N things you can do today to fight bad internet bills across the world
ast updated July 11! If you've got suggestions for additional actions in these or other locations, please leave them as a comment.
If you're in Canada
Stop Bill C-22!
🚨 Bill C-22 forces every Canadian internet provider, messaging app & cloud service to build surveillance backdoors and store a year of your data. Foreign state hackers exploited similar legislation in the US. Shut the backdoor: https://openmedia.org/StopC22 #BillC22
OpenMedia's Stop the Surveillance State: Stop Bill C-22! has a contact tool and a lot of background on this sweeping surveillance proposal that would force collection of vast quantities of Canadians’ private data, on every digital service and device they use. The open letter from Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and a broad coalition of civil society groups has more detail. The Liberal government is in the last stage of trying to jam Bill C-22 through the House so now is a crucial time to push back.
If you're in the US
Bad Internet Bills
All of the bad internet bills. One website.
Contact your Senators and tell them to say NO to bad interenet bills that surveil and censor the net. badinternetbills.com, from Fight for the Future, makes it easy to contact Congress. EFF, ACLU, and 5Calls also have good action pages. Or you can just contact your legislators offices directly via the US Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3124, calling their offices directly, or using their web contact form. It doesn't have to be fancy, just make sure it includes a specific ask like "Please vote NO on KOSA, the KIDS Act, and other bad internet bills that would censor and surveill the net" -- although if you want go into more detail on why these bills are harmful to you and their other constituents, that's even better.
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And once you've contacted your Senators, there are a lot more actions you can take. Check out our page on N things you can do today to fight bad internet bills in the US!
If you're in the EU
Unfortunately, the European Parliament allowed Chat Control 1.0 proposal to pass on July 9. Patrick Breyer's EU Parliament greenlights Chat Control 1.0 has the details. Negotiations will resume in September over Chat Control 2.0, which would also cover encrypted messages.
More MEPs voted against Chat Control 1.0 than for it (314 against, 276 in favor, 17 abstentions), but because of legislative shenanigans it goes into effect anyhow -- they needed an absolute majority of 361 votes opposing it, and since the vote was held on the last day before summer vacation many MEP's didn't even show up.
If you're in the EU, you can look up how your MEP voted here; a "yes" vote was a vote to reject ChatControl 1.0, a "no" vote was to allow it to go into effect. Take action by letting them know how you feel about their vote!
- If they voted "yes", thank them, and ask them to vote against Chat Control 2.0 when they get a chance.
- If they voted "no", tell them you're disappointed, and ask them to change their position once Chat Control 2.0 comes to a vote.
- If they didn't vote, tell them you're disappointed, and remind them it's their job to represent you and their other constituents.
fightchatcontrol.eu has a contact tool here to contact your MEP, although as I write this they haven't yet updated their script.
Fight Chat Control - Protect Digital Privacy in the EU
Learn about the EU Chat Control proposal and contact your representatives to protect digital privacy and encryption.
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