
Blog
We can be pretty sure that each new day will bring two things: new threats to our civil liberties, and new stories of people standing up for their rights and winning. Behind every court ruling is a person. Behind every landmark law is a movement. Read the stories and hear the voices that ground our work.
Court Requires California to Clear Its Massive DNA Database of People Never Convicted of a Crime
Mar 12, 2025
A San Francisco judge has ruled that the California Department of Justice can no longer indefinitely store the DNA of people who were never convicted of a crime.
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Singled Out for Speaking Up: How UCSC Seized My Digital Life After I Joined a Lawsuit Against Them
Mar 05, 2025
The feeling of violation continues to feel overwhelming—strangers now have access to everything, from my random casual conversations to incredibly intimate family exchanges. I thought I could get back to my studies after the challenges of last spring when I was excluded from campus after the protests. But having my phone seized right at the start of the year has really set me back.
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Steps Companies Can and Should Take to Protect People in the Current Political Climate
Jan 29, 2025
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.
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Alameda County Must Appoint a District Attorney Who Promotes Safety and Justice for All
Jan 27, 2025
Alameda County is set to choose a new district attorney to replace Pamela Price. The next top prosecutor must commit to promoting equal justice and safety for all
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Birthright Citizenship is Personal For Me
Jan 24, 2025
The ACLU is suing the Trump administration to block the president’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, the 14th Amendment guarantee that every baby born in the United States is a citizen.
Birthright citizenship was included in the Constitution to rectify the U.S. Supreme Court’s racist 1857 Dred Scott decision that denied citizenship to enslaved and free Black Americans.
Here’s the bott...
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Challenge, Resist, and Defend
Jan 17, 2025
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.
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Trump is Coming, This Time with Artificial Intelligence. Our New Report Will Help Us Meet the Moment
Jan 09, 2025
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.
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California’s Surveillance Systems Have Once Again Become a Major Liability
Jan 06, 2025
With President-elect Donald Trump about to reassume office, the very systems that officials promised would keep us safe have become a major liability.
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Forging Ahead with Clear Eyes and Strong Resolve
Dec 13, 2024
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.
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Empowering Native Students Through Advocacy and Support: A Profile of Sonny Tripp
Oct 31, 2024
Sonny Tripp is committed to transforming educational outcomes for Native students. As an Indigenous education advocate at the Northern California Indian Development Council (NCIDC), a partner organization of ACLU NorCal, Tripp plays a crucial role in mediating between families, tribes, and school staff. “My role is to see past the labels and stereotypes that hold our kids back and to recognize eac...
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Records of Sexual Abuse Unsealed at a Federal Prison
Oct 15, 2024
The ACLU Foundation of Northern California and Public Justice intervened to unseal records records related to decades of sexual abuse at a federal prison in Dublin. If the Bureau of Prisons is to be held accountable, there must be full and complete transparency as the cases against it proceed.
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Big Tech is Trying to Burn Privacy to the Ground–And They’re Using Big Tobacco’s Strategy to Do It
Oct 09, 2024
Big Tech is copying the tobacco industry's 3-step playbook designed to suffocate democratic resistance and consolidate power.
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