Welcome

Welcome to Bytes and Pieces, the new blog for the Technology and Civil Liberties Program.

I hope that you will be a frequent visitor to this spot to keep up to date on all the latest news and activities on privacy, free speech, and new technology and share your thoughts on current projects and emerging issues.

Hot Off the Presses:

Landmark RFID Bill Passes Legislature, On Governor's Desk Right Now

The RFID privacy bill that we have been working on for the past two years passed the California legislature with broad bipartisan support and is now sitting on the Governor's desk. The Governor is expected to make a decision about the bill this week!

The Identity Information Protection Act (SB 768) has definitely been "the little engine that could"…chugging tirelessly uphill to try to be the first legislation in the nation to provide for privacy and security protections on the use of RFID tags in identification documents, like drivers' licenses.

RFID tags are tiny computer chips that can be embedded in public documents. Whether you were walking down the street, participating in a political rally, or visiting a doctor's office or a gun show, anyone with an RFID scanner could read the personal data stored on the chip in your ID. The chips would not alert you that your personal information, such as a name, address or social security number, is being transmitted. The unknown disclosure of that information could put you at risk of tracking, stalking and identity theft.

But, if the RFID bill passes, it will put sensible locks on RFID tags to ensure that your personal information is kept safe.

The RFID bill is almost to the top of the mountain and you can help get it up the last few inches by contacting the Governor today and urging him to sign SB 768.

For more information about the Identity Information Protection Act (SB 768) and to urge the Governor to sign the bill into law, please click here.

Keeping Busy:

Lawsuit against AT&T and Verizon for disclosure of telephone call records to the NSA (click here)

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.

Spreading the real story that video surveillance cameras do not prevent or reduce crime, but just threaten privacy and free speech rights. (click here for more information)

In the News:

The RFID bill was featured on NPR's All Things Considered on Thursday, September 14,2006. To listen to the report, click here.

About Town:

NSA Surveillance Town Hall

Wednesday, September 27, 2006, 6:30 p.m.
San Francisco, CA- exact location TBD

We are having a very exciting Town Hall on NSA Spying and Surveillance with ACLU National Executive Director, Anthony Romero, John Dean, and others.