 Welcome to Effector from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. This is the audio edition of EFF's email newsletter geared towards keeping you on the bleeding edge of your digital rights. This is Effector Volume 35, Issue 11, titled, It's Not About the Kids, It's About Control. This issue was published in September 2023 and I'm your host, Membership Advocate Christian Romero. Let's start with our top feature. The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act is a terrible alternative to COSA. A new federal bill would combine some of the worst elements of various social media bills aimed at, quote, protecting the children into a single law. The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act ultimately would lead to a second-class online experience for young people, mandated privacy-invasive age verification for all users, and, in all likelihood, the creation of digital IDs for all U.S. citizens and residents. Jason Kelly and Sophia Cope give the low-down. You can take action to stop the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act. The world envisioned by the authors of this bill is one where everyone has less privacy and less power to speak out and access information online. You can help stop it. Go to act.eff.org. And now let's go through some EFF updates. First up, Apple, a long critic of rights for repair, comes out in support of California bill. Apple has announced a surprising stance in support of California's Rights for Repair Act. This is a sign that the public's strong support of the Rights for Repair has forced Apple to change its opinion. And now is the time for you to help keep the pressure on lawmakers to get the Rights for Repair Act passed in California. Thorin Klosowski tells the story. Next up, Fourth Circuit Decision and Marriott Data Breach case kicks the can down the road. When a company negligently fails to secure your personal data, you should have accountability and relief, including standing to sue. Unfortunately, an appellate ruling in the Marriott Data Breach case merely kicks the can down the road. Cindy Cohen provides an update on this important case. And for our last update, proposed UN Cyber Crime Treaty threatens to be an expansive global surveillance pact. United Nations delegates spent recent weeks at UN headquarters in New York City for negotiations that will shape the digital rights of billions. And EFF was there to warn about vague international cooperation measures with few conditions and safeguards that put basic privacy and free expression rights at risk. Catito Rodriguez explains it all. Now let's go through some announcements. First up, EFF Awards Ceremony. Join us at the EFF Awards on Thursday, September 14th at the Regency Lodge in San Francisco. You'll hear from incredible individuals and have the opportunity to meet with other EFF supporters and enjoy a variety of appetizers and drinks with the price of admission, only $55 with a discount for EFF members and students. Our host for the evening will be renowned science fiction author, activist, journalist, and EFF special advisor, Corey Doctorow. Help us celebrate digital rights and this year's honorees, Alexandra Asanova-Elbekyan, the Library Freedom Project, and the Signal Foundation. Not sure if you should attend? If you're reading this, you definitely should. Next up, California Constitutional Privacy at 50. Power of State Law and Promoting Racial Justice in the Digital Age. EFF's Lee Tien will speak on a panel about California Constitutional Privacy, and Cindy Kohn will moderate a panel on Fighting the Public Slash Private Surveillance Partnership at the Berkeley Technology Law Journal's Fourth Annual Technology and Racial Justice Symposium on Friday, October 27th at the Bancroft Hotel in Berkeley. The symposium will bring together leading academics and practitioners to explore the landscape of California's Constitutional Rights of Privacy at age 50, highlight how the right is currently used to promote racial justice and other social progress, and discuss new and creative intersectional uses of state constitutional rights to privacy to defend and promote justice in the digital age. Next up, TOR University Challenge. EFF has launched the TOR University Challenge, a campaign urging higher education institutions to support free anonymous speech by running a TOR network relay. Universities answering this call to defend private access to an uncensored web will receive prizes while helping millions of people around the world and providing students and faculty a vital learning experience. Tell your alma mater to join the network today. And for our last update, New Watcher's T-Shirt. Don't miss out on our new member T-Shirt for 2023. Donate at the copper level or above to receive the new Watching the Watcher's T-Shirt. Next up, we have a job opening, International Policy Advisor. EFF is hiring an international policy advisor focused on advocacy developments in Europe and globally. The position will support EFF's international policy team and be responsible for overseeing files related to tech, free expression, privacy, and human rights. Ideal candidates will have deep expertise in EU lawmaking and experience representing civil society organizations at policy and global venues and collaborating with international coalition partners. And now let's go through some mini-links. First up from Salon, Barbie and the Dark Side of Generative Artificial Intelligence. As Barbie Mania grips the world, the peppy cultural icon deserves thanks for helping to illustrate a Dark Side of AI. EFF's Page Collings and Rory Mir wrote for Salon. Next up, from Mercury News and East Bay Times, and unconstitutional government spying on Americans. Intelligence agencies and the Justice Department have gone to Congress this summer. Hats in hand, promising it will all be different this time if lawmakers just reauthorize their massive power to spy on Americans without warrants. But it won't be different, EFF's India McKinney wrote. And Congress must either seriously reform this law or let it die in ignominy. Next up from The Daily Beast, crackdowns on encrypted messaging don't help the children. United Kingdom politicians are poised to enact a deeply misguided and flawed law that will make the internet less safe for everyone on earth. And the United States and European Union aren't far behind. EFF's Page Collings warns in this fiery op-ed. Next up from the Register, UN Cybercrime Treaty risks becoming a global surveillance pact. EFF worked with our allies to host a news conference last month at the United Nations headquarters in New York, highlighting the serious dangers posed by the UN Cybercrime Treaty that delegates were meeting to negotiate. EFF's Catito Rodriguez warned the proposal will give governments the green light to prosecute activists, journalists, and marginalized groups. In other words, the usual victims when it comes to authoritarian regimes attempts to criminalize speech and privacy. Now we've got our last mini-link. This one's from 404 Media. Hackers can silently grab your IP through Skype. Microsoft is in no rush to fix it. Hackers are able to grab a target's IP address, potentially revealing their general physical location by simply sending a link over the Skype mobile app. The target does not need to click the link or otherwise interact with the hacker beyond opening the message. Quote, I think just about anybody could be harmed by this. And quote, EFF's Cooper Quinton told 404 Media. And that's it. Thanks for listening. If you like what you're hearing, be sure to sign up for the email version of Effector, which includes links to in-depth coverage of these stories and more. See past issues and subscribe at EFF.org slash Effector. That's EFF.org slash EFF E-C-T-O-R. Before we end this issue of the newsletter, I want to let you know that EFF is a member-supported nonprofit organization. You can help us protect digital privacy, security, and free expression for everyone. Donate to EFF today and even grab some gear by heading over to EFF.org slash Effect. That's EFF.org slash EFF E-C-T. You can become a member for as little as $25 or even sign up as a monthly or annual donor. Thanks for your support. And I hope you'll join us for the next issue of Effector.