Democracy & Civic Tech

CDT’s @jakelaperruque.bsky.social: “Lawmakers and the American people are demanding a real warrant rule. It's time to put a bill on the floor that will close the backdoor search loophole and protect Americans from #surveillance abuse.”

CDT’s @jakelaperruque.bsky.social: “The shameful midnight smash-and-grab attempt to steal away Americans' privacy rights failed. #Surveillance boosters tried to sneak a sham proposal through in the dead of night because they know they've lost the substance of this debate.”

The failure came after House Leadership put forward a misleading proposal–billed as reform–by simply restating existing law while offering no new limits on US person queries (central to the FISA 702 debate). After being rejected, the House passed a 2-week extension (new expiration date April 30).

FYI, LAST NIGHT: In a rushed after-midnight procedural vote, the House failed to move ahead with an extension of #FISA #Section702 without meaningful privacy reforms. apnews.com/article/cong...

Big news: Two powerful leaders are stepping up. Congrats to Camron Hurt in Hawaii and Jenny Guzman in Arizona on their promotions to State Directors — and for continuing the fight to protect our democracy. Join us in celebrating them 👇

⏰NEW JOB ALERT: My Democracy Initiatives team is hiring a Program Associate! Come work with my crew @brennancenter.org--we're tackling some of the biggest law and policy issues of the day. This is a full-time role in NYC for non-lawyers. More details ⬇️ brennancenter.applytojob.com/apply/5MX0qv...

Privacy stalwarts in Congress just bought us 10 more days to put together a bill that actually reforms Section 702. Keep pushing.

This year's @hope.net is back in Manhattan! Grab your ticket today—a portion of the sale is going to EFF. We'll see you there 👋 www.eff.org/event/eff-h...

We'll be speaking on @localprogress.bsky.social's webinar on April 23rd: How To Stop A Data Center. We’ll walk through what’s driving the data center buildout, what’s at stake for your community, and what you have the power to do about it. Register here: shorturl.at/HLfdJ

In a dramatic scene that unfolded in the wee hours this morning, members of the House defeated a ploy by the administration and Speaker Johnson to ram through a 5-year reauthorization of FISA Section 702. Here’s what happened, and what will/should happen next. 1/20

The photos are in 📸 Relive the highlights from CDT’s 2026 Spring Fling and spot yourself among friends and colleagues from across the privacy and tech community. Check out the full gallery here:

The dramatic drop in public approval for the Supreme Court is a major issue for the institution, whose legitimacy depends on the public’s willingness to submit to its rulings. Jesse Wegman details what to do about it (with a little help from The Princess Bride): bit.ly/3OkW9jo

READ and WATCH: A Protester Threw a Snowball. Federal Agents Responded With Tear Gas and Pepper Balls. w/ @frontlinepbs.bsky.social

The Trump administration has threatened judges and courts it disagrees with, a stark departure from previous administrations. Gregg Nunziata discusses what it will take to preserve U.S. democracy on The Briefing with Michael Waldman: bit.ly/4tzJqsB

In February 2025 alone, the DOJ dropped nearly 11,000 cases — the most in a month since at least 2004. The previous high was just over 6,500 cases in September 2019, during Trump’s first administration.

One piece of legislation drafted by a Leonard Leo-supported nonprofit would effectively bar cities and towns from bringing lawsuits against corporations and others when the issue is a broad public harm like climate change.

The SAVE Act would require voters to show a passport or birth certificate to register to vote, but 21 million American citizens don’t have those documents readily available. bit.ly/4rA2p4R

Concerns go beyond profits. Lawmakers warn these platforms could exploit national security information or be tracked by foreign intelligence. Congress needs to investigate, set real rules, and shut this down. No one should be cashing in on decisions that affect our lives, especially not war.

People are placing bets on war and walking away with millions. Lawmakers are calling for investigations into Polymarket after at least 50 new accounts placed large bets on a U.S.-Iran ceasefire shortly before it was announced by President Trump. www.npr.org/2026/04/10/n...

