After 26 years, today is my last day at EFF. It's been a terrific and wild ride — the organization has grown from a tiny band of fighty people trying to plant a flag for freedom and justice in the coming digital world into a large, established band of fighty people doing, well, much the same. The world around us has changed enormously. Our core values haven't budged.

I'm proud of what we've achieved: freeing encryption, defending coders, pushing to rein in government and corporate surveillance and ensure the right to have a private conversation online, standing up for free speech and anonymous speech, fighting for network neutrality and safe voting machines, busting stupid patents, and making sure copyright didn't become the one law that rules the internet. That's only the start. We've stopped more bad legislative, regulatory, and legal ideas than I can count, built tools that millions rely on to protect their privacy, and helped encrypt the web. I've long said EFF is the plumber of the internet — finding the clogs and barriers that prevent technology from serving freedom, justice, and innovation for everyone.  

In addition to presenting cases in courts across the land, testifying in Congress and in California, in the European Parliament and at the United Nations, I went onto the internet with Stephen Colbert and engaged in a healthy disagreement with Jon Stewart.  I wrote a lot of it down in a book, hoping to recruit others to the cause.  The work has been hard and often frustrating at times.  But looking back, the fun parts are what I remember most.   

None of it would have been possible without EFF’s stalwart members. More than 30,000 people, some with big wallets and some with small ones, give us what we need to stand up to bullies and fight for the long haul. EFF has always served as a beacon for people who know that for technology to support freedom, justice, and innovation for all the people of the world, we need a dedicated band of folks working overtime on behalf of users, innovators, and creators. 

There's still plenty left to do. We haven't killed the third-party doctrine, tamed the surveillance business model, or gotten metadata the constitutional protection it deserves. Stupid patents persist as does the overreach of DMCA section 1201 and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The government is now the largest purchaser of data from shady brokers, communities everywhere are fighting license plate readers and other street-level surveillance, and we haven't reined in NSA and FBI spying nearly enough. Meanwhile, the rise of AI is supercharging problems we've fought against for years. 

But I'm proud of what we've built together. I'm grateful to every EFFer — past, present, and future — who threw in with us when the odds were long and the pay was much better elsewhere. I'm grateful to the EFF Board and especially to my mentors and friends Pam Samuelson and Shari Steele, along with my longtime partner in justice, Lee Tien, who has been working with me since the Bernstein case. Fighting for justice is easier when you have a posse: coworkers, co-counsel, coalitions, interns, volunteers, and the heroic clients who trusted us to steward their cases in ways that bent the law toward everyone's benefit. Twenty-six years later, EFF is part of a global diaspora of organizations defending internet freedom — and I'm proud of that too. 

I'm stepping down because good leaders should make way for new ones, and the time feels right. EFF is strong and full of fight. My successor Nicole Ozer — a longtime friend and collaborator — is exactly the right person for this moment. She understands EFF's role and values at a deep level and will protect them while helping the organization rise to meet what's coming. 

As for me, I'm not going far. After a few months off to reflect and walk dogs, I plan to get back into the fight for justice — likely heading back into the courtroom. And I'll be watching, cheering, donating, and wearing the merch from EFF, just like the rest of you.

There are over a dozen cases around the country where police officers are using the Flock surveillance camera system to obsessively and illegally stalk people.

Alternate link.

Oklahoma Republicans are embracing a tougher regulatory stance once considered untouchable in a primary race to be insurance commissioner.

A tax law phasing out solar incentives imperiled projects already underway.

Federal judges granted Interior’s bid to voluntarily drop its appeal of a ruling against the administration's pause on new wind approvals.

AM Best warns that the power-hungry, fire-prone facilities will need more coverage than the property insurance market has ever experienced.

Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats in both chambers urging the National Science Foundation to reconsider.

The attack on the Emissions Trading System is among industry’s most direct calls yet for the EU to change course on climate.

The European Commission is drawing flak for offering fiscal leeway to contend with skyrocketing fuel prices.

Other targets include more than 80 percent electrification on fixed short‑haul routes in key regions and 18 percent of highway freight volumes carried by such vehicles.

Zenobe Energy will use the money to support the rollout of more than 1,200 new electric buses and charging infrastructure over the coming three years.

Nature Climate Change, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02641-w

Climate change is predicted to increase extremes of weather, affecting ecosystems and resulting in biodiversity losses. We leveraged advances in climate seasonal forecasts to develop an early warning system that helps identify exposure of species to extreme temperatures. The forecasts provided by this system can guide the implementation of mitigation measures.

