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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Government: Don't feed the trolls
There are jerks on the internet. Given how many jerks there are off the internet, this shouldn’t surprise anyone. (I’m willing to bet that the first cave painting was barely dry before a jerk came along and drew an oversized penis on one of the animals.) Nevertheless, the offensive defacement last week of two Facebook pages, tributes to slain Queensland children Elliott Fletcher and Trinity Bates, became a minor flap…
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EFA and AusGamers submission on R18+ games
The Review on the introduction of an R18+ rating for computer games closes on Sunday. To all of you who have not yet made a submission, I encourage you to do so. To make a submission, use the template provided on the Attorney-General’s website. Fill out the questionnaire and add your own comments. It is critically important that we explain to the Australian Government that Australians are capable of making…
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Crackdown on Internet racism ill-thought out
If you’re a politician, and something nasty is brought to your attention, what do you do? The best and sometimes only tool in your toolbox is the one you reach for. The tool is this: to pass a law banning it. Therefore, although it’s always discouraging, a story like this one, is far from unusual or surprising. “Laws to tackle racism on the Internet are set to be beefed up,” it announces. “Authorities warn…
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Internet users support education over mandatory Internet filtering
Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) today welcomed the results of a recent survey that found Australian Internet users do not support the idea of mandatory Internet filtering. The preliminary results of the Australian Broadband Survey 2009, conducted by Whirlpool (whirlpool.net.au), found that 91.8% respondents did not support the idea of mandatory Internet filtering. The survey also found 83.4% of respondents said that the introduction of mandatory Internet filtering might affect their…
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ACTA internet chapter leaked
Michael Geist is reporting that the text of the secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) chapter on internet enforcement has been leaked. As suspected, the text is unlikely to require major changes to Australian law, but it does do two very concerning things: Increased pressure on intermediaries (ISPs) to monitor and police their networks: in the recent iiNet litigation, the Federal Court found that ISPs were under no obligation to terminate…
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EFA welcomes widespread opposition to the Government’s mandatory Internet filtering plan
Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) today welcomed the widespread opposition to the the Rudd Government’s mandatory Internet filtering plan. “There are dozens of organisations and groups that are working against the Government’s plan to censor the Internet, highlighting the depth of community disagreement with the plan,” said Peter Black, EFA’s campaign manager. EFA has launched a new website, OpenInternet.com.au, blog and Facebook fan page, to act as a campaign hub for these…
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.