Archive

SACRAMENTO – Today, the ACLU of California and a diverse coalition of civil rights, racial justice, and digital privacy organizations sent a joint letter urging the California Senate Public Safety Committee to support AB 1215: The Body Camera Accountability Act. AB 1215, introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), prevents California law enforcement from adding this surveillance tech... Read More

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Assembly voted to pass Assembly Bill 392: The California Act to Save Lives, critical legislation that will change the use of force standard in California to a “necessary” standard to reduce the number of police shootings. If passed and signed into law, AB 392 will transform California from a state with one of the most permissive use of force laws, to a state with... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the Stop Secret Surveillance Ordinance, a historic law that brings accountability and oversight to surveillance technology and makes San Francisco the first city in the United States to prohibit government use of face surveillance systems.  The law was authored by Supervisor Aaron Peskin. In response to today’s vote, the coali... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, the San Francisco Rules Committee unanimously voted to advance the Stop Secret Surveillance ordinance, a bill that requires that there be public notice, clear use policies, and a vote by the Board of Supervisors before a city department can acquire surveillance technology. The ordinance also prevents city departments from using face surveillance technology. The ordinance ... Read More

SACRAMENTO — Today, the California Senate Public Safety Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 230 with substantial amendments, including an amendment requiring that SB 230’s passage be contingent on the passage of AB 392: The California Act to Save Lives. AB 392 was introduced by Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) to change California’s use of force standard from the “reasonable” standard... Read More

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, the state’s top law enforcement official, is refusing to follow the law that he has been sworn to uphold. It has been a week now since a court of appeal in Contra Costa County ruled that law enforcement agencies must release records prior to January 1 under California’s police transparency law. The judges found the legal challenge by police unions to be ... Read More

I’ve worked for Silicon Valley companies for more than a decade and international travel is a necessary part of my job. I’ve had my fair share of delays and missed connections, but one thing I’ve never experienced while traveling in airports is fear. That changed last December when I returned from a business trip to Europe. Going through customs is usually routine for me. I signed up for the Gl... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, a judge authorized the release of all records of San Francisco police officers involved in shootings, killings and other serious misconduct, as legally required under SB 1421.  The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) had gone to court to thwart the San Francisco Police Officer’s Association’s efforts to defy the historic transparency bill by re... Read More

At a time when violence by white supremacists is on the rise, the FBI appears to be targeting Black people in a secret intelligence program concerning so-called “Black Identity Extremists”— an inflammatory term for a group that doesn’t even exist. The bureau’s practice echoes earlier, shameful government surveillance programs that sought to discredit civil rights and Black power activists who were... Read More

NEW YORK — A historic civil rights settlement was announced with Facebook today following a variety of anti-discrimination legal actions. The settlement encompasses sweeping changes that the tech giant will make to its paid advertising platform to prevent discrimination in employment, housing, and credit advertising. Since late 2016, Facebook has faced legal pressure from the American Civil Lib... Read More