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ACLU of Northern CA
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FTC Joins the Online Privacy Chorus

Dec 01, 2010
Your online activities say a lot about you: what you like, where you go, and even who you know. And companies are often eager to collect this kind of detailed information about you. So we're pleased that the FTC has joined the chorus calling for companies and lawmakers to give us all greater control over our own personal information.One of the key elements of the FTC's proposal is a "do not track"... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
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Court Orders CDCR to Produce Lethal Injection Records

Nov 30, 2010
A California state court ordered the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Tuesday to produce records relating to its acquisition of sodium thiopental, a controlled substance used as part of California's lethal injection protocol for executing death row inmates. Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

ACLU Advises Holiday Travelers of Privacy Rights During TSA Screenings

Nov 23, 2010
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) is alerting travelers to their rights amid the uproar about new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening procedures. Some travelers are unaware that full-body virtual strip-search machines are already in place in several major California airports including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Oakland. In this environment,... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

ACLU Sues California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Nov 17, 2010
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) filed a suit Wednesday to demand records from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) relating to the recent acquisition of sodium thiopental, a controlled substance used as part of California's lethal injection protocol for executing death row inmates. Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
Blog

Location-Based Services: Time for a Privacy Check-In

Nov 16, 2010
Need to get directions when you are lost? Want to know if your friends are in the neighborhood? Location-based services–applications and websites that provide services based on your current location–can put this information and more in the palm of your hand. But navigating the complex web of privacy policies and settings for these services can be far more difficult. Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

New Study Finds Serious Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Alameda County Jury Pools

Nov 16, 2010
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) has released a study showing that despite the racial and ethnic diversity of Alameda County, jurors are being selected from pools with insufficient representation from communities of color. The disparities identified are striking: while African Americans represent approximately 18 percent of the eligible jury pool in the county, t... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

ACLU of Northern California Issues Privacy Considerations for Mobile Location-Based Services

Nov 16, 2010
Nearly 50 million people in the United States carry smartphones with capabilities to track and pinpoint their location. Roughly one-fifth of smartphone owners use mobile location-based services – like Google Maps, Foursquare, and Facebook Places – that generate specific information tied to the user's location. But consumers are rightfully concerned about the privacy implications: where we go and w... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Victory for Tuition Equality

Nov 15, 2010
The California Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that students who attend at least three years of high school in California and who graduate from a California high school are eligible for in-state tuition rates at California public colleges and universities, regardless of their immigration status. The Court found that federal law did not bar California from offering tuition equality to students.... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
Blog

Prop 19 Was Only The Beginning

Nov 15, 2010
California voters came out in droves to support Proposition 19 this November. More than 4.1 million people voted for Prop. 19, which would have allowed adults 21 and older to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for personal use and allow cities and counties to tax and regulate commercial sales. That's more votes than Meg Whitman or Carly Fiorina garnered. Though the measure didn't pass, th... Read More