#SaveSecurity: digital rights group announces online campaign to oppose U.S. government attack on iPhone security

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 16, 2016

Contact: Evan Greer, 978-852-6457, press@fightforthefuture.org

#SaveSecurity: digital rights group announces online campaign to oppose U.S. government attack on iPhone security

Fight for the Future will read and display thousands of comments outside courthouse at Apple vs. FBI hearing in Riverside, CA on March 22nd

Fight for the Future, the digital rights group known for organizing many of the largest Web-based protests in history, announced a new online campaign today to fight the FBI’s dangerous attempt to weaken iPhone security for millions of people. The group, which was behind nearly 50 rapid response protests outside Apple stores and FBI headquarters last month, launched the site SaveSecurity.org, where they are collecting comments and signatures from concerned Internet users opposed to government backdoors.

The comments will be read aloud and digitally displayed outside of the U.S. District Courthouse in Riverside, CA during Apple’s next hearing in the high profile case on Tuesday, March 22nd.

See the new online campaign here: https://wwwSaveSecurity.org

Individuals, organizations, and companies will be able to show support for the campaign and join the online outcry against the FBI’s attack on security by changing their social media avatar or website logo to a “lock” symbol, reminding the government and the public that strong security measures like encryption are saving lives every day. Tweets to the hashtag #SaveSecurity that contain comments related to the case will also be displayed and read aloud outside the courthouse.

“This case is not just about one phone, it’s about the future of safety and security for millions of people all over the world,” said Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future, “We’ll be outside the courthouse to make sure those people’s voices are heard, because what the government is trying to do in this case doesn’t just threaten our basic rights, it puts all of us in danger. Encryption protects our hospitals, airports, and water treatment facilities. Undermining security risks lives.”

Protesters who gathered outside of Apple stores and FBI headquarters last month carried giant iPhone shaped banners with the message “Secure Phones Save Lives,” echoing the concerns of security experts who largely agree that backdoors in encryption technology actually weaken national security and undermine public safety rather than strengthen it.

Fight for the Future is best known for organizing some of the largest online protests in history, including the SOPA blackout against online censorship, Reset the Net to promote encryption and fight government surveillance, and the Internet Slowdown for net neutrality. The #SaveSecurity action will also rally the Internet Defense League, a network of thousands of websites that support Fight for the Future’s campaigns on an ongoing basis.

Fight for the Future expert staff are available for interviews about the #SaveSecurity campaign and the broader implications of the Apple vs. FBI court case. Contact: press@fightforthefuture.org

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