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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.
Santa Clara County Passes Landmark Law to Shut Down Secret Surveillance
Jun 08, 2016
Santa Clara County has passed a landmark law to stop secret and discriminatory surveillance. The passage of this new law comes on the heels of San Jose's secret acquisition of a drone, the Santa Clara Sheriff's attempt to quietly buy an invasive cell phone tracking device, and revelations that Fresno and Bay Area police departments have been using social networking software that monitors Black Liv...
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Who's the Most Powerful Elected Official Most Voters Have Never Heard Of?
May 27, 2016
Every four years, the U.S. explodes into a frenzy with coverage and commentary about the next President of the United States. You literally have to be hiding under a rock right now not to be bombarded with Clinton, Sanders, and Trump coverage.
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The Government Is Trying to Influence Speech on Social Media – But How?
May 25, 2016
It’s pretty simple: our social media content is protected by the First Amendment. That’s why the ACLU is concerned that the federal government is pressuring social media companies to limit content on platforms that hundreds of millions of people use every day.
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Why Breastfeeding Rooms Are a Victory for California Students
May 24, 2016
Fresno High School has changed a lot since I attended back in the 90s. The new breastfeeding room communicates to parenting teens that they are worthy of our support, our care, and our respect.
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Fresno Looking for New Ways to House Discriminatory Practices
May 19, 2016
The slum housing crisis in Fresno is a crisis of poverty and racism. Yet today, the Fresno City Council will vote on an overly broad and vague "nuisance" ordinance that will only open the door to more discrimination.
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ACLU Report: Asset Forfeiture Takes Wealth from Communities of Color
May 19, 2016
Did you know that in 2014 police took more property from people in the U.S. than burglars did? Frightening, but absolutely legal. A new ACLU of California report finds that, although this tactic of policing for profit can impact all types of innocent people, folks of color and poor people bear the heaviest burden.
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Twitter Should Refuse to Sell Your Tweets to Local Law Enforcement
May 10, 2016
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Twitter is no longer going to allow US intelligence agencies to access a Twitter-affiliated business service that compiles and analyzes the hundreds of millions of daily tweets on the service.
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Our Fears Confirmed: Proposed Lethal Injection Regulations Fraught with Deep and Troubling Flaws
May 10, 2016
In 2015, the CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehab. published proposed regulations for a new execution protocol. This triggered an important public comment period in accordance with CA law. The ACLU had previously submitted a Public Records Act request, in order to shed light on the proposed regulations and enhance the public's ability to comment meaningfully on them. After withholding records for mon...
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The #Frisco5 Hunger Strikers Demand Justice for Black & Brown Lives Taken by SFPD
May 04, 2016
The #Frisco5 are putting their lives on the line to end rampant racism and abuses of power by San Francisco police. The public wants accountability.
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Victory: School Says Same-Sex Couple Can be Prom King and Queen
May 03, 2016
A prom controversy reached a happy conclusion today when the Shasta Union High School District agreed to let a 16-year-old student and her girlfriend be voted prom king and queen at the upcoming festivities this weekend.
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Transform California: Stop the Hate Now
Apr 19, 2016
From North Carolina to California and everywhere in between, transgender individuals face threats from lawmakers, bigots, pundits and others who choose to marginalize their fellow residents.
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An Apology to Alex Nieto, Idriss Stelley, and their Family and Friends
Apr 11, 2016
We owe an apology to our community, and especially to the family and friends of Alex Nieto and Idriss Stelley. In our January letter to the US Department of Justice, we mischaracterized the shooting deaths of Alex Nieto and Idriss Stelley. We included language regarding Alex Nieto that was in published reports, but was both disputed by the family, and not relevant to the police shooting. And, we d...
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