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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Forced negotiations and industry codes won’t stop illegal downloads
This article, by Nicolas Suzor and Eleanor Angel from Queensland University of Technology was originally published on The Conversation on 11th December 2014. Attorney-General George Brandis and Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced yesterday that they expect internet service providers (ISPs) to work with copyright owners to help police infringement. ISPs will have to agree to a new industry code that passes on warning notices to their customers when copyright owners make…
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Blocking piracy websites is bad for Australia’s digital future
This article, by Dan Hunter, from Swinburne University of Technology, was originally published at The Conversation. See the original article Rumours are flying that the government will introduce legislation before Christmas aimed at blocking certain websites, such as The Pirate Bay and Kickass Torrents, as part of a range of efforts to reduce copyright infringement in Australia. Although the details are unclear at this stage, it looks like the law…
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Beyond the hype: The European Court’s ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling
This article, by Carly Nyst and Anna Fielder was originally published on 10th November 2014 on Privacy International’s blog. Since the European Court of Justice in May ruled in the “right to be forgotten” case, there has been a dizzying amount of debate about the decision, and its implications for privacy and free expression. A main thread within these discussions is an old story that US Industry loves to tell and has…
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Carly Nyst & Julian Burnside on surveillance
On Saturday 11th October, EFA co-hosted an event in Brisbane with QCCL, which featured Carly Nyst, Legal Director of Privacy International, and leading human rights barrister, Julian Burnside AO QC, who was just yesterday awarded the Sydney Peace Prize. Listen to the audio from this event.
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Secure Messaging Scorecard
Which apps and tools actually keep your messages safe? Our good friends at EFF have just published their Secure Messaging Scorecard. In the face of widespread Internet surveillance, we need a secure and practical means of talking to each other from our phones and computers. Many companies offer “secure messaging” products—but are these systems actually secure? EFF decided to find out, in the first phase of a new Campaign for…
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The Ethics of Big Data
This article, by Angela Daly from EFA’s Policy & Research Standing Committee, was originally published on the St James Ethics Centre website. Big Data is one of the current much-hyped and much-talked-about technology trends, along with the Internet of Things, wearable devices and 3D printing. But what precisely is this ‘big data’? The term is used in different ways by different people, but it can be taken to mean any collection…
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.