In 1992 EFF presented our very first awards recognizing key leaders and organizations advancing innovation and championing digital rights. Now in 2023 we are continuing to celebrate the accomplishments of people working toward a better future for technology users with the EFF Awards!
All are invited to attend the EFF Awards! Whether you are an activist, an EFF supporter, a student interested in cyberlaw or public interest technology, or someone who wants to eat good food and drink with other cool individuals, anyone can have a fun time at the ceremony.
The celebration will begin at 6:30 pm. PT, Thursday, September 14 at The Regency Lodge, 1290 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. Register today to attend the event! We even have discounted tickets for EFF members and students.
General Admission: $55 | Current EFF Members: $45 | Students: $35
We are honored to present the three winners of this year’s EFF Awards: Alexandra Asanova Elbakyan, Library Freedom Project, and Signal Foundation. But, before we kick off the ceremony, let’s take a closer look at each of the honorees. First up is Alexandra Asanova Elbakyan, winner of the EFF Award for Access to Scientific Knowledge:
Kazakhstani computer programmer Alexandra Asanovna Elbakyan founded Sci-Hub in 2011 to provide free and unrestricted access to all scientific knowledge. Launched as a tool for providing quick access to articles from scientific journals, Sci-Hub has grown a database of more than 88.3 million research articles and books freely accessible for anyone to read and download; much of this knowledge otherwise would be hidden behind paywalls.
Sci-Hub is used by millions of students, researchers, medical professionals, journalists, inventors, and curious people all over the world, many of whom provide feedback saying they are grateful for this access to knowledge. Some medical professionals have said Sci-Hub helps save human lives; some students have said they wouldn't be able to complete their education without Sci-Hub's help.
Through Sci-Hub, Elbakyan has strived to shatter academic publishing’s monopoly-like mechanisms in which publishers charge high prices even though authors of articles in academic journals receive no payment. She has been targeted by many lawsuits and government actions, and Sci-Hub is blocked in some countries, yet she still stands tall for the idea that restricting access to information and knowledge violates human rights.
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Special thanks to Electric Capital, No Starch Press, and Ron Reed for sponsoring the EFF Awards.
Sponsorships ensure EFF can continue hosting events like this to help build community among digital rights supporters. If you or your company are interested in sponsoring EFF events, please contact Tierney Hamilton.
