Last weekend we celebrated the life of John Perry Barlow, our departed co-founder, preeminent Internet visionary, lyricist for the Grateful Dead, and tireless fighter for access to information and diverse ideas. We are proud to pursue his vision of the Internet as vocal defenders of digital privacy and free expression. I hope you will consider donating to EFF to continue Barlow’s legacy of defending online rights.
Barlow helped form EFF after recognizing the incredible potential of the Internet to empower, but also repress. In this crucial moment—as lawmakers contemplate tech companies’ power over our information and President Trump strikes a blow to online speech by signing SESTA/FOSTA into law—our movement is increasingly necessary. The ability to communicate freely and privately has never been more important.
Saturday’s Barlow Symposium explored his ideas and philosophy with luminaries from across digital freedom history including whistleblower Edward Snowden, EFF co-founder Mitch Kapor, and Wired editor-at-large Steven Levy. If you missed the Symposium, I invite you to watch below, share it with your community, and join EFF as a member.
As EFF's Executive Director Cindy Cohn said in closing the Symposium, Barlow “left us with a lot of work to do, but he gave us a North Star. Let’s get at it.”
Yours in digital freedom,
Aaron Jue
EFF Development Director
P.S. Check out our new Barlow member t-shirt and sweatshirt in retro rock poster style! All proceeds support EFF’s fight for online rights.