Nature Climate Change, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02666-1

The authors classify cropland and emissions changes for 174 countries over 30 years. They highlight the asymmetric intensification of global disparities, with imports from countries with high emissions intensities and low-efficiency cropland expansion rising 4.2-fold since 1992.

LGBTQ+ communities are facing an escalating wave of censorship and targeted surveillance, but we can push back through mutual solidarity. Join us live to learn how safer virtual spaces get built, how platform policies and government pressure are reshaping the digital landscape, and what platform accountability actually looks like. Our panel will share ideas for direct action and concrete strategies you can bring back to your community. Whether you’re an activist, an ally, or just paying attention, this conversation is for you. Join the livestream online followed by live Q&A.

EFFecting Change Livestream Series:
LGBTQ+ Solidarity Against the Tide of Surveillance
Wednesday, June 17th
9:00 am - 10:00 am Pacific - Check Local Time
Livestream followed by Q&A

This event is LIVE and FREE!

About the Speakers

Paige Collings
As a lawyer, digital policy activist and community organizer, Paige works to dismantle systems of oppression and advance collective liberation. Her work focuses on highlighting how state surveillance and corporate restrictions stifle marginalized communities and perpetuate historic injustices and harm. She has worked with activists across the globe to facilitate systemic change by speaking truth to power and creating spaces for alternative imaginations; and her writing on digital justice has been featured in Wired, Politico, Teen Vogue, the Daily Beast and more.

Jillian C. York
Jillian is EFF's Director for International Freedom of Expression, based in London. Her work examines state and corporate censorship and its impact on culture and human rights, with a focus on historically marginalized communities. At EFF, she organizes coalitions, writes about and researches topics related to freedom of expression, leads the Speaking Freely interview series, and contributes to various other areas of the organization's work. Jillian is the author of Silicon Values: The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism (Verso, 2021), a contributor to several academic volumes, and has written for MIT Technology Review, The Guardian, and WIRED, among others. She is also a visiting professor at the College of Europe Natolin in Warsaw, and a regular speaker at global events.

Soatok Dreamseeker
Soatok Dreamseeker is a gay furry security engineer. He blogs about applied cryptography on his blog, Dhole Moments, and is developing key transparency to enable end-to-end encryption on the Fediverse. His puns are 100% whole groan.

Luísa Franco Machado
Luísa Franco Machado is an award-winning international expert in digital rights and data justice. She has also been a technical advisor in data governance and AI ethics for governments, NGOs, and international organizations worldwide, including the UN, OECD.AI, GIZ, and others. Luísa has carried on policy research at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Sciences Po Paris on the intersection between technology and socio-economic development. In 2022, the United Nations recognized them as a global Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among more than 6,500 advocates. In 2025 she was featured in Apolitical's Government AI 100 list as a rising star.

In 2026, MIT granted tenure to 10 faculty members across the School of Engineering. This year’s tenured engineers hold appointments in the departments of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) — which reports jointly to the School of Engineering and MIT Schwarzman College of Computing — and Mechanical Engineering, as well as within the Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences (IMES).

“I’m delighted to congratulate the 10 newest tenured faculty members in the School of Engineering. This major career milestone reflects not only their impact and excellence in research, but their deep commitment to education and mentoring the next generation of engineers. I am so excited to see what new developments, innovations, and technologies will come next from this incredibly accomplished group,” says Paula T. Hammond ’84, PhD ’93, dean of engineering, Institute Professor, and professor of chemical engineering.

This year’s newly tenured engineering faculty include the following:

Jacob Andreas is an associate professor in EECS and is affiliated with the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). His work is in natural language processing, and more broadly in AI. He aims to understand the computational foundations of language learning, and to build intelligent systems that can learn from human guidance.

Zachary Cordero is the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the associate director of the MIT Gas Turbine Laboratory. His research seeks to enable frontier aviation and space platforms through advanced materials, manufacturing, and structures, with a particular focus on high-temperature systems.

Christina Delimitrou is the KDD Career Development Professor in Communications and Technology and an associate professor in EECS. She is also affiliated with CSAIL. Her research sits at the intersection of computer architecture and computer systems; specifically, she is one of the first systems researchers to apply machine learning techniques to design and management problems in the cloud.

Sili Deng is the Doherty Career Development Professor in Ocean Utilization and an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her group develops scientific machine learning and experimental approaches to understand, predict, and engineer chemically reacting systems for sustainable energy, advanced materials manufacturing, and climate-resilient technologies.

