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.
Should Cops Watch Video Footage Before Writing Reports?
Jan 13, 2015
A police officer wearing a body camera shoots a civilian. Afterwards, the officer has to write up a report about the incident. Should the officer be able to view the footage captured by his body camera (or other cameras) before he writes his initial report?
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Academic Freedom and the Right to Remain Anonymous Online
Dec 10, 2014
We are the founders of PubPeer.com, an online forum for scientific discussion of research scholarship. We and many of the users of our website are anonymous. That anonymity is important for free speech, for academic freedom, and for scientific inquiry. But it’s being threatened, which is why we’re going to court to defend the First Amendment right to anonymity.
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Protecting Privacy is a Reasonable Expectation
Dec 04, 2014
Given that the government hasn't proven its commitment to respecting and protecting our privacy – Snowden, anyone? – it is more than reasonable for the public to expect police to be fully transparent when it wants to use drones.
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The System Caught on Tape: Why We Need Body Cameras Now More Than Ever
Dec 03, 2014
Today’s decision by a Staten Island grand jury not to indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo for having killed Eric Garner using a chokehold during an arrest for selling untaxed cigarettes has sparked enormous outcry and frustration. Garner’s killing was captured on video and has been viewed by millions. Does that mean that video doesn’t matter? That getting police to wear body cameras won’t help hol...
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Is the Tide Beginning to Turn on StingRays?
Nov 25, 2014
In a welcome turn of events, courts are beginning to push back on the secretive use of StingRay devices, an intrusive cell phone surveillance technology. If law enforcement wants to use new surveillance tech, it can’t hide the information.
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Communities Under Surveillance in California
Nov 21, 2014
Back in 2012, the LA County Sheriff commissioned a small Cessna plane filled with cameras and had it secretly fly over the City of Compton for nine days. The Sheriff did not tell that city’s residents – many of whom are Black and Hispanic – they were being watched, that their private lives were being recorded, or that a private company would control their data. This story of surveillance...
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What Will Uber and Lyft Do When Cops Request a Free Ride?
Nov 20, 2014
Apps like Uber and Lyft have access to a wide array of data on our smartphones, chief of which is the precise GPS location that each company uses to connect drivers and passengers.
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Secret Use of Stingrays by Government Agencies Cause for Alarm
Nov 19, 2014
People deserve a voice in making informed community choices about the use of surveillance. One of the biggest roadblocks is that there is very little public information about the state of surveillance.
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Is Your Community Making Smart Decisions about Surveillance?
Nov 13, 2014
"There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." The saying has been around for decades, but it has never been truer in an era where technology so often seems to promise something for nothing.
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Ferguson's No-Media Zone Extended to the Skies
Nov 04, 2014
It appears the Federal Aviation Administration may have fallen into the "constitutional sinkhole" that is Ferguson, Missouri. Earlier this week, the Associated Press released an alarming set of documents revealing the FAA's decision to approve a no-fly zone over Ferguson – a no-fly zone requested by local police in order to muzzle media coverage of protests in the wake of the killing of unarmed bl...
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Facebook Apologizes for Real Name Policy’s Impact, But No Real Changes Yet
Oct 01, 2014
Today the ACLU, along with a coalition of partner organizations, went to Facebook to urge it to fix its flawed “real name” policy and provide users meaningful due process.During that meeting Facebook apologized for the harm that the current policy has caused users, especially those in the LGBTQ community, and promised to improve its reporting, enforcement, and appeals processes.This is an importan...
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My Name Is... Why the ACLU is at Facebook Today
Oct 01, 2014
Today the ACLU is joining a broad coalition at Facebook’s headquarters and urging the social network to allow users to speak in their chosen voice by fixing its flawed “real name” policy.
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