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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Friday’s filter announcement – full steam ahead
Friday’s announcement by Minister Stephen Conroy that the filter would be put on the back burner pending a review seems like good news. In the sense that Australians’ net connections will remain uncensored by the Government in 2011, this is indeed something to be pleased about. The filter remains very much alive, though, and the promised review is unlikely to make much difference. The review will be run by an…
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EFA disappointed at Conroy's announcement
Electronic Frontiers Australia today welcomed the delay in the Gillard Government’s internet censorship policy but expressed disappointment that it is still on track to be implemented in the Government’s next term. In an announcement today, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy indicated that the filter will be delayed until a 12-month review of the “Refused Classification” category is completed in conjunction with the states. “While we welcome a review of the RC…
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Gillard continues the pattern
“You can’t walk into a cinema in Australia and see certain things and we shouldn’t on the internet be able to access those things either.” Does this sound reasonable to you, or does it sound a bit nonsensical? In either case, it probably won’t surprise you to know that the speaker was a politician – in fact, our new Prime Minister. With those words, the PM dispelled the thin hope…
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EFA's Response to Personal Attacks in Hansard
In mid March this year, Senator Stephen Conroy launched a bizarre attack in the senate on Electronic Frontiers Australia. In an accusatory tirade, he declared myself, then-vice chair (now chair) Colin Jacobs and then-chair Nic Suzor of misleading the Australian public through our efforts against the government’s mandatory Internet censorship proposal. Members of the EFA board dedicate themselves to being leaders on the facts of technology policy in Australia and…
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Filtering forum in Melbourne this month
Public interest in the Conroy Curtain is still high. With election season almost in full swing, Australia’s political parties will be making their positions known. In advance, we’re getting together to discuss the facts, make some better suggestions for the pollies, and give a few hints on how the filter might be avoided if it eventuates. If you’re in Melbourne on the 25th of this month please come to our…
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More power to the mums
EFA’s Time to Tell Mum campaign continues to go well with over 42,000 people reporting that they told their mums about the Government’s dodgy internet filter policy. There’s still a lot of people to reach, but we’re very pleased with the impact the campaign has had so far. Overall, the feedback from the public has been great; we’ve had plenty of feedback along the lines of “it’s about time you…
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.