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ACLU of Northern CA
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VICTORY! Court Says Plaintiffs Can Challenge Bush Wiretapping Law

Mar 22, 2011
By Rachel MyersACLU National OfficeIn a huge victory for privacy and the rule of law, a federal appeals court today reinstated our landmark lawsuit challenging the FISA Amendments Act (FAA), a statute that gives the executive branch virtually unchecked power to collect Americans' international e-mails and telephone calls.The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of a broad coalition of attorneys and hu... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
Blog

Judge Cites Privacy Concerns in Rejecting Google Books Settlement

Mar 22, 2011
What you read says a lot about what you think and believe. That's why the ACLU, EFF, and the Samuelson Clinic at UC Berkeley filed an objection [pdf] to the proposed Google Book Search settlement on behalf of authors and readers concerned about inadequate privacy safeguards in the book service. Now a federal court has rejected that proposed settlement. In today's court opinion [pdf], the judge wro... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
Blog

Senate Judiciary Hearing on Electronic Communications Privacy Act Reform

Mar 22, 2011
On April 6, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold another hearing to discuss the woefully outdated Electronic Communications Privacy Act. (Did we mention that it was written in 1986?!)In response to past Congressional Committee hearings, the ACLU submitted testimony calling on Congress to modernize ECPA in the following ways:Protect Personal Information. The government shouldn't be able to get ... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
Blog

Free Speech - Is there an App for that?

Mar 25, 2011
Free speech means that we all have the ability to express and hear a range of ideas. But does that extend to the world of apps? We say yes. Nearly 50 million of us carry smartphones that let us browse the marketplace of online apps – which is also a marketplace of ideas and expression. Companies like Apple, Google and RIM have the power and opportunity to make sure that their users have access to ... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Civil Rights Groups Call on Bay Area Police Departments to Cease Joint Operations with the FBI That Violate California Law

Mar 29, 2011
Today, Senator Dick Durbin is holding a Senate Judiciary Sub-committee hearing on the civil rights violations endured by American Muslims. This timely hearing comes on the heels of a report by the New York Times revealing that the FBI is using its intelligence gathering powers, which were expanded significantly during the Bush years, to investigate thousands of people and groups without any factua... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Civil Rights Groups Call on Bay Area Police Departments to Cease Joint Operations with the FBI That Violate California Law

Mar 29, 2011
Today, Senator Dick Durbin is holding a Senate Judiciary Sub-committee hearing on the civil rights violations endured by American Muslims. This timely hearing comes on the heels of a report by the New York Times revealing that the FBI is using its intelligence gathering powers, which were expanded significantly during the Bush years, to investigate thousands of people and groups without any factua... Read More
ACLU of Northern CA
News

Reader Privacy Act Introduced to Upgrade Book Privacy for the Digital Era

Mar 30, 2011
California Senator Leland Yee has introduced the Reader Privacy Act of 2011 (SB 602), with backing from the California Affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). The law would bring a much-needed upgrade to match Californians' reading habits. Under SB 602 the government and other third parties would need a warrant or court order for access... Read More