Today’s the VPN defense day of action! Our Campaigns + Communications Director Lia Holland tells @TechRadar “ it’s important to make lawmakers aware that, if they come for this technology, they're gonna be facing an uphill battle against the whole internet." ✊

TechRadar

"We want to make some noise" - Advocates are stepping in to defend VPNs, and they need your help | TechRadar

Fight for the Future is calling everyone worldwide to join the Defend VPNs Day of Action on September 25

Many politicians are scheming to lock down the Internet + increasingly turning their attention to VPNs, considering banning them. This will be disastrous for many people, especially those living under authoritarian regimes. We're asking you to join us and make a stink about this before they go on the VPN attack for real.

No matter the setting, science fiction trends toward the dystopian- but if you explore the Stop Copaganda digital issue, you may find yourself feeling a bit hopeful instead. These are stories that don't take surveillance companies at their word.

Touch Grass

Why it matters to tell stories against surveillance

Authors taking down authoritarian tech This summer, we quietly released something totally new for us. It’s not a campaign, an open letter, or a ...

CALL TO ACTION: People across the globe use VPNs to maintain their privacy amid oppressive new “Age Verification” surveillance laws and governments are trying to ban them. So we're asking VPN users + privacy advocates to join us for a day of VPN defense! Get the toolkit:

Fight for the Future

Defend VPNs from government bans!

Encryption is not optional , it’s fundamental to the defense of truth” - Human Rights Data Analysis Group

Without Encryption My Work Wouldn’t Be Possible

Our work isn’t always popular. It can infuriate those in power who want to cover up incriminating truths about the past and current trends in sta...

Section 230 is the reason creators can share accurate reproductive health information, including gender affirming care, sex education, contraception + more online. Lawmakers are planning to gut it. Spread the word + learn more here: www.whatissection230.org

NEW: report raises serious concerns about Meta’s absence of algorithmic accountability + negligence in protecting Palestinian users from escalating digital crimes.

7amleh – Arab Center for Social Media Advancement

Hamleh - New 7amleh Report: Meta’s Role in Amplifying Harmful Content Against Palestinians During Genocide in Gaza

New 7amleh Report: Meta’s Role in Amplifying Harmful Content Against Palestinians During Genocide in Gaza

Attending Dragoncon this year? We’ll see you there! Catch our campaigner Sarah Phillips at one of these panels:

NEW: Fight for the Future and CovidSafeCampus are sounding the alarm as more schools capitulate to Trump admin financial threats and quietly adopt forced unmasking policies for the fall semester.

Fight for the Future

New campaign tracks spread of campus mask bans at 60+ universities threatened by Trump admin, highlighting growing threats to student health, privacy, and free expression

As students return to colleges and universities across the country, Fight for the Future and COVID Safe Campus are launching our Campus Mask Policy...

MASSACHUSETTS folks: We are apart of a coalition urging MA elected officials to publicly oppose dangerous legislation that threatens to censor+ suppress lifesaving online resources for vulnerable people and we are asking you to join us. Take action + call your reps today: 202-519-4583

Payment processors don't have the right to censor content online. MasterCard + Visa need to back off + let these platforms host + promote games on their own terms.

Gaming platforms Steam + Itchio have given in to pressure payment processors MasterCard + Visa by removing content flagged by a conservative advocacy group as ‘inappropriate.’

The Verge

The chaos and confusion of itch.io and Steam’s abrupt adult game ban

There’s been a lot of confusion around what works have been targeted and why.

TSA claims face scan opt-outs cause an “overwhelming + chaotic environment" but thanks to Algorithmic Justice League’s new report we know this isn’t the case. 
They found that 99% of the time, travelers weren't even told they had the right to opt-out of face scans. 


The Comply To Fly? report by the Algorithmic Justice League

The Comply To Fly? report by the Algorithmic Justice League focuses on the facial recognition program operated by TSA at U.S. airports.

Headed to Seattle Worldcon? We’ll see you there! 😎✨✊

Lawmakers are “taking a hard look” at VPNs after the total flop of the UK “age verification” rollout + we all know where that’s gonna lead—censorship fanatics are gonna try to bring the ban hammer down on VPNs. Millions use VPNs to dodge surveillance + circumvent censorship. Can you help us remind them what a terrible idea it is to destroy essential Internet safety infrastructure? Sign the thing at www.DefendVPNs.com

BREAKING: New investigation exposes Microsoft for enabling surveillance + killing of Palestinians.

the Guardian

‘A million calls an hour’: Israel relying on Microsoft cloud for expansive surveillance of Palestinians

Revealed: The Israeli military undertook an ambitious project to store a giant trove of Palestinians’ phone calls on Microsoft’s servers in Europe

NEW CAMPAIGN: “Age Verification” laws are accelerating the global discussion of banning or restricting VPN usage but this won’t make the internet a safer place! 
Online surveillance and censorship has a huge chilling effect on our freedoms, particularly the freedoms of traditionally marginalized people.
✊🙅‍♀️🛑 Sign the open letter to world governments : using the Internet safely + privately is a human right. Don’t restrict VPNs!  


Fight for the Future

Defend VPNs from government bans!

✈️ Some numbers from Algorithmic Justice League's recent report on passenger experiences with opting out of invasive biometric face-scans at the airport: 
- 67% that requested to opt-out received negative treatment for doing so
-56% of people didn’t see opt-out info
 -74% weren’t notified of TSA use of facial recognition
-99% weren't notified of their right to opt-out
- 87% shared concerns with facial recognition
- 33% were concerned with the handling of data Read the full report:

The Comply To Fly? report by the Algorithmic Justice League

The Comply To Fly? report by the Algorithmic Justice League focuses on the facial recognition program operated by TSA at U.S. airports.

NEW: Facial recognition surveillance tech use is expanding rapidly at airport’s + this new report from our friends at Algorithmic justice league exposes TSA’s shady practices around opt-outs :      ✔️Most travelers weren’t told face scans were optional ✔️Some felt pressured or confused ✔️Opting out wasn’t always straightforward. More at #ComplyToFly →

The Comply To Fly? report by the Algorithmic Justice League

The Comply To Fly? report by the Algorithmic Justice League focuses on the facial recognition program operated by TSA at U.S. airports.

ATTN NY: We're joining partners at Stop Spying NY in a call to action! #FacialRecognition misidentifies women, children, and people of color- and NYC is bringing more of this dangerous tech into Black + Brown communities who are already vulnerable to police bias and discrimination. Help us to #BanTheScan by asking NYC council speaker Adrienne Adams to call a vote on Intros 217 & 425 to keep New Yorkers safe from biased tech in our homes and grocery stores.

Ban the Scan

Ban the Scan

Ban Facial Recognition in New York