David Des Marais is the Amgen Career Development Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He leads the Des Marais Lab, whose primary focus of research is to understand the mechanisms of plant-environment interaction, using tools from molecular, quantitative, and population genetics to identify the physiological basis of plant response to environmental cues.

Carmen Guerra-Garcia is the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the director of the Aerospace Plasma Group. Her work lies at the intersection of aerospace engineering, low-temperature plasma technologies, and gas discharge physics. It addresses two aviation challenges — reducing emissions, and ensuring safety of next-generation aircraft — through three interconnected thrusts: advancing the fundamental science of electrical discharges in flowing gases and nonuniform media, applying that science to plasma-assisted combustion and chemical conversion, and developing physics-based approaches to lightning protection.

Laura Lewis is the Athinoula A. Martinos Associate Professor in EECS and IMES. Her research aims to develop methods to analyze and interpret multi-modal neuroimaging data in order to enable measurement of previously undetectable aspects of brain function. She has a particular interest in fast fMRI, EEG, and PET, and is applying those methods to study sleep.

Tami Lieberman is the Hermann L. F. von Helmholtz Career Development Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and IMES. She leads the Lieberman Lab, which seeks to understand how ecology and evolution shape the personalized communities of the human microbiome, and the role of this personalization on human health.

Kevin O’Brien is an associate professor in EECS and a member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics.  He leads the Quantum Coherent Electronics Group. His research efforts focus on developing tools, techniques, and devices to enhance the measurement of quantum systems, most notably superconducting quantum computers.

Wim van Rees is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Leonardo Career Development Professor in Engineering. His research advances high-order, high-fidelity numerical methods for efficiently simulating interactions between fluid flows and moving or deforming bodies, with methodologies spanning applications from wake vortex dynamics to bio-inspired propulsion and morphing structures. 

Researchers around the world are racing to develop new quantum-based systems for sensing, communication, computing, and control that have the promise of outperforming traditional systems. Creating stable, measurable, distinguishable quantum states, which would be the heart of any such system, is a daunting task.

Quantum states possess unique properties that can be exploited for developing novel information processing systems. Two key properties, stability and distinguishability, are hard to achieve, however. Extracting information from a quantum system depends on the distinguishability of quantum states, an intrinsic property associated with a property known as orthogonality. Nevertheless, no two Gaussian states (a widely studied class of quantum states) are orthogonal, and this yields an unavoidable error when attempting to distinguish them. 

In addition, present quantum devices tend to remain stable only for a fraction of a second, and require complex protocols to distinguish states. Now, researchers at MIT and the University of Ferrara have found a new approach for creating easily distinguishable states that could help to enable the development of these new quantum-based devices.

The new approach is described in a paper published today in the journal Physical Review A, by Moe Z. Win and Peter L. Falb at MIT with Andrea Giani and Andrea Conti at the University of Ferrara. The team found a way of translating between quantum states of light and algebraic varieties (a mathematical structure from abstract algebra), making the analysis more manageable by reducing it to solvable mathematical equations.

“Quantum systems can provide performance that is significantly better than classical counterparts,” Win says, “but this doesn’t come for free.” To develop practical devices for producing and detecting different states, “one needs to carefully engineer the quantum states in which they encode information.” 

Traditional computers typically use different voltages in a solid-state device to encode ones and zeros, while optical systems may use the presence or absence of a pulse of light. In quantum devices, the states might have to do with the spin state of a single atom, or the excitation level of a group of electrons.

Win adds that “we have been studying how to design distinguishable quantum states, which translates directly into improved performance for sensing and communication.” In the jargon of the field, they are improving the orthogonality — that is, the distinguishability — of different states.

The particular kinds of states studied in this theoretical analysis had to do with energy levels of photons, or particles of light. Giani explains that they used an operation called photon variation. This can take two forms: photon addition, in which photons are excited to a higher energy state, or photon subtraction, in which photons are annihilated (i.e., removed from the system). These operations change the quantum state from Gaussian to non-Gaussian states; it’s the non-Gaussian states that seem most useful, the team concluded. 

“The domain of non-Gaussian states is quite big,” Giani says, “but among them, we are looking into non-Gaussian states that are easier to implement with current technologies, because if we want to make the transition to the quantum world, we need to take into account realistic experimental challenges.”

