Electronic Frontier Foundation News

‘Vaccine Passport’ Apps Gaining Traction in Airports, Live Events

Over 60 U.S. stadiums and other venues are deploying an app from Clear to verify people’s COVID-19 status, placing the New York company known for its airport security fast lanes at the forefront of a national debate over “vaccine passports.” …

How Tech Firms From Amazon to YouTube Ban Users for Off-Site Behavior

Earlier this month, Twitch announced it would start banning users for behavior away from its site. The move by Amazon Inc.’s live-streaming platform involved hiring a law firm to conduct investigations into users’ misconduct, a new twist in the latest …

Supreme Court Turns Down Cases Testing Hacking Law

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday sidestepped a growing controversy over who can give permission to access a computer, a debate that goes to the core of what constitutes hacking in this era of widespread use of the internet and …

HealthCare.gov Enhances Customer Privacy Features As 2016 Enrollment Nears

Responding to criticism from civil liberties advocates, the Obama administration said last week that it has strengthened consumer privacy protections on the government’s health insurance website as a new sign-up season nears. HealthCare.gov CEO Kevin Counihan said in a blog …

YouTube Dancing Baby Recasts ‘Fair Use’ Under Copyright Law

Copyright holders must consider “fair use” before demanding that people remove videos they post online, such as on Google Inc.’s YouTube, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Monday. In a closely followed case over the home video of a toddler …

Facebook’s Facial Recognition Software Draws Privacy Complaints, Lawsuit

When you are identified in a picture on Facebook, biometric software remembers your face so it can be “tagged” in other photographs. Facebook Inc. says this enhances the user experience. But privacy advocates say the company’s technology — which was …