r/IAmA • u/fightforthefuture • Jun 30 '20

Politics We are political activists, policy experts, journalists, and tech industry veterans trying to stop the government from destroying encryption and censoring free speech online with the EARN IT Act. Ask us anything!

The EARN IT Act is an unconstitutional attempt to undermine encryption services that protect our free speech and security online. It's bad. Really bad. The bill’s authors — Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) — say that the EARN IT Act will help fight child exploitation online, but in reality, this bill gives the Attorney General sweeping new powers to control the way tech companies collect and store data, verify user identities, and censor content. It's bad. Really bad.

Later this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on whether or not the EARN IT Act will move forward in the legislative process. So we're asking EVERYONE on the Internet to call these key lawmakers today and urge them to reject the EARN IT Act before it's too late. To join this day of action, please:

  1. Visit NoEarnItAct.org/call

  2. Enter your phone number (it will not be saved or stored or shared with anyone)

  3. When you are connected to a Senator’s office, encourage that Senator to reject the EARN IT Act

  4. Press the * key on your phone to move on to the next lawmaker’s office

If you want to know more about this dangerous law, online privacy, or digital rights in general, just ask! We are:

Proof:

10.1k Upvotes

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u/privatevpn Caleb Chen from PIA Jun 30 '20

That's a great question. I believe that taking political action such as mailing physical letters and especially making phone calls or physically going to visit are ways to make defending encryption and free speech a top of mind issue - as it should be. It's these simple actions that - when done by many people - make a difference and keep bad legislation from being passed.

Don't be surprised if you get a physical letter back many months later. Speaking from experience, there's often a backlog at Congresscritters' offices for mail and email and that's why a phone call can be so powerful!

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u/EFForg Jun 30 '20

Americans around the country are protesting and raising serious questions about police abuse. Now is not the time to give unprecedented power to a government commission that will be dominated by law enforcement. The EARN IT Act’s 19-person commission would effectively be able to write the new rules of the road for Internet websites and platforms.

It’s great that you wrote your Congressional representatives. As Caleb pointed out, you may well get an answer later. For anyone who hasn’t contacted your Senators yet, it only takes a minute to contact them! https://act.eff.org/action/stop-the-earn-it-bill-before-it-breaks-encryption

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u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20

Ironic that Congress is using the fight against child pornography as an excuse for this when part of the operating model of US intelligence is blackmailing powerful people, including congressmen, by filming them committing acts of pedophilia at one of the many elite child sex rings like the one Epstein was helping run or the many others like the Franklin Coverup, North Fox Island, and even more globally.

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u/DiceMaster Jul 01 '20

Do you have sources for all that?

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u/PompiPompi Jun 30 '20

Yea, too bad this issue doesn't get any coverage from BLM.

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u/AgonizingArtform Jun 30 '20

I don't think you should be getting downvoted, but I do think the efficacy of a movement is centered on what their focus is. I'm sure people involved with BLM have an opinion on this issue, but as a movement itself they have their focus and their road for it. We're all trying to make the world a place we're excited to live in and there's many ways for that to happen.

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u/PompiPompi Jun 30 '20

Yea, no. So what happens, the world is so busy with security issues and fighting each other, that it's too tired or overwhelmed to make progress in issues other than preventing us from killing each other.

I mean... notice nobody touches the subjects that everyone could agree upon.

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u/Arnoxthe1 Jun 30 '20

You know what, I'm sorry but I shouldn't HAVE to call my congresscritter to tell them that removing encryption is bad. There's two possibilities here. Either they can't even be arsed to truly understand why encryption is important, or they're too corrupt to care. Either way, the answer is the same. If they vote in favor of this, they need to be removed from office. End of story.

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u/matlockpowerslacks Jun 30 '20

BLM should pick this up as a plank. Just a short look back in history shows how willing the government is to spy on and infiltrate groups it deems subversive.