Yesterday, the FTC announced it had reached a $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon over the company’s manipulative subscription tactics. The $2.5 billion penalty, however, falls far short of Amazon’s gains from its unfair Prime subscription practices. epic.org/press-releas...

🎉Today, Massachusetts took a major step toward privacy rights for all residents—the MA Senate voted unanimously to pass the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act (MDPA). epic.org/press-releas...

Big win for privacy: Multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals ruled that carriers (e.g. Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) must protect your cell phone location data. This closes a 5+ year saga over whether carriers can sell/share that data without consent. epic.org/multiple-cou...

EPIC’s Jeramie Scott speaks to @wired.com about DHS data exposure: “[T]he relative lack of transparency of the Trump administration and DHS's hostility to oversight measures suggests that if a similar data breach occurred now, the public might never know.” Read more here: lnkd.in/e-dm_PMy

EPIC proudly endorses the Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2025, introduced by Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY). The bill takes critical steps to ensure transparency and accountability when automated systems are used to make decisions in high-impact areas (housing, credit, etc.). epic.org/epic-endorse...

EPIC’s Sara Geoghegan will speak on “Anticipated Trends for the Data Broker Industry and Enforcement” at The Capitol Forum's 2025 Tech Conference (October 1 at 1:30). The panel examines how data brokers monetize personal information and how regulation can increase accountability.

Thank you to everyone who joined the EPIC Champions of Freedom 2025 event. We were joined by a distinguished panel that explored strategies to confront digital authoritarianism and strengthen democracy. This important work is only possible with your continued support: epic.org/donate-to-ep...

Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit rejected NetChoice’s request for a preliminary injunction against key provisions of SB 976. Most notably, the court refused to enjoin the law’s ban on delivering addictive feeds to minors without parental consent.

Secure your spot for EPIC Champions of Freedom 2025! 🗒️ Sept. 15, from 5-8 PM 📍True Reformer Building in Washington, D.C. Speakers will offer insights about combating digital authoritarianism. Reception will follow. Presentation will be live-streamed. Register at epic.org/sept15

EPIC's Sara Geoghegan will be speaking on GW's Ethical Tech Initiative and the GW Center for Law and Technology's panel discussion on the legal landscape of reproductive data privacy. We invite you to attend tomorrow Sept 10 at 12 p.m. and be part of the dialogue on protecting privacy rights!

Recently, Meta announced that it would be turning to AI to assess risks of new products and features. This is a move by Meta to offload its responsibility to its users by using “AI” as cover. www.npr.org/2025/05/31/n...

🧵 THREAD: Sanity prevails! The Second Circuit just rejected an egregious attempt to abuse Section 230 protections. In U.S. v. EZ Lynk, a company that makes "defeat devices" to help drivers evade Clean Air Act emissions controls tried to claim Section 230 immunity. The court wasn't buying it.

We're calling on state AGs, the FTC, and USAOs to investigate and enforce the law. We're joined by a broad coalition of orgs including @epic.org @nationalconsumers.bsky.social @fairplayforkids.bsky.social @ncose-official.bsky.social, @techjusticelaw.bsky.social and @techoversight.bsky.social ⬇️

EPIC joins 13 other advocacy organizations in sending a letter urging the #FTC to investigate Grok’s “Spicy Mode.” The feature allows users to easily create and distribute Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery, potentially violating #NCII and age verification laws. Learn more and read our full letter ⬇️

🗓️ SAVE THE DATE: The EPIC Champions of Freedom 2025 will be held on Monday, September 15, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM at the True Reformer Building in Washington, D.C. RSVP at epic.org/sept15.

