Archive

These days, it seems like almost every city is launching “smart initiatives” that promise to turn data about the city into improved public services, a vibrant business community, or a new approach to challenges like public health. But it's not smart to assume that any given “smart city” technology will actually benefit the public. These technologies can cause real harm to people. They ha... Read More

This report recommends a hierarchy of reforms based on their financial feasibility. Policy updates and improvements would require no new resources and would help to improve degraded police-community relationships. Read More

San Francisco — The ACLU of California today released a report that identifies 146 officer-involved shootings by the Fresno Police Department between 2001 and 2016 and analyzes the department’s policies and practices related to use of force, transparency, and community relations.The report reveals a disparate impact of police shootings in low-income communities of color and shows how the departmen... Read More

“Smart city” products are often touted as cost-efficient solutions to providing government services and addressing societal challenges, but in reality, these technologies are no more intelligent than the data and algorithms behind them. Like other tools, their effectiveness depends on when, where and how they are used. These technologies can cause real harm to people—they have the power to exacerb... Read More

Today the three California ACLU affiliates launched a coordinated campaign to urge five key California Republican House members to support a clean Dream Act by the end of 2017. 

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The ACLU of Northern California, Brianna Smith, a Visalia student activist, and ACT for Women and Girls based in Visalia, CA, are submitting public comments today regarding Visalia Unified School District’s proposed changes to the dress code banning “hate group” clothing being considered this evening by the School Board. ACLU Attorney Abre’ Conner, Brianna Smith, and students with ACT for Women an... Read More

  Read about our latest work to protect constitutionally protected speech on our Free Speech homepage.    San Francisco — The ACLU of Northern California today sent a letter to Taylor Swift and her attorney refuting their meritless legal defamation threats against a local blogger. On Sep. 5, PopFront editor Meghan Herning wrote a post titled “Swiftly to the alt-right: Tayl... Read More

Congress must pass a clean Dream Act before lawmakers leave town for their winter holiday recess. Due to the actions of President Trump immigrant youth are already losing protection from deportation. Congress must act now to provide them assurance they can stay in their homes and communities.

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Eight people were killed and nearly a dozen more injured yesterday when a man drove into the bike lane of a street in Lower Manhattan. Instead of expressing unity and resilience, Trump took to Twitter to further his nativist agenda, calling for entire Muslim and immigrant communities to be punished and for some of the worst national security policies of recent years to be revived. 

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The Pretrial Justice Institute today released a national report on the state of pretrial justice in America and gave California’s current money bail system a letter grade of “D.” Read More