Networking with Austin Free-Net | Partiful Join Austin Free-Net and a crew of like-minded people who care about digital equity, access, and closing the digital divide in Austin. Whether you’re deep in the work or just curious to learn more, th...

Austin Free-Net is having a networking mixer next Thursday. partiful.com/e/fyO9SNrrJQ...

Poster of EFF-Austin and Open Austin event.

Our meetup next month is co-hosted with Open Austin and features Darrell Malone, founder of National Police Data Coalition. He's going to discuss his new National Police Data Index tool for law enforcement transparency and accountability, join us! www.meetup.com/eff-austin/e...

Meetup tonight, join us!

Our meetup next month features Marina Roberts of Austin DSA and the No ALPRs coalition talking about her work as a leader in the fight to ban surveillance technologies in the Austin area, join us! www.meetup.com/eff-austin/e...

We're hosting another event this Friday, 2pm-6pm in conjunction with Pillsbury and Creative Commons. Want to meet Lawrence Lessig!? This is your chance :) www.meetup.com/eff-austin/e...

Digital Equity Community Listening Session & Resource Fair Join us to learn more about digital equity resources and policy initiatives in the City of Austin.

We'll be at the City of Austin's Digital Equity Community Listening Session tomorrow, come say hi! www.eventbrite.com/e/digital-eq...

Poster of EFF-Austin Interactive

Just over a week until EFF-Austin Interactive! We hope you'll join us!

Poster for EFF-Austin Interactive Party.

Our party is a little over two weeks away! Join us! Tell your friends! www.meetup.com/eff-austin/e...

We're having a party, and you're all invited! www.meetup.com/eff-austin/e...

EFF-Austin helped consult on the TRUST Act. The emergency exception provision is too long, and will need to be revisited at some point, but we think the transparency this will provide around the city's contracts with 3rd party technology vendors is a step in the right direction.

"Kevin Welch of EFF-Austin...said the LVT contract is fundamentally flawed because it has no enforcement mechanism. “I see data abused and misused by well-intentioned people every day,” Welch said. “The reality is, the only data that is safe is the data that is not collected.”"

Here's EFF-Austin's Kevin Welch speaking to city council at yesterday's work session about the dangers of putting LVT cameras in Austin's parks. We are happy to report that, based on our testimony and the testimony of many other activist groups in town, the proposed contract as again been postponed.

CALL TO ACTION! Tell Austin City Council to vote NO on Item #3: $400K-2M for AI surveillance in Austin's parks and pools

AI surveillance company LiveView Technologies (LVT) is courting the Austin City Council and is now inches away from winning a new contract that would implement AI cameras in our parks and pools. We know that the Trump administration is actively using data collected by mass surveillance technologies like LiveView cameras to facilitate mass deportations, to hunt abortion seekers, and to track political protesters. In many cases, police are sharing data with ICE and other federal agencies regardless of the law.

With recent news stories illuminating an alarming amount of collaboration between Austin Police Department and ICE, we do not want to add to the datasets that create vulnerabilities for our immigrant neighbors and others who may be targeted. Remember, the safest form of data is data that does not exist.

What you can do: Sign up to speak at the Council meeting on Thursday, February 5, before the vote (item 3). Registration closes on Wednesday at 12 PM. Contact your City Councilmember before Thursday, February 5, and tell them to vote NO on Item 3. Links to do both will be in the linktree in our bio (linkt.ree/austindsa).

AI surveillance company LiveView Technologies is now inches away from winning a new contract that would implement AI cameras in our parks & pools.

Reach out to your Austin City Council member and urge them to oppose the contract (Item 3) because we do not want AI surveillance in our public spaces.

The $2M AI surveillance contract Austin keeps trying to pass - here's how to stop it YouTube video by Louis Rossmann

Louis Rossmann with a good rundown of how problematic the LVT system in Austin's parks will be, and how you can sign up to speak against this. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MiL...

ICE OUT OF ATX: Austin Against Park Surveillance - Press Conference & Rally · Hands Off Central TX - Indivisible We demand no AI mass surveillance in Austin public parks and pools! Join HOCTX and the NO ALPRs coalition for a press conference and rally on Tuesday, Feb 3 from 5 - 6:30 PM... Speakers will include...

Austin City Council is again considering a contract with LVT that will install surveillance tech in Austin's parks. While "safeguards" have been added since last time, this is still a fundamentally bad idea. Come to the protest tomorrow and make your voice heard. www.mobilize.us/handsoffcent...

There is no news article about it, yet, but you heard it here first that Sunset Valley, one of the most prolific users of ALPR cameras in the Austin area, has decided NOT to renew their contract with Flock.

Birthday celebration – Wikimedia Foundation Join the live stream of Wikipedia’s 25th birthday event and celebrate 25 years of knowledge at its best.

Join the Wikipedia 25th anniversary livestream, happening now! wikimediafoundation.org/wikipedia25/...

Meetup tonight, join us!

I wrote section 230 to protect user speech, not a company's own speech. I've long said AI chatbot outputs are not protected by 230 and that it is not a close call. Given that the Trump administration is going to the mat to protect pedophiles, states should step in to hold Musk and X accountable.

First meetup of the year is next Tuesday, come hang out with us! We'll talk about what we got up to in the last year, and some of our plans for the coming year. www.meetup.com/eff-austin/e...

Curious if elected officials in your area are trying to approve a Flock contract without your knowledge or consent? This new tool will let you subscribe to alerts in your area for relevant city council meetings so that you can organize, show up, and make your voices heard. alpr.watch

Meetup tonight with AI Expert Dr. Benjamin Kuipers, join us!

Event Flyer For EFF-Austin Meetup

Our meetup next month features AI expert and former UT Austin CS Department Chair Dr. Benjamin Kuipers talking to us about AI and ethics, join us! www.meetup.com/eff-austin/e...

Meetup tonight, join us!

Our meetup next month features @jcklpe.bsky.social discussing Enzo, a programming language of his own design, join us! www.meetup.com/eff-austin/e...

Introducing Mike Siegel, the anti AI surveillance city councilman YouTube video by Louis Rossmann

Louis Rossmann and EFF-Austin's Mackenzie Rhine sat down to interview Austin City Council Member Mike Siegel around his vocal support for the movement to ban surveillance from Austin.

Meetup tonight, join us!

Maybe reach out to Wolfson Cyber Association @ MDC? They're an EFA member in Miami, they may be a good community to start with. efa.eff.org/allies/wolfs...

EFF Austin: Organizing and Making a Difference in Central Texas Austin, Texas is a major tech hub with a population that’s engaged in advocacy and paying attention. Since 1991, EFF-Austin an independent nonprofit civil liberties organization, has been the proverbi...

We were honored to be featured in @eff.org's ongoing series profiling EFA (Electronic Frontier Alliance) members.

@effaustin @effaustin is on omg.lol!

Curious about where EFF-Austin has a presence on the web. Check out our new link aggregator, effaustin.omg.lol - all our accounts in one convenient place!