EPIC, @eff.org, and @protectdemocracy.org submitted a brief in support of a state coalition that sought an injunction against the fed govt’s sharing and use of Medicaid data. A federal court just issued an order to stop HHS from sharing, and DHS from using, Medicaid data for immigration enforcement:

📰 EPIC News Roundup ▶️ Youtube AI age checks: "I think the increased surveillance of user behavior is not privacy protective," Counsel @suzannebernstein.bsky.social told @arstechnica.com, "The most privacy protective option involves retaining the least amount of information..." #TechNews

🩺⚙️ The CPPA voted to finalize rules on risk assessments and automated decision-making technologies weakened by 2+ years of industry lobbying. In @techpolicypress.bsky.social, EPIC Senior Counsel @sarageoghegan.bsky.social analyzes these new rules that may signal California’s weakening regulations.

"Project Dystopia" Check out this warning from @epic.org on the dangers of New Orleans proposed plan to institutionalize dragnet, untargeted facial recognition across the city epic.org/project-dyst...

EPIC Executive Director Alan Butler testified at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on protecting Americans’ online data. Butler urged federal lawmakers to pass a strong federal data privacy law that protects personal data, something EPIC has been calling on Congress to do for over 25 years.

“Consumers deserve robust privacy protections and rights over their own data, regardless of the type of business collecting and processing that information...” ➡️ Read EPIC's latest white paper by Law Fellow Caroline Kraczon and Scholar in Residence @jshermcyber.bsky.social: epic.org/documents/un...

“TSA’s deployment of facial recognition technology has been subject to little oversight and few legal safeguards.” EPIC teamed up with the @aclu.org, @fightforthefuture.org, and the @pogo.org to submit a letter of support for S. 1691, the Traveler Privacy Protection Act.

This afternoon, EPIC Executive Director Alan Butler (@alanindc.bsky.social) will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the importance of strong federal data regulations to protect the privacy of American consumers. ➡️ Tune in at 2:30 pm ET: www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-ac...

In a hearing last week, the #California Privacy Protection Agency voted 5-0 on regulations regarding #cybersecurity, risk assessments, and #automated decision-making. Though the initial rules included strong privacy protections, intense lobbying from Big Tech led the #CPPA to weaken the regulations.

20 states sued HHS for transferring confidential Medicaid data collected from millions of people to other agencies, including DHS. EPIC, @protectdemocracy.org, and @eff.org filed an amicus brief supporting the state coalition’s stand against the unlawful transfer 💻🔓: epic.org/documents/ca...

📊📜 Today, EPIC published "Unbridled and Underregulated: Removing FCRA and GLBA Exemptions from Privacy Laws to Hold Data Brokers Accountable, a white paper by Law Fellow Caroline Kraczon and Scholar in Residence Justin Sherman @jshermcyber.bsky.social: epic.org/documents/un...

🧵 EPIC filed an amicus brief for Viglis v. Amazon in the Washington State Supreme Court. We call for accountability over what products can be easily purchased on Amazon Marketplace and how they are recommended to users: epic.org/wp-content/u...

🚨 Just in: The #Trump Administration released its #AI Action Plan prioritizing innovation over AI's social and environmental impacts. In response, EPIC has joined 90+ groups in calling for a People’s AI Action Plan to protect people, not Big Tech profits. peoplesaiaction.com

The advancement of American AI must deliver first and foremost for the American people; we can't afford to let Big Tech and Big Oil lobbyists write the rules. That's why we need a People’s AI Action Plan that puts the needs of everyday Americans over corporate profits. peoplesaiaction.com

📰 EPIC News Roundup 💰️ Startup sells hacked data to debt collectors: They're "facilitating and enabling further exploitation of victims of a crime and bragging about how multiple criminal acts make their business better,” Senior Counsel Calli Schroeder told @404media.co. #TechNews #TechPolicy

💬 EPIC Counsel @suzannebernstein.bsky.social testified in support of Massachusetts bills S.30/H.4229, An Act Protecting Children from Addictive Social Media Feeds: epic.org/epic-testifi...

🏛️ This 4th of July was the 59th anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act’s (FOIA) enactment. Under #FOIA, the public can request and see documents from U.S. government agencies. If an agency refuses to provide documents you're entitled to under FOIA, you can enforce your rights via court.