President Trump issued an executive order on mail voting that would give the USPS power over who can vote by mail — while directing DHS to build voter lists from unreliable data. bit.ly/4mhDqln

There are myriad ways that law enforcement can access the content or other metadata of push notifications. Let’s fix that. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Very big news: Minnesota prosecutors just charged a federal immigration agent with assault. It's not easy to bring state prosecutions against federal officers, but the law is clear that there's no absolute immunity from state prosecution. /1 statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

Life isn't the movies: License plate readers and other surveillance systems sold as a way to catch killers end up being used to spy on protesters, write traffic tickets, and more. Learn more about this insidious phenomenon—called "mission creep"—EFF's EFFector podcast: www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Congress is about to vote on renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Originally meant to monitor foreigners overseas, it’s been abused to surveil Americans. This is a chance to finally protect Americans’ privacy. bit.ly/4tASUmW

How is the conservative movement responding to the forces eroding our democratic institutions? Gregg Nunziata joined The Briefing with Michael Waldman to discuss. bit.ly/4ubzNjJ

The Supreme Court’s legitimacy crisis is self-created, as its right-wing majority has strayed too far from public opinion. History (and, surprisingly, The Princess Bride) offers lessons for how to bring the Court back into line with the American people. bit.ly/3OkW9jo

Results from our latest survey of local election officials: ☑️52% are concerned about the safety of their colleagues. ☑️32% report experiencing threats, harassment, or abuse because of their job.

Time and again, voters pay the price when federal courts ignore important facts. The Supreme Court shouldn’t make the same mistake in this term’s case on mail voting. bit.ly/47SVP1Q

The results of Hungary’s recent election offer lessons for U.S. democracy. Subscribe to our free newsletter, The Briefing, to stay updated on efforts to keep U.S. elections free and fair: bit.ly/3Yrz5jM

The United States can continue to have free and fair elections — but it will take organization, preparedness, and collaboration. bit.ly/4vuVfBn

An examination by ProPublica shows how thoroughly and expansively the Trump administration has overhauled the federal government into what some fear is a vehicle for making sure elections go his way.

"Too often, conversations about AI and surveillance are framed in abstract terms, as though these systems simply appear out of nowhere. But refugees and migrants are often among the first to experience their violence" @adiod.bsky.social @dairinstitute.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/timn...

The Refugees, Migrants and AI research program from @dairinstitute.bsky.social connects personal narrative with political analysis to reveal how identity, policy, and technology intersect in contested socio-political spaces, such as borders. bsky.app/profile/timn...

Internet shutdowns are a weapon—used by governments to crush protests, conceal abuses, and control what people know. Join EFF and @Amnesty.org / @Amnestyuk.bsky.social TOMORROW Thursday, April 16 at 9 am PT to learn how to fight back. www.eff.org/event/effec...

EFF urges Congress to “do the hard & responsible thing & come to the table to put in real protections for Americans,” EFF’s @irmck.bsky.social told @theguardian.com. “By just doing a straight-up clean extension, you’re abdicating your responsibility to the people that you are elected to represent.”

It’s great to see elected leaders focus on corruption — and emphasize real solutions that address the problem in a systemic way. apnews.com/article/demo...

The Trump administration is demanding that states hand over their voter files. Most states have refused, but at least 10 have provided full voter lists, placing the sensitive data of more than 37 million voters in the federal government’s hands. bit.ly/3JFbKaB

The dramatic drop in public approval for the Supreme Court is a major issue for the institution, whose legitimacy depends on the public’s willingness to submit to its rulings. Jesse Wegman details what to do about it (with a little help from The Princess Bride): bit.ly/3OkW9jo

Despite promising to tell users before giving their data to law enforcement, Google handed Amandla Thomas-Johnson's data to ICE in 2025 without giving him the chance to challenge the government's invalid subpoena. We're urging the AGs of CA and NY to investigate Google for deceptive trade practices.

