Stay in the know about important issues affecting our freedom
Our internet is increasingly at risk of censorship and regulation. Now more than ever, it’s important to get involved and look into what you can do to contribute to online activism and digital campaigning.
The fight for net neutrality has been just one of the issues important in this area, but there have been so many more. If it’s the only one that you can think of, maybe you owe it to yourself to stay more informed!
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The good news is that online organization and activism have become more and more popular over the years, and nonprofits and publications have dedicated themselves to reporting and acting on the pressing issues for those passionate about the internet remaining free and open.
In this article, let’s discuss four of the most important newsletters to sign up for if you want to remain in the know about the latest in web activism and internet freedom.
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) describes itself as “the leading nonprofit defending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation.”
Along with standing for a free internet, EFF provides funds for legal defense and defends individuals and businesses from abusive legal threats which it believes infringes upon personal freedoms and online civil liberties.
EFF has been involved in cases such as Bernstein v. United States, where it assisted Daniel J. Bernstein, a programmer and professor, in suing the US government for permission to publish Shuffle, an encryption software he developed.
Signing up for EFF’s newsletter grants access to updates on related news, actions, and events. If provided with a postal code, events closer to your area will be prioritized.
Internet Freedom Foundation
First worth noting about the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) is that it focuses on the online freedom of India. India is second only to China in internet users by population with over 700 million people, nearly three times as many as the United States.
IFF is known for their Save the Internet, Keep Us Online, and Save Our Privacy campaigns. It is strongly committed to protecting net neutrality, free expression, and online privacy and encryption.
As a digital liberties organization, its website states the following:
“The IFF complements, and even hopes, to bridge gaps in digital rights organisations, larger civil liberties groups and online collectives and movements. We take considered risks, make a stand and follow a path of advocacy towards outcomes.”
Signing up for IFF’s newsletter will keep you up to date with news, related articles, and even jobs relevant to its mission.
Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) aims to bring universal freedom to study, distribute, create, and modify computer software. Around since 1985, it developed the GNU operating system and created the GNU General Public License.
FSF’s website offers a wealth of information on campaigns, licensing, and the resources they provide. Some of their ongoing efforts include the Free JavaScript, PlayOgg, and OpenDocument campaigns.
FSF’s monthly newsletter, the Free Software Supporter newsletter, covers stories and alerts that are relevant to the free software community. It’s published in five different languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French.
Along with their official newsletter, FSF also hosts several mailing lists, such as their GNU announcements, fundraising announcements, and messages from the FSF community team.
WIRED
Unlike the rest of the newsletters discussed above, WIRED does not represent any nonprofit or a particular effort in internet activism. However, since 1993, WIRED has maintained its reputation as a leader in reporting on issues surrounding internet freedom and openness.
WIRED has published dozens of articles covering net neutrality, transparency, free speech, and other important issues that remain at the forefront of internet activism.
Signing up for WIRED’s newsletter will bring the publication’s biggest stories to your inbox. You can alternatively sign up to the WIRED Longreads newsletter, which will deliver WIRED’s best features and investigations on each Sunday.
An important part of internet activism is staying up to speed with the latest news around the web, and WIRED is definitely one of the best sources for doing just that.
With these four newsletters, anyone concerned with a free and open internet should have everything they need for a regular supply of news, investigations, resources, events, and job postings coming to their inbox. From there, all that’s left is to act!
