I Just Joined the EFF

With my $65 donation (low, I know, but forgive me, I'm a student) I would've liked to become a card-carrying member, but apparently they don't offer membership cards. Which, my friends, is the Electronic Frontier Foundation's only shortcoming. I've never seen the EFF support any cause that I didn't. As well as supporting freedom of speech and civil liberties, the EFF is at the forefront of advocacy of all digital freedoms:

• the right to record and copy,
• the right to write software without the threat of lawsuits,
• the right to be anonymous and speak freely online, and
• the right to invent, give, and sell technologies that facilitate these freedoms.

The EFF defends the rights of the individual at a time where big business dominates government policy decisions. Current causes include:

• Opposing and raising awareness of DRM (copy-prevention mechanisms that are used for many purposes, and usually prevent you from transferring data, such as music, between different playback devices that you own)
• Opposing the PATRIOT Act
• Opposing the new Broadcast Flags (see also my article about the first bill)
• Opposing the DMCA
• Opposing more powers for trademark owners
• Supporting transparency and security in electronic voting
• And more

I may not get a card, but my donation was enough for an EFF T-shirt, which I will wear proudly.