At least 71% of election officials have engaged in preparation or planning for scenarios that could disrupt election administration ahead of the midterms. Learn more in our latest survey of local election officials: bit.ly/41pYmNr

CDT’s Jake Laperruque: “The attitude we’re seeing from FISA 702’s boosters right now is, ‘If we can pretend it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’... But the problems are there. They are very real, and in some ways, they are worse than ever.”

From Vera's work creating prison housing units grounded in dignity to The Last Mile's technical training initiatives, programs across the U.S. are showing that it's possible to improve prison conditions and reduce recidivism. @brennancenter.org highlights the data:

The President’s executive order would upend our elections, hurting both voters and election officials. And it flatly violates the Constitution and federal law. Learn more ⤵️ www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res... @brennancenter.org

📅 This Friday, April 17 ⏱️ 9AM PT / 6PM CEST Join @dairinstitute.bsky.social for a conversation on border & surveillance tech covering • Our latest projects on refugees & AI • A panel with Respond Crisis Translation • A workshop to imagine alternative tech futures 🎟️ www.eventbrite.com/e/refugees-a...

As local election officials prepare for midterms, concerns about their own safety remain high. As mentioned in Chris Jansing Reports, the Brennan Center's new survey finds that 23% of officials are concerned about being assaulted at home or at work:

During arguments in a key Supreme Court case, both parties’ attorneys and some of the justices made misleading comments about mail voting. A new analysis corrects the record and warns that voters could pay the price for those mistakes: bit.ly/47SVP1Q

“It’s not simply an immigration enforcement measure; it’s something different,” EFF’s @davidgreene.bsky.social told @elpais.com. “They are conducting an investigation—or trying to obtain authorization—to bring federal criminal charges against someone, someone whose identity we don’t know.”

Despite all the problems with FISA, the White House is insisting on a “clean” extension without any reforms. We’re working with a broad bipartisan set of allies to prevent that. The cancelled vote on this dangerous bill is a win & gives us a chance to keep fighting for critical privacy protections.

This FISA fight is also ab the Data Broker Loophole. The biggest FISA reform this century was Congress' ban of bulk collection – now the govt ignores that rule by engaging in bulk collection from data brokers. As Alexandra Reeve Givens shows AI propels the danger:

* Our explainer on FISA 702, how it works, and the dangers it poses: cdt.org/insights/wil... ** A CDT-led coalition letter on the key reforms Congress should enact: cdt.org/insights/cdt... *** Our issue brief on how a warrant rule meets security needs: cdt.org/insights/deb...

NEWS:The House is postponing its plans to start votes on a clean extension of FISA 702, a warrantless surveillance authority that has been systematically abused and is in desperate need of reform. Here are some of CDT's resources and key info about FISA 702, and how we should change it 👏

Today, @virginiaksolomon.bsky.social joined @morelle.house.gov to demand Congress root out corruption at every level—because no one should put profits over people or power over democracy.

“An analysis of social media around the 2024 election found women of color and Black women political candidates faced more offensive and hate speech online, according to the civil liberties and technology nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology. “

Amid unprecedented threats to our system of checks and balances, a group of conservative lawyers and judges is defending the Constitution. This week, @greggnunziata.bsky.social joined The Briefing with Michael Waldman.

Using Section 702 of FISA, federal intelligence agencies can spy on Americans without a warrant. “They can pretty much target anyone,” @lizagoitein.bsky.social told @apnews.com, as Congress debates reform ahead of its April 20 deadline. apnews.com/article/trum...

What can Victor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary tell us about democracy in the United States? Time will tell, but worldwide trends are at play. bit.ly/4vuVfBn

If you paid even a penny in federal income tax last year, you paid more than: Tesla Southwest Disney Live Nation HP United PayPal CVS Health Palantir Citigroup PG&E 3M That's right. They paid $0 in federal income tax. It's time for big corporations to pay their fair share.

What a joy to guest curate #TED2026 with @divya.bsky.social of @cip.org. 🙌 Session 2: Collective Intelligence was special.💯 Gratitude to our speakers, especially @jayb.bsky.social & Keith Coleman for the deep dialogue on Community Notes.🙏 All of Us can #FreeTheFuture🖖 — together!

