains"—think Data from Star Trek or Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey—to the autocomplete function that too often has you sending emails to the wrong person. It's a term that sweeps a wide array of uses into it—some well-established, others still being developed. Recent news shows us a rapidly expanding catalog of potential harms that may result from companies pushing AI into ev

De Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) stelt drie prioriteiten centraal voor de periode 2026-2028: massasurveillance, artificiële intelligentie (AI) en digitale weerbaarheid. Met deze prioriteiten wil de AP mensen nog beter beschermen in een verder digitaliserende wereld. Het jaarplan 2026 beschrijft welke stappen de AP dit jaar gaat zetten binnen deze prioriteiten.

Brussels, 29 January - The EDPB organises a remote event to collect stakeholders’ input on its Guidelines on the processing of personal data to target or deliver political advertisements under the regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising. The event will take place on 27 March 2026 (time to be confirmed). This will be an opportunity to inform and support the EDPB’s ongoing work on this topic as per its work programme 2024-2025 and it reflects the EDPB’s commitment to

The Digital Services Act (DSA) Human Rights Alliance has, since its founding by EFF and Access Now in 2021, worked to ensure that the European Union follows a human rights-based approach to platform governance by integrating a wide range of voices and perspectives to contextualise DSA enforcement and examining the DSA’s effect on tech regulations around the world.As the DSA moves from legislation to enforcement, it has become increasingly clear that its impact depends not only on the text of the

Dangerously unchecked surveillance and rights violations have been a throughline of the Department of Homeland Security since the agency’s creation in the wake of the September 11th attacks. In particular, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been responsible for countless civil liberties and digital rights violations since that time. In the past year, however, ICE and CBP have descended into utter lawlessness, repeatedly refusing to exercise or

We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, and addressing what's at stake, and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation. Copyright owners increasingly claim more draconian copyright law and policy will fight back against big tech companies. In reality, copyri

We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, and addressing what's at stake, and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation. There’s a crisis of creativity in mainstream American culture. We have fewer and fewer studios and record labels and fewer and fewer platf

Spyware continues to spread across Europe despite years of scandals and undisputable evidence of fundamental rights violations. As the European Commission remains inactive, civil society, journalists and some lawmakers at the European Parliament are stepping up pressure for accountability. In this context, EDRi is launching a document pool to centralise resources that tracks abuse and support the growing push for a full EU-wide ban of spyware. The post EDRi launches new resource to document abus

Earlier this month, Iran’s internet connectivity faced one of its most severe disruptions in recent years with a near-total shutdown from the global internet and major restrictions on mobile access. EFF joined architects, operators, and stewards of the global internet infrastructure in calling upon authorities in Iran to immediately restore full and unfiltered internet access. We further call upon the international technical community to remain vigilant in monitoring connectivity and to support

We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, and addressing what's at stake, and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation. Imagine every post online came with a bounty of up to $150,000 paid to anyone who finds it violates opaque government rules—all out of the

News from the European Union.

"This briefing analyzes the establishment of the European Authority for the Prevention of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA) as a key component of the reform of EU legislation on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) in 2024. Now that AMLA has officially commenced its operations in the summer of 2025, a crucial question arises..."

Government

“Het kabinet onderschrijft het belang van de bescherming van grondrechten en waardeert dat de Commissie hieraan eveneens aandacht schenkt. Niettemin plaatst het kabinet kanttekeningen bij het voorstel, gezien het feit dat de regeling voorziet in een grootschalige beschikbaarstelling van gevoelige...

Government.

"The government recognizes the importance of protecting fundamental rights and appreciates that the Commission also gives attention to this issue. Nevertheless, the government has reservations about the proposal, given that the regulation provides for the large-scale availability of sensitive..."

Nieuws uit de Europese Unie.

"Deze briefing analyseert de oprichting van de Europese Autoriteit voor het Bestrijden van Geldwitwassen en Terrorismefinanciering (AMLA) als een belangrijk onderdeel van de hervorming van de EU-wetgeving op het gebied van het bestrijden van geldwitwassen en terrorismefinanciering (AML/CFT) in 2024. Nu AMLA officieel haar activiteiten in de zomer van 2025 is begonnen, is een belangrijke vraag..."

Lawmakers in Washington are once again focusing on kids, screens, and mental health. But according to Congress, Big Tech is somehow both the problem and the solution. The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing today on “examining the effect of technology on America’s youth.” Witnesses warned about “addictive” online content, mental health, and kids spending too much time buried in screen. At the center of the debate is a bill from Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) called the Kids O

Een universitair docent (de betrokkene) heeft toegang gevraagd tot de inhoud van beoordelingsrapporten van onafhankelijke beoordelaars en aanbevelingsbrieven die zijn opgesteld tijdens het promotieproces, bij de Universiteit van Cyprus (de verantwoordelijke). Een universitair docent (de betrokkene) heeft toegang gevraagd tot de inhoud van beoordelingsrapporten van onafhankelijke beoordelaars en aanbevelingsbrieven die zijn opgesteld tijdens het promotieproces, bij de Universiteit van Cyprus (de verantwoordelijke).

Feiten === Feiten ====== Feiten === Een universitair docent (de betrokkene) heeft toegang gevraagd tot de inhoud van beoordelingsrapporten van onafhankelijke beoordelaars en aanbevelingsbrieven die zijn opgesteld tijdens het promotieproces, bij de Universiteit van Cyprus (de verantwoordelijke). Een universitair docent (de betrokkene) heeft toegang gevraagd tot de inhoud van beoordelingsrapporten van onafhankelijke beoordelaars en aanbevelingsbrieven die zijn opgesteld tijdens het promotieproces, bij de Universiteit.

Learn more about how ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on surveillance technology to spy on everyone – and potentially the entire population – in the United States, and how you can track the spending of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE has been conducting raids in American cities, targeting, observing, intimidating, mistreating, arresting, and torturing people who are living in the country illegally. They have also been targeting people with work permits, asylum seekers, permanent residents (people with a "green card"), and naturalized citizens.

Read more about how ICE has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on surveillance technology to spy on anyone—and potentially everyone—in the United States, and how to follow the Homeland Security Spending Trail.. ICE has been invading U.S. cities, targeting, surveilling, harassing, assaulting, detaining, and torturing people who are undocumented immigrants. They also have targeted people with work permits, asylum seekers, permanent residents (people holding “green cards”), naturalized citizens,

Age verification requirements are rapidly spreading, ushering in a new era of online surveillance, censorship, and exclusion, not just for young people, but for everyone. Laws that mandate age verification typically require websites and apps to collect sensitive data from every user, often through intrusive methods such as identity checks, biometric scans, or other questionable "estimation techniques," before granting access to certain content or services. Legislators often tout these laws as the ultimate solution for "child online safety."

Age verification mandates are spreading fast, and they’re ushering in a new age of online surveillance, censorship, and exclusion for everyone—not just young people. Age-gating laws generally require websites and apps to collect sensitive data from every user, often through invasive tools like ID checks, biometric scans, or other dubious “estimation” methods, before granting them access to certain content or services. Lawmakers tout these laws as the silver-bullet solution to “kids’ online safet