stay loud
There’s a reason the First Amendment guarantees free speech.
It is the lifeblood of democracy. As more of our lives take place in digital spaces, EFF’s work grows more relevant and urgent to ensure everyone’s right to free speech. No government should have the power to decide who gets to express themselves and who doesn’t.
What EFF is doing
Defending Students from the State Department
EFF represents major labor unions in a lawsuit against the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to halt the “Catch and Revoke” social media surveillance program that seeks to deport foreign students for engaging in Constitutionally protected free speech. We also submitted rulemaking comments urging DHS to abandon a plan to collect social media identifiers on forms for immigration benefits.
Fighting the Latest Excuse to Kill Anonymity
Age verification laws allow bigoted politicians to decide what materials young people can see on the internet, and you can bet LGBTQ+ content, information about abortion, and science are on the chopping block.
Where these laws are in place, companies censor speech for fear of lawsuits, denying everyone access to this speech. EFF fights for your free speech and access to information online by opposing these restrictions in state and national legislatures.
Closing Loopholes
Legal loopholes that enable censorship of protected speech are multiplying. Laws ranging from copyright claims to the 2025 TAKE IT DOWN Act empower frivolous and bad-faith actors to use take down requests—compelling online platforms to remove user created content— as backdoors for censorship.
EFF fights to make sure people and services that help you share information are protected, trademark enforcement isn’t used to silence critics, and presidents can’t censor critics.
What you can do
Speak Out Against Censorship
Age verification laws force people to choose between accessing parts of the internet and staying anonymous. This annihilates everyone’s right to speak freely and stay anonymous online. Check out our Action Center, and sign up for EFF email updates for information about the latest laws and campaigns, including how to tell your representatives you won’t stand for censorship.
Film Law Enforcement
You have the right to film ICE agents and all law enforcement making an arrest or amassing publicly in your town. When you do, you help to promote transparency and accountability in a system that often relies on intimidation, secrecy, and obscuring abuse. Just remember not to interfere and to stay safe.