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.
Get a Warrant! Senate Committee Approves E-Privacy Bill
Mar 24, 2015
Today the California Senate’s Committee on Public Safety approved the CA Electronic Privacy Act. CalECPA would require police to get a warrant before searching devices or digital data.
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FBI Ordered to Disclose its Surveillance Tactics on Communities
Mar 23, 2015
Today, a federal judge issued an important ruling for government transparency and accountability. Now the FBI must disclose details about its surveillance of Muslim communities under the Freedom of Information Act according to the ruling.
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Cops' Racist and Homophobic Texts: The Tip of the Iceberg
Mar 16, 2015
Recent news of racist and homophobic text messages exchanged by four SFPD officers is troubling, but what's worse is that we don't have a clear picture of how these prejudices actually play out on our streets.
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ACLU Lawyer Julia Harumi Mass Named an Attorney of the Year
Mar 16, 2015
We are very pleased to announce that California Lawyer magazine has honored our own Julia Harumi Mass with a 2015 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) award!
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Born and Raised in LA, Detained for Not Looking 'American'
Mar 12, 2015
I was born and raised in LA, but sheriffs detained me because they didn’t believe I was an American. I've sued the LA Sheriff’s Department for detaining and harassing me for more than 14 hours after they should have released me.
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Rescinding of Resolution a Victory for Religious Freedom in Calaveras County
Mar 10, 2015
Today the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to repeal a resolution that promoted one particular religious belief over all others. The vote is a victory for the religious freedom of all Calaveras County residents.
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Police Shouldn't Engage in Indiscriminate Secret Cell Phone Surveillance
Mar 10, 2015
The ACLU filed lawsuits against two CA law enforcement agencies. The people deserve to know if these agencies are using StingRays without appropriate judicial authorization.
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Privacy is a Human Right
Mar 06, 2015
The U.N. Human Rights Council could take a big step this month toward protecting privacy rights around the world. At its current session, the HRC plans to vote on whether to appoint an independent expert on the right to privacy, called a Special Rapporteur.
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"See You On the Road" - AB 60 and API Communities
Mar 04, 2015
With a smile, Sonny Villar said, “Magkikita tayo sa daan,” as he wrapped up his testimony at an Asian Pacific Islander (API) media briefing on AB 60 driver’s licenses last Monday at the Asian Resource Center. California’s AB 60, also known as the Safe and Responsible Driver Act, went into effect January 2015 and allows all eligible California residents to apply for a driver’s license, regardless o...
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DOJ Report Confirms Racism of Ferguson PD
Mar 04, 2015
If you’re black in Ferguson, you have a greater chance of being stopped, searched, arrested, cited, and abused by police.
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Feds Refuse to Release Documents on 'Zero-Day' Security Exploits
Mar 03, 2015
Federal agencies served with a Freedom of Information Act request are refusing to release documents related to their purchase, use and disclosure of zero-day exploits, keeping the American public in the dark about a practice that leaves the Internet and its users less secure.Zero-day exploits are special software programs that take advantage of security vulnerabilities in software that are un...
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From Edie to Jim - Same-Sex Love at the Supreme Court
Feb 27, 2015
“You did it, honey.”That is what Edie Windsor imagined her late spouse, Thea Spyer, would have said after their love story brought down the core of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in United States v. Windsor. Edie and Thea did do it. They brought down DOMA and – along with hundreds of thousands of other same-sex couples and their families– they transformed our nation’s understanding of sa...
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