At EFF, a lot of the imagery we produce has a dystopian flavor — and with good reason.
We are currently fighting battles against increased use of facial recognition tech, IMSI-catchers, and expansive copyright laws that may punish ordinary users with thousands of dollars in fines. And when we’re not fighting the NSA’s Big Brother machine, we’re pushing Facebook to quit abusing their users’ data. Some of our bumper stickers and t-shirts even featured the slogan “FIGHT DYSTOPIA.”
But in one of our recent meetings to discuss our summer membership drive, our Development team asked itself the following question: What if we didn’t just focus on the threats to our liberty, but on the potential for a better digital future? Put another way, what will it look like when we succeed? What if we got the Internet right?
Immediately after that meeting I did a quick whiteboard sketch which I later developed into some vector artwork:
Since the Internet is made up of cats, our hero is an anthropomorphized, non gender-specific cat, who is happily engaged in various uses of technology. They are simultaneously enjoying a private conversation on their phone, engaging in protected free speech with their laptop, and expressing themselves creatively in their side gig as a DJ. Sprinkled throughout are visual references to open wireless, two-factor authentication, our Surveillance Self-Defense website, and various other EFF projects. Since the cat is an Internet freedom supporter, they get to wear a flowing superhero cape that subtly features EFF’s logo.
Just to drive the point home and for the avoidance of doubt, the slogan on the back of the shirt reads “A BETTER DIGITAL WORLD IS POSSIBLE.”
You can get your own copy of the shirt by joining or renewing your membership today. We’ve got lots of other swag that can come with your membership, including new lapel pins available through July 24. Each one represents a different step you can take today to safeguard your privacy and protect yourself online.
At EFF, we fight for the user. That means we stand with the individual, the ordinary person using technology in their everyday lives — not with the corporations and governments who so often try to use technology to limit our freedoms. We can build a better digital future, but we have to do it together. Please show your support for our vision by joining EFF today!
Get EFF's New shirt, and build a better digital future
