Electronic Frontier Foundation

Six 'Electronic Frontier Foundation' stories August 2012 - December 2015

Privacy group files FTC complaint that Google “deceptively tracks students’ Internet browsing”

Ben Lovejoy Dec 2 2015 - 4:48 am PT

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Privacy campaigners the Electronic Frontier Foundation have filed a formal complaint with the FTC, claiming that Google “deceptively tracks students’ Internet browsing.” They say that Google is in breach of the Student Privacy Pledge the search giant signed back in January. Once Google signed, the terms became legally binding on the company.

The EFF says that one issue is with Chrome Sync, a feature designed to enable users to work with the same bookmarks, logins and other data across devices. Chrome Sync is currently switched on by default on Chromebooks sold to schools, and the EFF says that Google collects this data and uses it for other purposes …
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Google Hangouts scores poorly in EFF’s study of most secure messaging services

Jordan Kahn Nov 5 2014 - 1:17 pm PT

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The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today released a report examining three dozen messaging services and ranking them based on what it deemed are seven “security best practices.” While Apple scored the best among what the EFF called “mass-market options”, it along with Google and others didn’t do as well when compared to all 36 messaging services included in the report. Specifically, EFF noted Google’s services “lack the end-to-end encryption that is necessary to protect against disclosure by the service provider.”
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Google removes privacy feature from Android, claiming addition was “accidental”

David Beren Dec 13 2013 - 7:33 am PT

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Google’s recently added privacy feature allowing users to install apps while preventing the app from collecting sensitive data is now gone. According to the EFF which questioned Google, they were told the feature had been released by accident and was experimental.

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Google, Twitter, Dropbox lead in consumer data protection; Apple, AT&T score poorly

Zac Hall May 1 2013 - 9:35 am PT

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International digital-rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation has delivered its annual report card of which tech companies best protect its consumer data.

Some may be surprised that both Google and Twitter top the list of companies offering the most consumer protection from governments accessing your data and transparency toward data management.

While Dropbox and LinkedIn also fair well this year, the same cannot be said for Apple, AT&T, or Yahoo.

These companies miss the mark on data protection almost across the board with exception to protecting your rights in courts or Congress.

Read the full “Who Has Your Back” report at EFF.org.

Humble Bundle for Android: Plants vs. Zombies, Contre Jour, Anomaly Korea and Bladeslinger

Seth Weintraub Mar 26 2013 - 9:51 pm PT

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Pay what you want for the Android versions of Plants vs. Zombies, Contre Jour, Anomaly Korea, and Bladeslinger, and help charity (the Child’s Play Charity and the Electronic Frontier Foundation). Plus, if you beat the average, you’ll also get Android versions of The Room and Metal Slug 3. This promotion will only last 2 weeks, so get it now at: http://www.humblebundle.com

Google discloses paid bloggers to judge in Oracle case, lists Stanford prof. Mark Lemley as ‘outside counsel’

Jordan Kahn Aug 27 2012 - 11:07 am PT

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We told you earlier this month that a judge in the Google/Oracle case ordered the companies to disclose any payments it made to journalists, bloggers, and other members of media who made commentary or reported on the lawsuit. It was no secret at the time, but even paid blogger Florian Mueller of Foss Patents admitting previously that Oracle, in addition to other companies such as Microsoft, funded some of the posts on his blog.

Oracle later disclosed to the courts that Mueller was indeed a paid “consultant.” Today, we get an update on Google’s follow up to the judge’s request in a recent court filing (via The Verge).

While the majority of the people listed by Google include former interns, copyright lawyers, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, The Verge noted Mark Lemley, a Stanford professor who is often quoted by Google with no mention of the relationship, appears on the list as Google’s “outside counsel” for unrelated cases. Another name mentioned in the document is Google employee Tim Bray. The document cited tweets made by Bray from his personal Twitter account related to the case:

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