Revolution.Social Defending Digital Rights in the Surveillance Era (with Jillian York)
Dec 4, 2025
Jillian York, Director of International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and author of Silicon Values, dives deep into digital rights challenges. She highlights the urgent need for diverse internet governance and warns against the harms of age-verification laws. York emphasizes the critical role of end-to-end encryption in protecting activists and marginalized groups. She critiques overreliance on AI for content moderation and discusses the complexities of copyright in the age of AI, advocating for a human-centered approach to technology.
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Center Local Knowledge For Global Policy
- EFF focuses internationally on policy, coalition-building, and supporting frontline groups rather than litigation abroad.
- Jillian York emphasizes centering local knowledge from the global majority when shaping internet policy.
Moderation Fails Where Language Is Scarce
- Moderation capacity is uneven across languages and regions, causing serious harms like the Myanmar crisis.
- Translation and localized tools help, but gaps persist where platforms lack speakers and context.
Use The Surveillance Self‑Defense Guide
- Use EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense guide for practical steps to reduce digital surveillance risks.
- Share the guide with activists and participants in protests to mitigate police and vendor surveillance.