Unlike some kinds of cutting-edge technologies being studied for possible quantum applications, Giani explains, “these kinds of photon-varied states have already been produced in the laboratory, and there is much interest in this kind of operation.”

These types of states are relatively new, Conti says, and so “there was a need for a theoretical characterization for these states,” The theoretical characterization this team derived, based on underlying mathematical properties, makes it possible to design states with higher levels of distinguishability. 

With this work, Win says, “we have a theory that gives us a blueprint to go design these non-Gaussian states, rather than just, ‘try this and that, and let’s hope they’re somewhat distinguishable.’ Our theory tells us exactly how to go about designing orthogonal non-Gaussian states.”

The findings result from the connection between the algebraic equations and the underlying physics, Win says, “That was the important connection between different disciplines — bringing algebraic geometry to the table.” 

“The equations to be solved for determining the orthogonality” of the quantum states “happened to be polynomial equations,” Falb says. “It just happened that there was the appropriate mathematics to solve them.”

Now that the principles have been established through this work, implementation should be relatively straightforward, the researchers say. There already are some optical setups that can be used to implement these kinds of states. 

“In principle,” Giani notes, “you can just put the parameters that you find by solving these equations directly into your physical apparatuses and produce these kinds of states. I don’t think this requires some more-advanced technology.” 

Conti adds that “as soon as this paper is published, we hope that experimentalists can try these methods.”

But that’s just the beginning, Win emphasizes. “We are getting momentum, and it’s very exciting,” he says. “The approach that we are taking here is to ask more general questions than just, ‘here’s a particular setup, how do you tune it to get a performance gain?’ Rather, we’re looking at a class of signal design problems, and then finding keys that really unlock these, so that hopefully the answer will not just be applied to only one particular setup, but something significantly broader.”

An international team of researchers has developed a novel fluorescent nanosensor powered by carbon nanotubes that is capable of rapidly detecting an emerging biomarker linked to gut health and disease. 

This important development could eventually lead to faster and more accessible gut-health testing. 

Indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) is a metabolite produced by gut bacteria during the breakdown of dietary tryptophan, an amino acid essential for protein synthesis. It plays an important role in regulating inflammation and oxidative stress, and has been associated with conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Type 2 diabetes, and liver disease. However, current detection methods rely on traditional mass spectrometry-based analytical techniques, which are costly and time-consuming, making it impractical for routine screening or point-of-care use.

The new platform addresses a longstanding gap in gut metabolite sensing. Using a fluorescence-based approach, the sensor produces a rapid optical readout within minutes, offering a significantly faster and more accessible alternative to conventional analytical techniques. It demonstrates high selectivity, distinguishing IPA from closely related metabolites commonly found in the gut, which enables accurate detection even in complex biological environments such as blood serum.

“This is the first time we are able to directly and rapidly measure IPA levels in biological samples using an optical nanosensor,” says co-first author Mervin Ang, assistant professor at the National Institute of Education (NIE) within Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, who was also associate scientific director at the Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) interdisciplinary research group within the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) when the research was initiated. “This novel approach, which moves away from traditional mass spectrometry, can pave the way towards faster and more accessible ways of monitoring gut health in real-world settings.”

This latest breakthrough is described in the research team’s open-access paper, “Fluorescent Nanosensor for Indole-3-Propionic Acid Detection in Gut Health Monitoring,” in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials. The work was led by researchers at NIE, MIT, and SMART, in collaboration with clinicians from the National University Hospital (NUH) and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine within the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine). 

From monitoring plants to sensing human health

The new nanosensor builds on SMART DiSTAP’s research into nano and optical sensor technologies. Originally developed to monitor plant health — including plant growth signals and stress responses —  the technology has now been adapted for human health applications by redesigning the nano- and optical-sensing platform to detect IPA.

“This work builds on technology at SMART DiSTAP on molecular recognition. We have used techniques like this to measure hormones and metabolites in living plants for agriculture, and have now applied it to the human gastrointestinal system. We were able to apply it to this long-standing challenge in gut health,” says Michael Strano, SMART DiSTAP lead principal investigator, the Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, and corresponding author. 

“By focusing our molecular recognition on this important gut health biomarker, we’ve demonstrated a powerful new tool that could one day enable proactive, personalized health care. The tool promises near-instant insights into gut wellness, or the status of chronic diseases like IBD.”

A dual-mode platform for rapid testing and future monitoring

A key innovation of the technology is its dual-mode sensing capability. 

