DFEY:About

From DFEY

Digital Freedom in Education and Youth (DFEY) is a group of young people from across Britain who believe in the need to protect their freedoms in this digital age, and wish to educate others about how to protect their own freedoms. DFEY understand that many communities and mailing lists set up on the Internet may be intimidating to younger members, and for this reason aim to provide a friendly environment in which younger people are not afraid to contribute their ideas.

DFEY was founded by members who believe strongly in the use of Free and Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) and as a result of this see the use of Free Software technologies as not only a good way to help protect digital freedoms, but also beneficial during any young person's technological education. DFEY therefore campaigns for the increased use of and education about FLOSS in schools across the UK.

[edit] Rationale

So you're young, good looking and available? What's a person like yourself supposed to do then? One evening you get a text off your friend asking if you fancy going out; you jump onto Facebook to see who else is going, chat with a few people on MSN then get on the phone to your friend to sort out what's happening. You decide you're going to meet your friend, order an indian from the usual take away and book a taxi. Then you go out, get into the taxi and go to the cinema. After the film you get back and jump straight on Facebook raving about how great the film was and go to bed.

The information you've just given out:

• When your friend sent you a text - the time, date, locations and telephone numbers of both you and your friend were recorded on a database; the same when you called them back.
• Details of you browsing Facebook and using MSN will have been recorded and made accessible to the Government by your internet provider and more detailed information is kept over by the websites themselves. Facebook may even claim ownership of your content.
• The indian take away and taxi firm now have more information about the journeys you take and the meals you eat; your phone company also knows you've used these services.
• If you've paid for any of it with a card then your bank knows exactly what you've been doing and where you've been doing it.
• You've just told the advertisers on Facebook what you like to do.

[edit] Participation

This is why Digital Freedom matters; it's everything you do and it's recording exactly what you're doing whilst you're doing it. Support DFEY in the education and freedom of youth society today.

• Join the mailing list and find out how you can help.
• Edit the wiki and keep it up to date with the latest threats to your digital freedom.
• Hang out in the IRC channel.
• Come to one of our meetings; or if you don't live in the North West or South East, how about setting up your own regional DFEY group?