The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is a liberal and libertarian organization which promotes the protection of personal rights on the internet, particularly privacy and free speech.[1] The organization was founded by John Gilmore, Mitch Kapor, and John Perry Barlow in response to the illegal raid of Steve Jackson Games by the US Secret Service.[2][3] Michael Godwin worked for the organization before becoming the counsel for Wikipedia®.
The EFF often comes into conflict with conservative views about privacy and security. For example, in American Civil Liberties Union v. Ashcroft the EFF filed an amicus brief which argued against the FBI examining the records of ISP customers. The EFF was also involved in fighting against anti-pornography provisions in the Communications Decency Act.
The EFF has been active in preventing Congress from broadening the President's use of wiretaps, and is suing companies such as AT&T that have cooperated with such wiretap investigations.[4]
The EFF files amicus briefs against patent rights, as in Secure Axcess v. PNC Bank Nat'l Ass'n (Federal Circuit Case No. 16).
Categories: [Liberal Organizations]