We’re winning—but we can’t let up the pressure. Apple has delayed their plan to install dangerous mass surveillance software onto their devices, but we need them to cancel the program entirely. Next week, just before Apple’s big iPhone launch event, we need your help to make sure the company does the right thing.
Activists from EFF, Fight for the Future, and other digital civil liberties organizations have planned protests around the country for Monday, September 13, at 6PM PT to demand that Apple completely drop its planned surveillance software program. You can find a list of the protests here. Protests are already planned in Boston, Atlanta, Washington D.C., New York City, and Portland (OR).
EFF will host a protest at San Francisco Union Square, with signs, stickers, and speakers, but you can protest no matter where you are:
JOIN THE PROTEST AND TELL APPLE: DON'T SCAN OUR PHONES
Whether you’re a longtime fan of Apple’s products or you’ve never used an iPhone in your life, we must hold companies accountable for the promises they make to protect privacy and security. Apple has found its way to making the right choice in the past, and we know they can do it again.
So bring a friend, wear your EFF merch, and make your voice heard! We’ve got sign designs ready for you to print below, or you can make your own! And you can always add our custom EFF "I do not consent to the search of this device" lock screen to your phone.
And to make sure that Apple gets the message that encryption is simply too important to give up on, EFF will also be sending it straight to Apple's headquarters—by flying an aerial banner over the campus during their September 14 iPhone launch event.
On September 7, we delivered nearly 60,000 petitions to Apple. Over 90 organizations across the globe have also urged the company not to implement them. We’re pleased Apple is now listening to the concerns of customers, researchers, civil liberties organizations, human rights activists, LGBTQ people, youth representatives, and other groups, about the dangers posed by its phone scanning tools. But we can’t let up the pressure until Apple commits, fully, to protecting privacy and security.
COVID Protocol: We are committed to upholding public health guidelines related to COVID. Please don't attend if you have any COVID symptoms, and we encourage masking and social distancing.
Below you can find printable images for your protest:
Further Reading:
- If You Build It, They Will Come: Apple Has Opened the Backdoor to Increased Surveillance and Censorship Around the World
- How LGBTQ Content is Censored Under the Guise of "Sexually Explicit"
- EFF Joins Global Coalition Asking Apple CEO Tim Cook to Stop Phone-Scanning
- Apple’s Plan to Scan Photos in Messages Turns Young People Into Privacy Pawns
- 25,000 EFF Supporters Have Told Apple Not To Scan Their Phones
- Delays Aren't Good Enough—Apple Must Abandon Its Surveillance Plans
- Don’t Stop Now: Join EFF, Fight for the Future at Apple Protests Nationwide
- Why EFF Flew a Plane Over Apple's Headquarters