President Trump is urging Congress to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but lawmakers in both parties oppose extending it without reforms. Congress now has a chance to protect Americans’ privacy. bit.ly/4tASUmW

Egypt’s 2011 internet shutdown marked a turning point. Although other countries had previously shut down internet access, since Egypt, more governments than ever use this all-too-common tactic to control the narrative and stifle dissent. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Egypt’s 2011 internet shutdown marked a turning point. Although other countries had previously shut down internet access, since Egypt, more governments than ever use this all-too-common tactic to control the narrative and stifle dissent www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...

The season of frenzy about a new SCOTUS justice is starting. If Justice Alito or anyone else retires, it means President Trump could appoint a fourth justice—well on his way to a SCOTUS majority. It doesn’t have to be this way. This moment tells us the system needs reform. 1/

Since President Trump started the mid-decade redistricting fight last summer, Floridians have been very clear – they do not want mid-decade redistricting to happen in their state. Here are 4 reasons why: https://bit.ly/4cccEYc

EFF says California's proposed legislation to put the burden of blocking 3D-printed firearms onto printer manufacturers could effectively sideline open source tools and create new surveillance concerns, @theregister.com reports. www.theregister.com/2026/04/14/...

While California is at the forefront of print blocking, the impacts will be felt far outside of its borders. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

From @theverge.com: “Google should commit to ending its deception and pay for its past mistakes,” the EFF said in its letters to California and New York. www.theverge.com/news/911789...

The new edition of our zine "Surveillance Technology at the US-Mexico Border" has more surveillance towers, new military tech and a gallery of disguised cameras. Order your copy today. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Did you know @brennancenter.org's Benchmark has collected public polling on the Supreme Court and Supreme Court reform from 2020 onwards? It's a super helpful resource -- and paints a striking picture of an institution facing dwindling public confidence. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

CDT's Bhatia: "It also doesn't address the root issue of a lot of the harms that we see online, which is privacy, which is the vast data collection on minors, on all users."

“When forced to make judgments about what content constitutes causing anxiety or mental distress to children, Bhatia says social media companies may limit access to a wide list of information, driven by partisan viewpoints.”

CDT's Bhatia: "I worry that we are, under the guise of protecting children, equipping political actors to decide what our kids should and should not see."

CDT’s Bhatia: "The duty of care has been narrowed and now is replaced with a section called 'Addressing Harms to Minors.’ While that's a really good sign, it is still overbroad and open to subjective interpretation.”

“Aliya Bhatia, senior policy analyst for CDT, told UPI that newer iterations of the Kids Online Safety Act are much improved over what was introduced in 2022, but it could carry unintended consequences.”

Democracy found a way to persevere in Hungary despite Victor Orbán’s takeover of elections, the media, and democratic institutions. It can here too. bit.ly/4vuVfBn

What does it take to build a more open, people centered internet? 🌐 On CDT’s Tech Talks, Alexandra Reeve Givens is joined by Mark Surman in exploring what it will take to shape a more trustworthy digital future. 🎙️ Listen now.

Sending ICE or other federal troops to polling places is illegal. There are specific federal and state laws that make this kind of action unlawful. bit.ly/4s3UQDe

The internet is an essential part of modern life. Yet, governments shut it down to isolate, silence, and block info. Those affected keep finding ways to stay connected, and EFF and @Amnesty.org / @amnestyuk.bsky.social are here to show you how. Join us on 4/16 at 9 am PT. www.eff.org/event/effec...

CDT’s Laperruque: “If something goes wrong in the future, or if things start to get abused in the future, we don’t have the tools to be made aware of it, let alone to stop it.”

“The entire oversight structure, from PCLOB, to independent inspectors general, to meaningfully independent and rigorous auditing within the FBI have all been completely shut down or made to exist within the prerogative of the White House.”

“‘All of the oversight systems — both the ones that were enacted in 2024 and the ones that previously existed — are dependent on good faith by the executive and rigorous oversight within the executive,’ Laperruque told The Verge.”

