Invezz supports the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Invezz is proud to financially support the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and believes its mission of advocating for individual privacy and online security is a worthy cause.

What is EFF?

The EFF was created in 1990 in reaction to the US Secret Service’s response to the distribution of an illegally obtained document that described how the 911 emergency system works. A small games book publisher in Texas named Steve Jackson Games was believed to be in possession of the document and he was the subject of a Secret Service warrant.

The Secret Service agents seized all of his electronic equipment and copies of an upcoming game book. In response, Steve Jackson was unable to continue working and had no option but to fire some of his employees.

Ultimately, the Secret Service returned all of the computers and did not press charges after they were unable to find evidence of any copies of the illegal document. Steve Jackson was innocent from the beginning but the worst part came after he discovered government agents accessed and deleted electronic messages from non-employees that were found on the seized computers.

Steve Jackson’s grievances attracted the attention of concerned technology executives, including Steve Wozniak. The Apple co-founder played a key role in the formation of the EFF which saw a quick legal victory.

A lawsuit against the Secret Service concluded with the court’s ruling that electronic communications must receive the same level of protection as telephone calls.

What does the EFF do today?

The EFF dedicates itself to taking on cases that set important precedents for the treatment of rights in the online universe. Their mission is perhaps more important than ever as trillion-dollar tech companies are leveraging the resources and connections to shut down online speech and facilitate government surveillance.

On the legal front, the EFF prides itself on its many legislative fights that focus on defeating digital censorship bills that are disguised as intellectual property proposals.

The EFF also develops technologies for individual users to protect their privacy and security online.

Invezz General Manager, Michael Charalambous commented on the company’s financial support of EFF and said: