Get VyprVPN with a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Get VyprVPN
Policy
Policy
Net Neutrality’s Turbulent FCC Path
“Net Neutrality” has been a hot issue over the past few years. The idea is that the ISPs you pay to access the Internet should not be able to slow down or block you from accessing the websites you want to see. This is incredibly important because Internet access is crucial to our economy and touches almost every aspect of our daily lives. An ISP could slow traffic or block consumers’ ability to get to certain websites—and some have in the past. The problem is ensuring that everyone can have equal access to an open Internet going forward.
May 21, 2017
Policy
New Bill Attempts to Stop State Bans on Encryption
The encryption battle took another turn this week when a new bill, titled the Ensuring National Constitutional Rights of Your Private Telecommunications (ENCRYPT) Act of 2016, was introduced by two United States Congressmen. This bill is a response to recent efforts by individual states to enact encryption backdoors, and aims to make “encryption a federal issue and keep individual states from trying to ban it.”
Policy
No Encryption Backdoors: Why the Government is Wrong
A debate about encryption has been heating up in the United States as the government and law enforcement officials push for a “backdoor” into encrypted communications. As we mentioned in yesterday’s blog post we are strongly opposed to backdoors, and we’ve compiled counter-arguments to the points being made by the government. But first, let’s set the scene. Here’s what the government – and the opposition – say.
July 27, 2015
Policy
We Cannot Let the FBI Access Our Encrypted Data
During US Senate hearings yesterday the FBI and Justice Department continued their push for access to consumers’ encrypted data, citing it as “necessary” for law enforcement efforts. Specifically, they argued that encryption is a barrier in the hunt for criminals such as pedophiles and terror suspects, and that public safety concerns must be balanced with consumer privacy rights.
July 8, 2015
Policy
How the NSA Stole the Keys to Your Phone
A blockbuster story at The Intercept Thursday revealed that a joint team of hackers from the National Security Agency and its British counterpart, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), broke into the systems of one of the world’s largest manufacturers of cell phone SIM cards in order to steal the encryption keys that secure wireless communications for hundreds of mobile carriers—including companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint.
February 19, 2015
Policy
On Encryption: What You Need To Know Now
Encryption is complicated in a lot of ways. Topics like elliptic curve cryptography and post-quantum cryptography are best left to mathematicians, and not someone like me who needs to count on his fingers to calculate a tip. And even someone who has a perfect understanding of the world’s most advanced cryptography techniques could still slip up in implementing it, since even the smallest mistake in designing a secure system may be all a snoop needs to break it apart.
June 27, 2017
Policy
Seize a Rare Second Chance to Pass the Email Privacy Act
The Email Privacy Act we brought to your attention in past blog posts has been revived in the House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill will provide warrant protections, requiring all law enforcement agents who seek access to emails, chats or online traded messages from companies like Google, Facebook, Dropbox, Apple or any other major electronic message or cloud provider for a person’s data to first obtain a probable cause warrant.
July 15, 2018
Policy
Path to Privacy Arriving Just in Time?
When our friends at Golden Frog invited the Digital Privacy Alliance to guest blog, we were watching the Equifax data breach story unfold. Timing, it seems, is still everything. That old cliché feels more true today than ever, with digitally enabled live streaming, on-demand consumption, just-in-time production, and same day delivery.
September 21, 2017
Policy
The PCLOB’s New Report on NSA Surveillance is a Disappointment
Earlier this month, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) released its long-awaited report on the National Security Agency’s surveillance of Internet and telephone communications under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008.
July 13, 2014
Policy
Policy Highlight: USA Liberty Act of 2017 (H.R. 3989)
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) as amended in 2008 allows the intelligence community to monitor the communications of foreign targets outside of the United States. However the law is set to expire at the end of 2017 unless Congress and the President reauthorizes it before then. The House has introduced its bill titled, USA Liberty Act of 2017 (H.R. 3989), while the Senate has introduced two versions this week.
October 24, 2017
Policy
Policy Highlight: Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 (S 1693)
Senate bill 1693, or the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 (SENSA) is a bill authored by Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) designed to hold companies liable for sex trafficking conducted on their websites. Supporters claim the bill will protect the victims of sex trafficking, and give peace of mind to survivors.
September 18, 2017
Policy
You Are the Product: The Price of Free in the Growing Privacy Industry
In an Internet world dominated by Facebook and Google, most people understand the phrase “If you aren’t paying for it, you are the product.” What people don’t understand is that this concept has also landed on the shores of the privacy industry. History has proven that as any industry becomes “hot,” marketers will inevitably enter it.
January 11, 2016
Policy
In the Fight for Online Privacy, US State Governments Have Power
Or at least that’s the way it seems these days. As a recent Slate article points out, no new consumer privacy legislation has been passed by United States Congress since 2009 (yes, that is 6 years). And in response, many advocates are focusing their efforts on the state level where more seems to be getting accomplished.
July 7, 2015
Policy
The Right to Privacy and Internet Freedom
We’ve long said that encryption is a right, describing it as the “second amendment for the Internet.” In addition to encryption we have other rights as Internet users, including the right to access a free and open Internet and to communicate with others online – or first amendment rights. It seems some of these rights may be at risk, so we’d like to review some fundamental rights of the Internet as prescribed by the United States constitution.
January 12, 2017
Policy
Rule 41 Becomes Law, Expands FBI Hacking Powers
Rule 41 went into effect in the United States on December 1, 2016. This legislation grants the United States FBI more hacking powers, giving them the ability to search multiple computers across the USA with only a single warrant. Previously, they could only search within the district where the warrant was issued.
December 6, 2016
Policy
Rule 41 Gets Closer to Law, Threat of Surveillance Increases
If no action is taken, Rule 41 and it’s alarming hacking provisions will go into place in two days, on December 1, 2016. This rule is particularly concerning for anyone who uses a VPN, Tor or even disables location settings on their phone. Some congress members are opposing the legislation – but they need your help to stop it before it’s too late.
September 27, 2016