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Unlike other cities, implementation of municipal wireless in San Francisco began in a very promising manner when the city stated in its request for proposals that they were interested in a network that protects the privacy of its users and respects the choices made by consumers. The city also required vendors who submitted proposals to answer specific questions in regards to how they would protect... Read More

In April 2006, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a non-profit business government coalition in San Jose, California, released a request for proposals for it's new initiative, Wireless Silicon Valley, an ambitious project to create a region-wide wireless system to "anyone, anywhere, involving any device." Nothing in the extensive vision and planning documents discussed privacy and free spe... Read More

by Christopher CalabreseACLU NationwideSecretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said today that Real ID was "DOA". That's "Dead On Arrival" for the tiny percentage of you out there who don't watch a lot of cop shows on TV. What she meant was that states are not implementing Real ID. She repeatedly referenced the fact that 13 states have opted out of Real ID altogether, passing statutes that... Read More

SB 682 (2005) would have prohibited any person or entity from intentionally reading a person's government-issued identification document (ID) remotely using radio waves without the knowledge of that person. It includes strong criminal penalties for anybody who violates this statute. SB 682 would have required a governmental entity that issues IDs that can be read remotely using radio waves to pro... Read More

RFID devices are tiny chips with miniature antennae that are embedded within documents or objects for tracking and identification purposes. When a RFID reader emits a radio signal, all RFID-enabled devices in the vicinity respond by automatically transmitting their stored information to the reader. RFID has some useful applications but when embedded in ID documents, it can pose serious privacy an... Read More

Although the technology has been around since World War II, state and local governments have recently begun incorporating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices into identification documents such as student IDs and passports. Citizens are compelled to carry these RFID-enabled devices, which broadcast personal information and often lack meaningful privacy and security protections. As a resul... Read More

Although the technology has been around since World War II, state and local governments have recently begun incorporating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices into identification documents like driver's licenses and passports. Citizens are compelled to carry these RFID-enabled devices, which broadcast their personal information and often lack meaningful privacy and security protections. A... Read More

SB 31, Simitian. Identification documents.This bill would provide that a person or entity that intentionally remotely reads or attempts to remotely read a person's identification document using radio frequency identification (RFID) without his or her knowledge and prior consent, as described, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year, a fine of not more than $1,500, or ... Read More

Ever whiled away five minutes on a Facebook quiz, finding out what cartoon character is your look-alike or how your IQ stacks up? These quizzes may seem like a perfectly harmless way to spend a few spare minutes. But have you stopped to think about what these quizzes are learning about you and how that info could be used? Take our quiz and learn more!QUESTION 1: When you take a Facebook quiz, the ... Read More

After your support drove the California Legislature to send a letter rejecting the Department of Motor Vehicle's proposal to begin embedding biometric information—face and fingerprint scans—into drivers' licenses, a senate subcommittee voted yesterday to delete the facial scan proposal from the DMV's contract with drivers' license providers.Senators Simitian and Lowell, who voted to delete the pro... Read More

A big thumbs up to the San José City Council for standing up for free speech and against censorship on Tuesday night and voting against the installation of internet blocking software on library computers.After 18 months of hard work by the ACLU, coalition partners, and concerned individuals like you who contacted Council members to support open access, free speech prevailed in San José. The City C... Read More

On Tuesday, April 21, at 7pm, the San José City Council will consider a proposal that would limit public access to important information by imposing filtering on the Internet terminals in public libraries. If you live or work in San José, please attend this meeting and join us in opposing this proposal.The Council meeting agenda includes a proposal by Councilmember Constant that would require the ... Read More