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New technologies are radically advancing our freedoms, but they are also enabling unparalleled invasions of privacy. National and international laws have yet to catch up with the evolving need for privacy that comes with new digital technologies. Respect for individuals' autonomy, anonymous speech, and the right to free association must be balanced against legitimate concerns like law enforcement. EFF fights in the courts and Congress to maintain your privacy rights in the digital world, and works with partners around the globe to support the development of privacy-protecting technologies.

Your cell phone helps you keep in touch with friends and family, but it also makes it easier for the government to track your location.

Your Web searches about sensitive medical information might seem a secret between you and your search engine, but companies like Google are creating a treasure trove of personal information by logging your online activities, and making it potentially available to any party wielding enough cash or a subpoena.

And the next time you try to board a plane, watch out—you might be turned away after being mistakenly placed on a government watch list, or be forced to open your email in the security line.

Several governments have also chosen to use malware to engage in extra-legal spying or system sabotage for dissidents or non-citizens, all in the name of “national security.”

As privacy needs evolve, so too should our regulatory regimes. National governments must put legal checks in place to prevent abuse of state powers, and international bodies need to consider how a changing technological environment shapes security agencies’ best practices. Above all, we need to respect the rights of autonomy, anonymity, association, and expression that privacy makes possible, while also taking into account legitimate law enforcement concerns.

Read our work on privacy issues below, and join EFF to help support our efforts.

For information about the law and technology of government surveillance in the United States check out EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense project.

Privacy Highlights

NSA Spying

The US government, with assistance from major telecommunications carriers including AT&T, has engaged in massive, illegal dragnet surveillance of the domestic communications and communications records of millions of ordinary Americans since at least 2001. Since this was first reported on by the press and discovered by the public in late...

Privacy Updates

hands with circuit patterns on black background

Proponemos que la investigación de buena fe sobre seguridad se proteja en todo el mundo en el Tratado sobre Ciberdelincuencia de la ONU

Declaración presentada a la Secretaría del Comité Ad Hoc de la ONU por la Electronic Frontier Foundation, acreditada en virtud del párrafo operativo nº 9 de la Resolución 75/282 de la Asamblea General de la ONU, en nombre de 124 signatarios.Nosotros, los abajo firmantes, que representamos a un amplio espectro...

UN Cybercrime Treaty - Civil Society Letter

El proyecto de Tratado de la ONU sobre Ciberdelincuencia criminalizar la investigación sobre seguridad, llevando a 124 expertos a pedir a los delegados de la ONU que corrijan las disposiciones defectuosas que debilitan la seguridad de todos.

El trabajo de los investigadores de seguridad descubriendo y notificando vulnerabilidades en software, firmware, redes y dispositivos protege a personas, empresas y gobiernos de todo el mundo frente al malware, el robo de datos críticos y otros ciberataques. Internet y el ecosistema digital son más seguros...

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