ACLU-NC Welcomes New Technology and Civil Liberties Fellow

Chris, who has a law degree from Harvard and a graduate degree in computer science from M.I.T., comes to us from the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. During the past year, he was a lead researcher for the OpenNet Initiative Surveillance Project which investigates, exposes and analyzes worldwide internet surveillance practices.

Chris will be on staff at the ACLU of Northern California for two years working on our dynamic new campaign to educate individuals, policymakers, and businesses about the intersection of government surveillance and internet privacy and how to develop policies that properly balance privacy, free speech, and emerging technologies.

Technologies are continually being developed that present new opportunities for consumers. However, many individuals are not able to make informed choices about whether or not to use a new service, pressure companies to develop more privacy-protective alternatives, or spur government officials to ensure that legal protections keep pace with innovations, because they do not know that they are often paying for a product not just in dollars, but also with their personal information, privacy, and free speech.  As new services increasingly monitor and record our personal information and activities, more and more private information can be accessed and used by the company, third parties, and the government in ways that we never envisioned, intended, or desired.  As new technologies develop, our civil liberties must not get left behind.

Stay tuned to the blog and website for more information about the new campaign, to learn about upcoming events, and to read posts from Chris about his work.


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