Promoting And Protecting Digital Rights Since 1994
EFA is an independent non-profit association that relies on membership subscriptions and donations. If you’re concerned about digital rights in Australia, please join or donate today.
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In the Silk Road Case, Don’t Blame the Technology
The man alleged to be “Dread Pirate Roberts,” the founder and operator of the Silk Road—an online marketplace where bitcoins were traded for a range of goods and services, including drugs — was arrested by the FBI in San Francisco this week. The criminal complaint, provides many details about how the site and its users relied on widespread anonymity technology, including Tor and Bitcoin. The increased attention on this technology…
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No evidence that graduated response schemes are effective
Dr Rebecca Giblin, Senior Lecturer in Law at Monash University has just published ‘Evaluating Graduated Response‘, a paper which examines the evidence behind claims by major rightsholders that ‘graduated response’ schemes are successful and effective. Graduated response (or ‘three strikes’) schemes have been implemented in a number of countries as an attempt to deter unauthorised use of copyright material. They involve consumers alleged to have infringed copyright being sent a…
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EFA calls for public inclusion in any upcoming NBN review
New Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull, MP, yesterday held a media conference (see also the official media statement) in which he announced the new NBN Co interim statement of expectations. In the conference Mr Turnbull reiterated that the government will institute a strategic review of the NBN. Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) calls on Mr Turnbull to include the public in the upcoming NBN review. EFA believes that the NBN is Australia’s most…
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EFA calls on Australian government to protect privacy against unchecked Internet surveillance
Today Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA), Australia’s leading voice for Digital Rights since 1994, joins a huge international coalition in calling upon governments around the world to assess whether national surveillance laws and activities are in line with their international human rights obligations. EFA has endorsed a set of international principles against unchecked surveillance. The 13 Principles set out for the first time an evaluative framework for assessing surveillance practices in…
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NBN petition: Saga Continues as Turnbull attacks lecturer and EFA Board Member
Electronic Frontiers Australia today supports Board Member and University of Queensland lecturer Dr. Sean Rintel’s argument for increased public consultation in the upcoming NBN strategic review in the face of criticism from Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull. Dr. Rintel made his argument in a piece for the The Conversation discussing the recent online petition calling on the Coalition to reconsider their plans for a Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) in favour of a…
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NBN petition and the backlash: when does democracy speak?
This article by EFA Board Member Sean Rintel was originally published at The Conversation. Read the original article. Australian social media users and civil society groups are mobilising against LNP Communication spokesperson Malcolm Turnbull’s claim today that “democracy has spoken” on the issue of the National Broadband Network (NBN). On election day last Saturday, Nick Paine, a self-identifying LNP-voting student from The University of Queensland, started a Change.org petition to save the Australian Labor Party’s…
Help fight for our digital rights
What We Do
Policy
We actively monitor a number of policy areas and specific issues. The topics below provide a detailed view of EFA’s policy positions.
Copyright
Australia’s copyright laws are outdated, inflexible and not fit for the digital age. As such, EFA is a long-standing supporter of reform of Australia’s Copyright Act.
Privacy & Security
Privacy is fundamentally about consent and control over access to information, and goes hand-in-hand with security. Privacy is a human right.
Censorship
Adults should be able to make their own informed decisions about what content they create and consume.
Encryption
Access to encryption technologies is vital for individuals and groups to be able to safeguard the security and privacy of their information.
Internet Safety
Surveillance is not safety. Safety for whom, against what? This complex problem is more likely to be exacerbated, rather than solved, by measures that allow for unaccountable surveillance and the undermining of communications security.
Surveillance
EFA is committed to ensuring that Australian’s home life is not subject to arbitrary interference.