#electronicfrontierfoundation

Any non-newbie Internet user - and developer - is most likely aware of the Ookla's Speedtest.net website, the free broadband speed measurement service founded in 2006 and leading the market ever since: we talked about it in this post, when they switched from Flash to HTML5 and released a Chrome extension. Few people actually know that there are other speed measurement services out there: in this article we'll talk about Comparitech's Speed Test, an interesting alternative to Speedtest.net that basically does the same job, while also raising money for charity. Have we got your attention? Keep reading to know more! DISCLAIMER: This is a honest, unbiased review which only reflects the thoughts of the author: we are not affiliate with Comparitech in any way and none of us got a penny for writing that.

About Comparitech

Comparitech ltd is a UK company born with the mission to help consumers make more savvy decisions when they subscribe to tech services such as VPNs, antivirus and security products, cloud backup, password managers and more. They are a consumer-oriented website providing information, tools and comparison to help consumers in the US, UK and further afield to research and compare tech services. If you need additional info about them, we suggest to directly visit their official website.

About The Speed Test

Comparitech's Speed Test is a free broadband internet speed measurement service that can be used from any browser. The test measures download speed, upload speed, and latency (ping) on any type of broadband: ADSL, cable, fiber, and even mobile connections like 3G and 4G LTE.

How does it work

The test works just like other speed test services: every time you use the test, you're connected to the nearest available test server to help ensure accurate results with minimal congestion. Small, temporary files called packets are uploaded from and downloaded to your device from that server to analyse the connection speed. Comparitech does not store your IP address or any identifying information, but we do use cookies and analytics to check whether a user has run a test in the past and prevent abuse. The test does not use Flash. The results of this test reflect the speed of your internet connection at time of testing, but may not give a clear indication of your overall internet speeds or bandwidth. To ensure more accurate results, turn off applications and services that consume internet bandwidth, and disconnect other devices in your home or office that might also be consuming bandwidth.

The Back-End Network

Comparitech's Speed Test runs through Amazon’s cloud servers. Tests are secure and conducted from the nearest cloud node based on users' location, fastest TTL, and country. We do not allow 3rd party network providers to act as a test host, ruling out biased or tweaked results.

Speed Testing for Charity

The distinctive feature of Comparitech's speed test service is the fact that it comes with an added value: users can earn money for charity while using it. For each user that runs the broadband speed test, Comparitech donates one cent (US$0.01) to either the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a non-profit digital rights advocacy group, or Computers 4 Africa, a non-profit organization in Aylesford, England, which funds access to computers in developing nations on said continent.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and a number of other organizations and individuals have filed a lawsuit asking for FOSTAto be declared unconstitutional, with the EFF saying the law was “written so poorly that it actually criminalizes a substantial amount of protected speech.” They’re also pursuing an injunction that would prevent FOSTA from being enforced while a court considers…

This weeks site may seem a little odd in the topic of computer security but trust me, it is applicable. The site is https://www.eff.org that’s right, the Electronic Frontier Foundation. They focus on as they say “defending civil liberties in the digital world”. In other words they are digital privacy and rights activists who sue and lobby the government to get them to behave and/or continue to make free the use of the internet for the good of all people who use it. They also try to make it a safer place.

Cool Site Sample:

This article is the main topic of the week. It talks about how the NSA which is not  a group you would label as black hat hackers or criminals has been actively spying on it’s citizens for any number of reasons:

https://www.eff.org/nsa-spying

About EFF

From the Internet to the iPod, technologies are transforming our society and empowering us as speakers, citizens, creators, and consumers. When our freedoms in the networked world come under attack, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is the first line of defense. EFF broke new ground when it was founded in 1990—well before the Internet was on most people's radar—and continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today. From the beginning, EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights.

Blending the expertise of lawyers, policy analysts, activists, and technologists, EFF achieves significant victories on behalf of consumers and the general public. EFF fights for freedom primarily in the courts, bringing and defending lawsuits even when that means taking on the US government or large corporations. By mobilizing more than 140,000 concerned citizens through our Action Center, EFF beats back bad legislation. In addition to advising policymakers, EFF educates the press and public.