Blog

When police seek access to information about people exercising their First Amendment rights, they must meet a much higher legal standard to justify that intrusion. That’s what a court ruled in a case where the UC Santa Barbara Police Department attempted to force Instagram to surrender detailed records associated with two activist Instagram accounts. Read More

The last thing any company wants is a reputation for selling out their users or putting them in harm’s way. We’ve put together a series of recommendations. Read More

Today, the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States marks the beginning of another term with policies in direct opposition to core ACLU principles and values. The ACLU of Northern California stands ready, as it has throughout its history, to protect fundamental rights under federal and state law – and the Constitution. Read More

The report, "Seeing Through Surveillance," and its accompanying materials, provide lawmakers and community members with the knowledge and tools they need to build a firewall that keeps people safe. Read More

With President-elect Donald Trump about to reassume office, the very systems that officials promised would keep us safe have become a major liability. Read More

The results of the November 2024 election – at both the federal and state level – compel us to look ahead with clear eyes and strong resolve to protect civil liberties and civil rights. We balance our sober understanding of the threats ahead with our enduring commitment to a vision of the United States and its Constitution that respects the rights of all persons.  Read More

Big Tech is copying the tobacco industry's 3-step playbook designed to suffocate democratic resistance and consolidate power. Read More

For the third time in five years, California rejected a bill that would have greenlit government use of facial recognition across the state.  Read More

Automatic license plate readers collect and store highly sensitive information that can reveal where we work, live, worship, or seek reproductive health services. Sharing any ALPR information with out-of-state or federal law enforcement agencies has been forbidden in California since 2016. Read More

Companies and legislators are using misleading test scores to justify the expansion of facial recognition into our communities. That flawed approach understates the threat this dangerous technology poses to civil rights. Read More

The change appears to place significant limits on law enforcement’s ability to use “geofence warrants” (also called “reverse location search warrants”) to find out who was in a particular place at a particular time. Google’s announcement is welcome news, and we are cautiously optimistic that this change—once it rolls out—will protect people for years to come.   Read More

Our right to speak anonymously, long protected by U.S. courts, is increasingly under attack by corporations and wealthy individuals looking to upend decades of free speech precedent. Read More