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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Australia: global village idiot (again)?
Australian Internet pioneer Geoff Huston thinks our data retention laws will result in our web browsing history being retained and thinks this relegates us to global village idiot status. Again. I recall from some years back, when we were debating in Australia some national Internet censorship proposal de jour, that if the Internet represented a new Global Village then Australia was trying very hard to position itself as the Global…
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EFA again calls for ISP Copyright Code to be halted
EFA reiterates its call for the ISP Copyright Code to be halted. New research released last week by Choice confirms what EFA and most informed observers (including the Communications Minister) have been saying for some time, namely that the primary drivers of online copyright infringement in Australia are lack of timely availability and price discrimination. The Australian market has been transformed this year with the introduction and explosive growth of a number…
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High public officials must have at least basic computer skills
It is no longer acceptable for high-ranking public officials to not possess at least the most basic computer and electronic communication skills as are required for the most junior entry-level positions. Legal professionals particularly are required to undertake a minimum level of professional development throughout their careers. It is therefore very difficult to understand how any legal professional could attain a high public office without having gained even basic computer…
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A change in the rules would open up the .au space
If you want to register an Australian web address, your options may be about to change due to a review of domain name policy that is currently underway. This article, by Derek Whitehead, was originally published on The Conversation. Derek is Adjunct professor at Swinburne University of Technology, and is Chair of the current 2015 auDA Names Panel. He is a member of auDA and a member of EFA. See the original…
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EFA cautiously welcomes action on fair use; calls for halt on ISP copyright code
Cost-benefit analysis of fair use exception EFA today cautiously welcomes last week’s announcement from the Attorney-General that he has requested an analysis of the costs and benefits involved in the introduction of a broad, flexible fair use exception into Australian copyright law. The introduction of a broad, flexible fair use exception was recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) in its Copyright in the Digital Economy report it provided…
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Will TPP set a Copyright Trap?
This article, by Trish Hepworth from the Australian Digital Alliance was originally published on their website. As Ministers gather to nut out the last details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) concerned creators are waiting to see what impact the decision has on their ability to use, reuse and create. Worries about the extensive intellectual property chapter have mainly focussed on health. But the chapter also covers copyright, proposing ratcheting up the…
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.