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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b>EFF Press</b> <br>Date: Thursday, October 10, 2013<br>Subject: [E-B] EFF Resigns from Global Network Initiative<br>To: <a href="mailto:presslist@eff.org">presslist@eff.org</a><br><br><br>Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release<br><br>For Immediate Release: Thursday, October 10, 2013<br><br>Contact:<br><br>Jillian C. York<br> Director for International Freedom of Expression<br> Electronic Frontier Foundation<br> <a href="javascript:;">jillian@eff.org</a><br> +1 415 436-9333 x118<br><br>EFF Resigns from Global Network Initiative<br><br>Citing Concerns Over NSA’s Impact on Corporate Members, EFF<br>Leaves Industry Group<br><br>San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)<br>today withdrew from the Global Network Initiative (GNI),<br>citing a fundamental breakdown in confidence that the<br>group's corporate members are able to speak freely about<br>their own internal privacy and security systems in the wake<br>of the National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance<br>revelations.<br><br>EFF has been a civil society member of the<br>multi-stakeholder human rights group since GNI was founded<br>in 2008 to advance freedom of expression and privacy in the<br>global information and communication technologies sector.<br>While much has been accomplished in these five years, EFF<br>can no longer sign its name on joint statements knowing now<br>that GNI's corporate members have been blocked from sharing<br>crucial information about how the US government has meddled<br>with these companies' security practices through programs<br>such as PRISM and BULLRUN.<br><br>"We know that many within the industry do not like or<br>approve of such government interference, and GNI has, in<br>statements, made it clear that member companies want<br>permission from the US government to engage in greater<br>transparency," EFF's International Director Danny O'Brien<br>and Director for International Freedom of Expression<br>Jillian C. York write in a letter to GNI leadership.<br>"However, until serious reforms of the US surveillance<br>programs are in place, we no longer feel comfortable<br>participating in the GNI process when we are not privy to<br>the serious compromises GNI corporate members may be forced<br>to make. Nor do we currently believe that audits of<br>corporate practice, no matter how independent, will<br>uncover the insecurities produced by the US<br>government's--and potentially other governments'--behavior<br>when operating clandestinely in the name of national<br>security."<br><br>EFF's involvement with GNI included helping to define its<br>founding principles over two years of negotiations;<br>coordinating opposition to the United Kingdom's<br>Communications Data Bill in 2011; releasing a paper<br>addressing free-speech issues surrounding account<br>deactivation and content removal; and collaborating with<br>fellow members in internal international technical and<br>policy analysis. However, EFF can no longer stand behind<br>the credibility of what had been one of GNI's most<br>significant achievements--third-party privacy and freedom<br>of expression assessments of service providers, including<br>Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.<br><br>Moving forward, EFF plans to continue to provide guidance<br>to the GNI and engage companies directly, but as an<br>external organization. EFF supports the other<br>organizations and individuals that continue to work within<br>the GNI for the free speech and privacy rights of users<br>worldwide.<br><br>"Although EFF is taking a step back, GNI can still serve an<br>important role as a collaborative project between human<br>rights groups, companies, investors and academics," York<br>said. "If the United States government truly supports<br>international 'Internet freedom,' it would recognize the<br>damage its policies are doing to weaken such efforts and<br>the world's confidence in American companies."<br><br>For the text of the letter:<br><a href="https://www.eff.org/document/gni-resignation-letter-0" target="_blank">https://www.eff.org/document/gni-resignation-letter-0</a><br><br>For this release:<br><a href="https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-resigns-global-network-initiative" target="_blank">https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-resigns-global-network-initiative</a><br><br>About EFF<br><br>The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading<br>organization protecting civil liberties in the digital<br>world. Founded in 1990, we defend free speech online, fight<br>illegal surveillance, promote the rights of digital<br>innovators, and work to ensure that the rights and freedoms<br>we enjoy are enhanced, rather than eroded, as our use of<br>technology grows. EFF is a member-supported organization.<br>Find out more at <a href="https://www.eff.org" target="_blank">https://www.eff.org</a>.<br><br><br> -end-<br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>To unsubscribe or manage your email options:<br><a href="https://mail1.eff.org/mailman/listinfo/presslist" target="_blank">https://mail1.eff.org/mailman/listinfo/presslist</a><br><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:4.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#333333'><a href="https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now" title="Go to archives for ip"><span style='color:#669933;text-decoration:none'>Archives</span></a> <a href="https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/22720195-c2c7cbd3" title="RSS feed for ip"><span style='color:#669933;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://www.listbox.com/images/feed-icon-10x10.jpg"></span></a>| <a href="https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=22720195&id_secret=22720195-8fdd4308" title=""><span style='color:#669933;text-decoration:none'>Modify</span></a> Your Subscription | <a href="https://www.listbox.com/unsubscribe/?member_id=22720195&id_secret=22720195-97c5b007&post_id=20131010162734:63A4C126-31EA-11E3-9459-FD7ACABF16AC" title=""><span style='color:#669933;text-decoration:none'>Unsubscribe Now</span></a> </span><o:p></o:p></p></td><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><a href="http://www.listbox.com"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://www.listbox.com/images/listbox-logo-small.png"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>