Joe Mullin

Oakland

Policy Analyst and Writer at EFF

Writing about tech policy things @eff. Formerly journaling at @arstechnica + @AmericanLawyer. I tweet about tech policy stuff, patent stuff, YIMBY stuff.

Articles

Site-Blocking Legislation Is Back. It’s Still A Terrible Idea.

2 weeks ago | techdirt.com | Joe Mullin

More than a decade ago, Congress tried to pass SOPA and PIPA—two sweeping bills that would have allowed the government and copyright holders to quickly shut down entire websites based on allegations of piracy. The backlash was immediate and massive. Internet users, free speech advocates, and tech companies flooded lawmakers with protests, culminating in an “Internet Blackout” on January 18, 2012. Turns out, Americans don’t like government-run internet blacklists. The bills were ultimately shelved.
Site-Blocking Legislation Is Back. It’s Still a Terrible Idea.

3 weeks ago | eff.org | Joe Mullin

More than a decade ago, Congress tried to pass SOPA and PIPA—two sweeping bills that would have allowed the government and copyright holders to quickly shut down entire websites based on allegations of piracy. The backlash was immediate and massive. Internet users, free speech advocates, and tech companies flooded lawmakers with protests, culminating in an “Internet Blackout” on January 18, 2012. Turns out, Americans don’t like government-run internet blacklists. The bills were ultimately shelved.
Vuelve la legislación de bloqueo de sitios web. Sigue siendo una idea terrible.

3 weeks ago | eff.org | Joe Mullin

Hace más de una década, el Congreso intentó aprobar la SOPA y la PIPA, dos proyectos de ley radicales que habrían permitido al gobierno y a los titulares de derechos de autor cerrar rápidamente sitios web enteros basándose en acusaciones de piratería. La reacción fue inmediata y masiva. Los usuarios de Internet, los defensores de la libertad de expresión y las empresas tecnológicas inundaron a los legisladores con protestas, que culminaron en un "apagón de Internet" el 18 de enero de 2012.
Encryption, quantum encryption, cybersecurity

1 month ago | homelandsecuritynewswire.com | Joe Mullin

ENCRYPTIONA Win for Encryption: France Rejects Backdoor MandatePublished 25 March 2025In a moment of clarity after initially moving forward a deeply flawed piece of legislation, the French National Assembly has done the right thing: it rejected a dangerous proposal that would have gutted end-to-end encryption in the name of fighting drug trafficking.
A Win For Encryption: France Rejects Backdoor Mandate

1 month ago | techdirt.com | Joe Mullin

In a moment of clarity after initially moving forward a deeply flawed piece of legislation, the French National Assembly has done the right thing: it rejected a dangerous proposal that would have gutted end-to-end encryption in the name of fighting drug trafficking.
A Win for Encryption: France Rejects Backdoor Mandate

1 month ago | eff.org | Joe Mullin

In a moment of clarity after initially moving forward a deeply flawed piece of legislation, the French National Assembly has done the right thing: it rejected a dangerous proposal that would have gutted end-to-end encryption in the name of fighting drug trafficking.
New USPTO Memo Makes Fighting Patent Trolls Even Harder

1 month ago | eff.org | Joe Mullin

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) just made a move that will protect bad patents at the expense of everyone else. In a memo released February 28, the USPTO further restricted access to inter partes review, or IPR—the process Congress created to let the public challenge invalid patents without having to wage million-dollar court battles.
California’s A.B. 412: A Bill That Could Crush Startups And Cement A Big Tech AI Monopoly

1 month ago | techdirt.com | Joe Mullin

California legislators have begun debating a bill (A.B. 412) that would require AI developers to track and disclose every registered copyrighted work used in AI training. At first glance, this might sound like a reasonable step toward transparency. But it’s an impossible standard that could crush small AI startups and developers while giving big tech firms even more power. The AI landscape is in danger of being dominated by large companies with deep pockets.
California’s A.B. 412: A Bill That Could Crush Startups and Cement A Big Tech AI Monopoly

1 month ago | eff.org | Joe Mullin

California legislators have begun debating a bill (A.B. 412) that would require AI developers to track and disclose every registered copyrighted work used in AI training. At first glance, this might sound like a reasonable step toward transparency. But it’s an impossible standard that could crush small AI startups and developers while giving big tech firms even more power. The AI landscape is in danger of being dominated by large companies with deep pockets.
The TAKE IT DOWN Act: A Flawed Attempt to Protect Victims That Will Lead to Censorship

2 months ago | eff.org | Joe Mullin

Congress has begun debating the TAKE IT DOWN Act (S. 146), a bill that seeks to speed up the removal of a troubling type of online content: non-consensual intimate imagery, or NCII. In recent years, concerns have also grown about the use of digital tools to alter or create such images, sometimes called deepfakes. While protecting victims of these heinous privacy invasions is a legitimate goal, good intentions alone are not enough to make good policy.

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Joe Mullin @joemullin

31 Aug 23

My colleague @CollingsPaige wrote for the @thedailybeast about the impending UK legislation that would break encryption to 'protect kids.' https://t.co/ViQu2Oug9k

Joe Mullin @joemullin

6 Jun 23

I'll be speaking at a webinar tomorrow 10:30am PT about the @USPTO's proposed new rules for patent challenges tomorrow, together with folks from @unifiedpatents and @linuxfoundation. If you want to learn more, please come! sign up here: https://t.co/dKbppsLfXg

Joe Mullin @joemullin

2 Jun 23

These new @UPSTO proposed rules would be damaging to all builders & users of new technology, including open source devs. That's why we're proud to stand with @linuxfoundation which has their own commentary and call to action here: https://t.co/dKbppsLfXg