The EFF has launched a new site dedicated to educating users about how to resist pervasive surveillance online, through the promotion of encryption and other tools and the publication of first-person stories from people around the world who have fought surveillance in various ways.
The new site, I Fight Surveillance, is designed to bring attention to the problem of surveillance, what it involves and how to fight it. The site gives users advice on what kind of steps they can take to resist online surveillance, including the use of encryption and the Tor network.
“Too often, the debate over surveillance is seen as a ‘domestic’ issue, only of concern to citizens of the country doing the spying,” EFF International Director Danny O’Brien said. “The truth is that mass surveillance isn’t confined to national borders, and neither is the response to it. Technologists, activists, and Internet users are all working to fight back against mass surveillance. Wherever you are, whoever you are, there are people close to you working to stop the spying, and you can join them.”
The EFF has been at the forefront of the fight against online surveillance for many years and has been involved in legal action against the federal government, the NSA and other organizations over surveillance tactics. The group has advocated for surveillance reform and the passing of new legislation to change the ways that agencies such as the NSA and FBI are allowed to gather data and what kinds of information they’re able to gather.
But the surveillance issue, as large as its loomed in the United States in the last two years, is an even bigger problem in many other countries. People in countries such as Iran, Syria, Egypt, China and many others face highly restrictive Internet experiences and constant online surveillance. While resisting such surveillance has become a cause célèbre in the U.S., the ability to remain secure and anonymous online often can mean the difference between freedom and prison for citizens in these countries.
In those environments, the use of encryption software, the Tor network and other privacy tools can be vitally important. As part of the anti-surveillance effort, the EFF is recommending that users employ the software in the Privacy Pack for various platforms. The applications included encrypted chat programs, Tor, password managers and mobile apps such as RedPhone and TextSecure.
