Blog

On Dec. 1, 2014, the Department of Education released a long-awaited, much-needed guidance for elementary and secondary schools that offer or want to offer single-sex classes. Read More

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... Read More

In a recent interview, Chris Rock discusses the effect of ubiquitous cell phones on the creative process for stand-up comics. Although standup comedy is in some ways unique, the effects that he describes are still a perfect illustration of why protecting privacy is important. Read More

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. Read More

We filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of 17 students and two alumni who were brutally pepper-sprayed and arrested at UC Davis. Here's the university's new policy to protect the First Amendment. Read More

On the heels of the president’s executive action, the decision by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to end the deeply-flawed Secure Communities program is a step in the right direction. But with a new program in its place that will target “enforcement priorities,” we are cautious.This decision acknowledges that the Secure Communities program had led to widespread civil right... Read More

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... Read More

At least 10 transgender women of color have been murdered in the United States since June.Today, on the Transgender Day of Remembrance & Resilience we honor their lives and mourn their deaths. These women - Kandy Hall, Zoraida Reyes, Yaz’min Shancez, Tiff Edwards, Mia Henderson, Alejandra Leos, Aniya Parker, Ashley Sherman, and another yet to be identified person ... Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

"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. Read More

Nov. 10 is the celebration of the Marine Corps birthday. Nov. 11 is Veterans Day, and Nov. 14 was my first day of Boot Camp, the beginning of my journey as a U.S. Marine. Read More