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tanaquiFrom a link dropped in our sticky post, this petition about the "online safety" act is aimed at US Senators:
https://action.allout.org/en/m/c2717b3c/
https://action.allout.org/en/m/c2717b3c/
tanaqui
chestnut_podRegarding proposed new online copyright regulations, quoting from the Electronic Frontier Foundation:
"Right now, the U.S. Copyright Office is collecting information on the use of "standard technical measures" to address copyright infringement, as part of a longer effort that, we fear, will lead to filtering mandates."
That is, the state is considering expanding something like Content ID to mandatory use across the Internet, making it way harder to engage in art and community online without facing steep fines and possibly even jail time for work deemed copyright-infringing. You can see the full EFF statement here.
They need people to submit formal comments to the USCO, a process which does not take much time but does require a little more care than the usual email to your reps. This is the form, and please note the two links immediately under the header: "Read Agency Guidelines | Commenter's Checklist." Please be very sure to follow those requirements! Even so, a short comment is better than no comment.
Please also note that the form asks you for your phone # and address -- these are not required, and they may be posted publicly if you include them. I would recommend adding only your name and, if you like, your state, and leaving it at that.
--
This is the comment I left; please feel free to use it as a (loose! so it doesn't get thrown out!) template.
"Copyright enforcement should be relaxed, not tightened. Expanding Content ID-type filters across the whole of the Internet will stymie creativity and ensure that corporate interests control what content is possible to make and share on the Internet. I would be very sad to see communities of artists, fans, critics, and performers disappear due to draconian and anti-artist rules. As a fan of classical music, I know that these automated content filters often remove perfectly valid performances by classical musicians on Facebook, restricting their ability to share their art and my ability to enjoy it, because they do not understand context or nuanced interpretations. They will make it harder for individual musicians, new musicians, and marginalized musicians to share their art, because those people simply cannot compete with copyright holders on the scale of YouTube. Though that very scale may make those companies seem like the primary victims of copyright infringement, the people who are hurt most, and most unfairly, are individuals simply trying to share their art without receiving fines or even jail time due to the misunderstandings of a piece of code. I strongly urge you to foster creativity and art among the public, rather than fostering ever-tighter corporate control of the arts."
"Right now, the U.S. Copyright Office is collecting information on the use of "standard technical measures" to address copyright infringement, as part of a longer effort that, we fear, will lead to filtering mandates."
That is, the state is considering expanding something like Content ID to mandatory use across the Internet, making it way harder to engage in art and community online without facing steep fines and possibly even jail time for work deemed copyright-infringing. You can see the full EFF statement here.
They need people to submit formal comments to the USCO, a process which does not take much time but does require a little more care than the usual email to your reps. This is the form, and please note the two links immediately under the header: "Read Agency Guidelines | Commenter's Checklist." Please be very sure to follow those requirements! Even so, a short comment is better than no comment.
Please also note that the form asks you for your phone # and address -- these are not required, and they may be posted publicly if you include them. I would recommend adding only your name and, if you like, your state, and leaving it at that.
--
This is the comment I left; please feel free to use it as a (loose! so it doesn't get thrown out!) template.
"Copyright enforcement should be relaxed, not tightened. Expanding Content ID-type filters across the whole of the Internet will stymie creativity and ensure that corporate interests control what content is possible to make and share on the Internet. I would be very sad to see communities of artists, fans, critics, and performers disappear due to draconian and anti-artist rules. As a fan of classical music, I know that these automated content filters often remove perfectly valid performances by classical musicians on Facebook, restricting their ability to share their art and my ability to enjoy it, because they do not understand context or nuanced interpretations. They will make it harder for individual musicians, new musicians, and marginalized musicians to share their art, because those people simply cannot compete with copyright holders on the scale of YouTube. Though that very scale may make those companies seem like the primary victims of copyright infringement, the people who are hurt most, and most unfairly, are individuals simply trying to share their art without receiving fines or even jail time due to the misunderstandings of a piece of code. I strongly urge you to foster creativity and art among the public, rather than fostering ever-tighter corporate control of the arts."
Blocking the EARN IT Act
Feb. 3rd, 2022 10:14 amchestnut_podThe EARN IT Act is the latest threat to open expression and privacy online. It is yet another anti-LGBT, anti-sex-worker, anti-privacy bill that supposedly aims to protect children, while actually making the situation worse. In this case, it would remove ability to send end-to-end encrypted messages: the end to privacy online.
Despite purporting to protect children from sexual exploitation, the EARN IT Act in fact will make online platforms less able to report and remove child pornography. Making platforms liable for content hosted on them actually makes companies less willing to do anything that involves trying to seek out, take down, and report CSAM, because of the greatly increased liability that comes with admitting that there is CSAM on the platform to search for and deal with. In the meantime, it will destroy Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the part that the ACLU regards as “foundational to modern online communications.” In destroying end-to-end encryption, EARN IT will also destroy the Internet as we know it, and continue chipping away at the right to privacy. It will also encourage platforms and far-right interest groups to label anything having to do with sexual health and sexual expression as dangerous pornography, ushering in an era of censorship and repression under the name of keeping children safe, all the while actually making the Internet less able to cope with the very real problem of CSEM. The EARN IT Act has been roundly condemned by nearly every major LGBTQ+ advocacy and human rights organization in the country, and for good reason. It is based on fundamental misunderstandings of the law and reality.
Tumblr user![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
fullhalalalchemist has a much longer and more comprehensive description of the bill's aims and failings, as well as a bibliography of news analysis of the bill; I encourage you to go read it.
