February 11th: The Day We Fight Back Against NSA SurveillanceRainey Reitman In January 2012, the Internet rose up to protest and defeat SOPA, legislation that sought to censor the Internet in the name of copyright enforcement. And in January of last year, we lost a dear friend and fierce digital rights advocate, Aaron Swartz. We vowed to defend the rights of Internet users everywhere in his memory. Now we have a new challenge: ending mass surveillance by the NSA. The Snowden revelations have provided us with disturbing details and confirmation of some of our worst fears about NSA spying. The NSA is undermining basic encryption standards, the very backbone of the Internet. It has collected the phone records of hundreds of millions of people not suspected of any crime. It has swept up the electronic communications of millions of people indiscriminately, exploiting the digital technologies we use to connect and inform. Today, on the eve of the anniversary of Aarons death, we ask you to join us in stepping up to the plate once again. Bring your creativity, your networks, your art, and your dedication and join us in a month of action, culminating in an Internet-wide protest on February 11. Join us. Fight back. 