📜 EPIC, @colorofchange.bsky.social, and @consumerfed.bsky.social published the “Tech Industry Playbook,” showing how Big Tech has strategically advocated for weak #privacy laws that maintain the status quo: epic.org/wp-content/u...

🗃️ EPIC filed a #FOIA lawsuit against the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) for the release of its unclassified, unpublished 2022 report on Signaling System 7 (SS7): epic.org/documents/ep...

EPIC Law Fellow @kara-williams.bsky.social, Grace Gedye of Consumer Reports, and @cvenzke.bsky.social of the ACLU attended ACM’s FAccT conference to present a tutorial on the landscape of U.S. state AI policy and stakeholders. @facct.bsky.social

EPIC led a coalition of legal scholars including @commonsensemedia.bsky.social, Cybersecurity for Democracy, and Tech Justice Law Project to file a Ninth Circuit amicus brief arguing against Meta’s use of Section 230 to shield itself from lawsuits. 🧵 #Meta #SocialMedia #Section230

⚠️ We’re in the middle of the biggest data breach in U.S. history. Since DOGE’s creation, the agency has forced its way into countless sensitive databases across the federal government, consolidating sensitive personal data from tens of millions of people.

🚨 JUST IN: On a 99-1 vote this morning, the Senate overwhelmingly passed an amendment to remove the "AI Moratorium," a budget bill provision that would have prevented states from passing regulations on AI systems for 10 years.

EPIC opposes the revised AI moratorium: “The multiple iterations of the AI state law moratorium demonstrate that, at the end of the day, members of Congress recognize that a sweeping ban on state-level AI regulation simply does not work,” said @caitrionafitz.bsky.social, EPIC's Deputy Director.

“[R]obust risk assessments are an essential safeguard for consumers,” said @johndavisson.bsky.social, EPIC Director of Litigation. “Sadly, California looks poised to squander its best chance to enact strong risk assessment requirements.” Read EPIC’s report here: epic.org/assessing-th...

SCOTUS's decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton today properly leaves legislatures with room to provide kids with heightened protections online but does not go far enough in incentivizing legislatures to prescribe privacy-protective age assurance methods. epic.org/supreme-cour...

📈 🚩 In the last year, #consumer credit report complaints have risen 182%. EPIC joined 35 other organizations in urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau #CFPB to maintain public access to its company complaint portal system to prioritize corporate accountability: epic.org/wp-content/u...

“Risk assessments are a critical way to make businesses show their work and ensure that their data practices are not putting consumers at risk.” said @mayu-tm.bsky.social, EPIC Law Fellow and report author. Read more about this in EPIC’s newly-released report: epic.org/assessing-th...

🗣️ CDT Europe & 12 orgs of the Spyware Coordination Group sent an open letter to EU institutions in response to recent #spyware abuse cases, calling for concrete action against spyware & its proliferation in the European internal market. 👇🏻 Read more

⚠️🤖 Today, EPIC released Assessing the Assessments: Maximizing the Effectiveness of Algorithmic & Privacy Risk Assessments. The report lays out the ideal elements of a risk assessment framework and engages with California’s ongoing development of risk assessment rules. epic.org/assessing-th...

🤖 EPIC filed an amicus brief in State v. Miles calling on the NJ Supreme Court to recognize the defendant’s right to know how he was identified by state law enforcement as a homicide suspect. Mr. Miles sought discovery on the details of how facial recognition technology (FRT) was used in his search.

📄 EPIC submitted its fourth amicus brief in #NetChoice v. Bonta against tech industry group NetChoice’s attempt to overturn the #California Age-Appropriate Design Code: epic.org/epic-urges-n...

👶🏻📢 The updated Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (#COPPA) Rule goes into effect today, strengthening the ability of the #FTC and #State Attorneys General to protect kids' #privacy and safety online. epic.org/updated-copp...

🗓️⚠️ Happening TODAY, join us here: epic.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

BIG NEWS! This afternoon, Governor Phil Scott signed the Vermont Age-Appropriate Design Code (AADC) into law! governor.vermont.gov/press-releas...