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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EFA Newsletter for December 2009: EFA is hiring
We are stepping up the campaign on mandatory internet filtering, and we are looking for some help. Please see our December newsletter for more information on how you can help. We are also looking to hire a community and campaign manager for a minimum three month contract to help us coordinate the campaign.
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Media Release: Electronic Frontiers Australia Surprised at auDA Decision to Remove StephenConroy.com.au
Electronic Frontiers Australia today expressed its surprise and concern that the operators of the satirical protest site StephenConroy.com.au were given only three hours to justify their “connection to” the domain name. Under Australian domain name regulations, it is quite common for website operators to be required to identify their reasons for operating under an Australian domain name, but it is unusual for operators to be offered so little time to…
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Reporters Without Borders: Don't do it, Australia!
(Originally posted at Crikey!). The Government’s nicely-timed announcement last week that they will proceed next year with their Internet censorship scheme has not only drawn widespread ire in Australia but has continued to raise eyebrows overseas. The filter has been covered around the world from the BBC to news outlets in Poland, Pakistan and even China. Unfortunately, it’s not a good look – despite any nuances the policy might have,…
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Filtering coming to Australia in 2010
EFA has received many queries from overseas in the last few days asking: What on earth is going on down there? Well, we hoped that sense would prevail; that more important policies would get in the way, or that the Minister would get seated on a plane next to somebody who actually understood how the Internet works. Instead, at a sudden press conference it was announced that Australia will next…
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Filtering – a feel-good but do-nothing policy
The government’s announcement yesterday that it would press ahead with its mandatory ISP filtering scheme is as unsurprising as it is disappointing. Many people with concerns about the plan had hoped that the Minister would finally get some good advice, get distracted with other things, or otherwise come to his senses and take a face-saving out. Sadly for Australia that was not to be. Yesterday, the Minister released the report…
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Net censorship trial report brings more questions than answers
Electronic Frontiers Australia today welcomed the release of the Government’s Internet filtering report but predicted that the debate is far from over. “There are few surprises in this document,” said EFA spokesperson Colin Jacobs. “Given the pilot’s modest goals, it was designed from the beginning to pass. Although it may address some technical issues, what it leaves out is far more important – exactly what will be blocked, who will…
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.