“Jake Laperruque, the director of the Security and Surveillance Project at CDT, said the changes added to Section 702 didn’t meaningfully affect oversight, and haven’t stopped backdoor searches of Americans.”

Countdown to reauthorization of the surveillance law FISA Section 702. Here's what's at stake. bit.ly/4tASUmW

President Trump's latest voting executive order is another attempt to take over elections — power he doesn’t have. But it turns out, there are effective countermoves blunting this and other efforts to undermine elections.

"Google should answer the question: How many other times has it broken its promise to users?” said EFF Senior Staff Attorney F. Mario Trujillo. "Advance notice is especially important now, when agencies like ICE are unconstitutionally targeting users for First Amendment-protected activity." (4/4)

Last year, Google handed Amandla Thomas-Johnson's data to ICE without giving him the chance to challenge the government's invalid subpoena, breaking a long-standing promise to users (3/4) www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

For nearly a decade, Google has promised to tell users before giving their data to law enforcement. Many times, it has. But through a hidden practice, Google has likely systematically broken that promise numerous times, as it did to Amandla Thomas-Johnson. (2/4)

Today, EFF sent complaints to the attorneys general of California and New York urging them to investigate Google for deceptive trade practices over Google's broken promises to users targeted by the government 🧵(1/4) www.eff.org/press/relea...

What does the Princess Bride tell us about SCOTUS and public opinion? When the Court strays too far from the public's will, what brings it back into alignment? @jessewegman.bsky.social explains in his newsletter, highlighted by @scotusblog.com.

Are you based in NYC and looking for a way to hang out with EFF? Now's your chance! Join us on Tuesday, April 21 for a conversation with EFF's Executive Director Cindy Cohn about her new book, Privacy's Defender! RSVP here: eff.org/civichallnyc

CDT’s Hall: “Colorado has shown that it can pass leading legislation, which of course means that everybody’s focused on that in order to set that bar for what the rest of the country is doing.” www.washingtonpost.c...

A @propublica.org investigation pinpointed at least 75 people across federal agencies who stood up to protect the integrity of the 2020 election. Today, nearly all of those people are gone, having resigned, been fired, or been reassigned, esp. at DOJ and DHS. www.propublica.org/article/trum...

NEW: “Arrest as many people that touch you as you want to," Gregory Bovino told Border Patrol officers in 2025. But a review of hundreds of such arrests shows that charges brought against protesters and bystanders repeatedly fell apart under scrutiny. w/ @frontlinepbs.bsky.social

Since the escalation of conflict between the United States, Israel, Iran, and related spillover attacks in the Gulf, several governments have intensified efforts to silence dissent and restrict the flow of information. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Late last summer, a small group of political appointees began convening at ⁦‪DHS‬⁩ HQ. The group — which once called itself “Team America” — looked for federal levers it could pull to make Trump’s March executive order about elections a reality. @dougbockclark.bsky.social @jenafifield.bsky.social

Congress takes up FISA Section 702 this week. The law has been used for warrantless surveillance of Americans. Lawmakers shouldn't reauthorize without insisting on protections against domestic spying. bit.ly/4tASUmW

Compared to other 3D printer laws proposed this year, California’s is the most troubling. It criminalizes open source, reduces consumer choice, and creates a new bureaucratic burden. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Our latest Speaking Freely interview is live 🗣️ This time we're joined by Dr. Jean Linis-Dinco to discuss how she sees freedom of expression as a communal value necessary to combatting structures of power. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Since Trump’s return to office, the Board of Immigration Appeals has come under unprecedented influence from the Attorney General — reshaping rulings, limiting appeals, raising fees, and reducing transparency. bit.ly/4cCXCdW

Over the years we've seen countries across the globe pull the plug on the internet to control narratives and crush resistance. EFF and @Amnesty.org / @AmnestyUK.bsky.social are explaining how you can fight back: www.eff.org/event/effec...

Pushback against Trump’s campaign to undermine elections has been fierce and increasingly successful, @mawaldman.bsky.social writes in @newrepublic.com.