The nanosensor operates in both a visible fluorescence mode, enabling rapid, low-cost, high-throughput screening of biological samples; and a near-infrared mode, with wavelengths that can penetrate deeper into tissues. The near-infrared capability, enabled by carbon nanotubes, allows the technology to be adapted for in vivo applications and integration into wearable devices that could be used for home-based testing or continuous monitoring. This could, for example, help patients with chronic conditions like IBD detect flare-ups earlier and manage their health with greater autonomy. 

This flexibility allows the platform to be utilized in various environments, from laboratory tests to hospital bedside use, and wearable devices for real-time health monitoring. 

Validated in patient samples

To evaluate its clinical relevance, the research team collaborated with NUH clinicians to test the nanosensor on 125 human plasma samples across multiple patient groups, including healthy individuals and those with gastrointestinal diseases.

The study revealed significant differences in IPA levels between healthy individuals and patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Patients with active gut inflammation showed lower IPA levels — consistent with established clinical findings.

“From a clinical perspective, having a rapid and minimally complex way to assess metabolite levels like IPA could be very valuable,” says Jonathan Lee, senior consultant in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology within the Department of Medicine at NUH; adjunct associate professor at NUS Medicine; and co-first author of the work. “It has the potential to complement existing diagnostic tools and provide additional insights into patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.”

Faster, more accessible gut health testing

Beyond the laboratory, this research could pave the way for faster and more accessible gut health testing. Instead of relying on complex and time-intensive laboratory methods, the new nanosensor could enable rapid screening in clinics, or even portable or home-based testing, helping to detect gut diseases earlier and monitor treatment progress more easily.

Unlike conventional microbiome tests that focus on identifying which bacteria are present, this nanosensor measures what those microbes are actively producing, offering a more direct and functional snapshot of gut health. Directly measuring metabolite output, rather than bacterial composition alone, could provide more meaningful insights into overall health and support more personalized approaches to health care. 

Beyond clinical diagnostics, the technology can be used to track the immediate efficacy of dietary interventions. Users can see rapidly if specific foods or probiotics are successfully fueling their gut bacteria to produce anti-inflammatory molecules like IPA. The sensor also demonstrated reliable performance in complex biological fluids such as serum and plasma, an important step toward real-world clinical deployment and further translational applications. 

For pharmaceutical and therapeutic research, the nanosensor could be used to conduct rapid functional tests to determine the efficacy of new therapeutics or probiotics. By providing an instant readout of IPA levels, the platform could enable them to demonstrate in real time that their therapeutics are biologically active and effective, significantly accelerating drug screening and dosage optimization processes.

Toward point-of-care diagnostics, and beyond

“The transition from laboratory discovery to a point-of-care clinical tool is already underway,” says Ang. “With further development, the platform has the potential to be translated into clinical applications, and in the long term, adapted into portable platforms for routine health monitoring.”

Looking ahead, the research team has been awarded an Innovation to Startup Innovation Grant to incubate a Singapore proto-startup to advance validation and development. The focus would be to translate the sensor into a point-of-care clinical diagnostic tool, and aim to expand the platform to detect multiple gut metabolites simultaneously and AI-driven signal deconvolution, enabling more accurate, comprehensive and personalized gut health monitoring. 

Future developments may also explore integration into wearable devices, microneedle systems, or microfluidic platforms for continuous, real-time sensing.

The research was supported by the Intra-CREATE Seed Collaboration Grant, and research conducted at SMART was supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) program.

A proposed FCC rule would kill burner phones: phones whose accounts are not attached to a particular person.

The FCC plans to do this by legally forcing the country’s telecoms to store a wealth of personal information about essentially all phone customers, including a government issued identification number and their physical address, alarming privacy advocates and civil rights activists who compare the measures to those from authoritarian countries where it can be difficult to buy a mobile phone plan without giving up your identity.

The proposed change would drastically shake up how people obtain phone plans in the U.S., and have all sorts of privacy and cybersecurity knock-on effects. The FCC is proposing the data collection partly as a way to combat scammers, with telecoms being required to collect other information on business and foreign customers like the intended use case of their bulk phone plan purchase and their IP address. But the changes would mean telecoms collect data on all new and renewing customers, and the FCC provides a long list of other things that the collected data could help authorities with...

Some allies of the president say the administration is sending mixed signals on EPA’s bid to dismantle greenhouse gas regulation.

Regulators questioned Xcel's push for new gas infrastructure while also paying for electrification.