In order to contact your senators to prevent this bill's passing, you can:
- Call the Congressional hotline at: 202-224-3121
- Email your representatives in the House and Senate
- Send a Resistbot text-letter already written for you. Text SIGN PVLKLV to 50409.
Despite purporting to protect children from sexual exploitation, the EARN IT Act in fact will make online platforms less able to report and remove child pornography. Making platforms liable for content hosted on them actually makes companies less willing to do anything that involves trying to seek out, take down, and report CSAM, because of the greatly increased liability that comes with admitting that there is CSAM on the platform to search for and deal with. In the meantime, it will destroy Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the part that the ACLU regards as “foundational to modern online communications.” In destroying end-to-end encryption, EARN IT will also destroy the Internet as we know it, and continue chipping away at the right to privacy. It will also encourage platforms and far-right interest groups to label anything having to do with sexual health and sexual expression as dangerous pornography, ushering in an era of censorship and repression under the name of keeping children safe, all the while actually making the Internet less able to cope with the very real problem of CSEM. The EARN IT Act has been roundly condemned by nearly every major LGBTQ+ advocacy and human rights organization in the country, and for good reason. It is based on fundamental misunderstandings of the law and reality.
Tumblr user
In order to contact your senators to prevent this bill's passing, you can:
- Call the Congressional hotline at: 202-224-3121
- Email your representatives in the House and Senate
- Send a Resistbot text-letter already written for you. Text SIGN PVLKLV to 50409.
Federally subsidized internet service
May. 12th, 2021 11:37 amredbirdTens of millions of Americans are eligible to get $50/month from the US government to help pay for their Internet service for the next few months. Eligibility for the "Emergency Broadband Benefit" includes people with low incomes, anyone who lost a job or significant income during the pandemic, people who are getting other benefits including food stamps, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income, and anyone who is already getting subsidized or low-income Internet service.
The FCC estimates that the application process should take about ten minutes, but you do have to apply. You can start at https://getemergencybroadband.org/how-to-apply/
(Cross-posting from my own journal, I think this falls under self-care for some of us, and is information worth passing around.)
The FCC estimates that the application process should take about ten minutes, but you do have to apply. You can start at https://getemergencybroadband.org/how-to-apply/
(Cross-posting from my own journal, I think this falls under self-care for some of us, and is information worth passing around.)
rydra_wongYou can help ProPublica by installing their Political Ad Collector:
[T]he Political Ad Collector is a project to gather targeted political advertising on Facebook through a browser extension installed by thousands of users across the country. Those users, whose data is gathered completely anonymously, help us build a database of micro-targeted political ads that help us hold Facebook and campaigns accountable.
Now Mozilla are offering a Firefox Election Bundle, which includes the Ad Collector and the Firefox Facebook Container, which helps control Facebook's ability to track your non-Facebook browsing.
[T]he Political Ad Collector is a project to gather targeted political advertising on Facebook through a browser extension installed by thousands of users across the country. Those users, whose data is gathered completely anonymously, help us build a database of micro-targeted political ads that help us hold Facebook and campaigns accountable.
Now Mozilla are offering a Firefox Election Bundle, which includes the Ad Collector and the Firefox Facebook Container, which helps control Facebook's ability to track your non-Facebook browsing.
tanaquiJohn Oliver has created an easy way to get to the page where you can file a comment about the FCC's plans, under Trump appointee Ajit Pai. to weaken net neutrality:
www.gofccyourself.com
The FCC will vote on the proposal on May 18. If passed, it will then go through a further period of public feedback.
Here are a couple of articles about the proposal:
http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/26/technology/fcc-net-neutrality/index.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/26/525705253/fcc-chief-begins-rollback-of-net-neutrality-regulations
www.gofccyourself.com
The FCC will vote on the proposal on May 18. If passed, it will then go through a further period of public feedback.
Here are a couple of articles about the proposal:
http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/26/technology/fcc-net-neutrality/index.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/26/525705253/fcc-chief-begins-rollback-of-net-neutrality-regulations
tanaquiFrom ninja007:
ninja007:Since they've decided they're going to sell our internet web browsing history and IP addresses to the highest bidder, a friend suggested we start using VPNs.If you already use a VPN, feel free to share your experiences of it in the comments. (There's a link buried in the middle of the article linked above -- which really is excellent! -- that compares VPN providers on a number of measures: https://thatoneprivacysite.net/vpn-comparison-chart/)
Here's an excellent link: https://qz.com/945261/how-to-get-a-personal-vpn-and-why-you-need-one-now/
ACLU Article on Data Security
Dec. 13th, 2016 03:43 pmexecutrixhttps://www.aclu.org/blog/speak-freely/how-protect-yourself-government-surveillance-and-criminal-hackers?emsrc=Nat_Appeal_AutologinEnabled&emissue=year_end&emtype=cultivation&ms=eml_161213_YE_cultivation_union_sub
From the ACLU blog: "How to Protect Yourself From Government Surveillance and Criminal Hackers."
The comments suggest bookmarking the page privacytools.io, and reading A. Wiener's article, "Trump Preparedness: Digital Security 101," http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/trump-preparedness-digital-security-101.
From the ACLU blog: "How to Protect Yourself From Government Surveillance and Criminal Hackers."
The comments suggest bookmarking the page privacytools.io, and reading A. Wiener's article, "Trump Preparedness: Digital Security 101," http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/trump-preparedness-digital-security-101.
Well, unless President Trump refuses to sign the bill, the regulation keeping our ISPs from selling our browsing history is going down.
Minnesota is moving to handle it on a local scale; maybe those of us in other states should be reaching out to our state government to add similar local legislation?
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/