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Video Surveillance: Stop Expansion of Video Surveillance Cameras at 16th and Mission
Do you live, work, or walk around 16th and Mission?
If you don't let the Police Commission know that you do not want public video cameras put up that will monitor your activities, while not preventing or reducing crime, you need to let them know now !
Come to the Police Commission Meeting
San Francisco City Hall, Room 400, San Francisco, California.
If you absolutely can't come, please send an email or call the Police Commission and let them know you do not want cameras, sfpd.commission@sfgov.org, 415-553-1667.
Also please send an email or call Supervisor Daly and let him know you do not want cameras, chris.daly@sfgov.org or 415-554-7970.
San Francisco Police Commission improperly approves expansion of public surveillance cameras.
On November 15, the SF Police Commission improperly voted to approve new public surveillance cameras at six locations throughout San Francisco. The City had not complied with several provisions of the Ordinance, including not providing proper notice to community members about the new cameras and not providing the Commission with evidence that the potential for deterrence outweighed community concerns about privacy and free speech.
Click here to read press release and letter to Police Commission about why video cameras should not be expanded.
Click here to read letter to Police Commission about improper vote.
NSA Call Records Lawsuit
Hearing on Remand Motion Scheduled for December 21.
The ACLUs of California filed suit against AT&T and Verizon in San Francisco Superior Court on May 26, 2006. The cases were removed to federal court by AT&T and Verizon on June 6, 2006.
The ACLUs filed remand motions to return to state court on June 30 and July 7, 2006 and we have been waiting since that time for a hearing on our motions to be scheduled.
Our motion for remand back to state court has now been set to be heard on December 21, 2006.
For more information about lawsuit against AT&T and Verizon for disclosure of telephone call records to the NSA (click here)
Free Speech and the Internet
Good news for free speech on the Internet – Section 230 immunity upheld in two cases!
Barret v. Rosenthal
California Supreme Court reverses lower court and ruled that no provider or user of an interactive computer service may be held liable for putting material on the Internet that was written by someone else. ACLU of Northern California drafted an amicus in the case and Staff Attorney, Ann Brick, helped argue the case before the California Supreme Court. Click here to read press release and decision.
Click here to learn more about the case and read previous court documents.
Craigslist litigation.
A federal judge in Chicago has dismissed the suit against Craigslist which accused the site of violating the Fair Housing Act of 1968 by not actively filtering out housing advertisements that include discriminatory language. The court held that the site was protected by the 1996 Communications Decency Act (CDA), which shields Web forums from liability for ads and opinions posted by their users.
Keeping Busy:
Bringing the privacy and free speech issues related to municipal wireless to the attention of the Silicon Valley cities and San Francisco (click here for more information).
Trying to stop the nightmare of Real ID. See www.realnightmare.org for more information.
About Town:
Just back from speaking at the American Constitution Society Club at the University of Chicago Law School.
