Archive

BART's shutdown of wireless service last month in response to a planned protest—and the ensuing public backlash—underscored just how essential wireless access has become to our daily lives. Nearly 50 million of us carry smartphones, and we do so because we want to access the full range of ideas and information available on the Internet not just at home or the office but also when we're out and abo... Read More

Reforming Criminal Justice: 12 Recommendations to Make CA's Realignment Law WorkCounty officials across the state are scrambling to get their AB 109 implementation plans drafted in the coming weeks, as the new realignment law goes into effect on October 1.What steps can counties take to enhance public safety, save money and allocate limited jail space? The ACLU of California answers these question... Read More

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding immigration enforcement audits of California workplaces by the federal government was filed today by The ACLU of California (ACLU), the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union, The Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union Local 164B, the Service Employees International Union U... Read More

Taking photographs and video of things that are plainly visible in public spaces is a constitutional right — and that includes the outside of federal buildings, as well as transportation facilities, and police and other government officials carrying out their duties. Read More

Join the math team, take a drug test. That was the rule at the Shasta Union High School District, which enacted a policy requiring students to submit to random drug testing in order to participate in any school-sponsored activities, including choir, the science bowl, and the mock trial team. Mandatory suspicionless school drug testing, an approach promoted with fervor by the Bush Administration, v... Read More

By Jay StanleyACLU National OfficeToday the ACLU won a significant victory in our battle to ensure that cell phones don't become Big Brother tracking devices. Following a four-year fight, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to comply with our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and turn over the names and docket numbers in numerous cases... Read More

The ACLU of Northern California has reached a settlement with the Shasta Union High School District in a lawsuit challenging the district's illegal policy of drug testing students who participate in a variety of school-related activities, without any suspicion of drug use. The settlement comes after two courts – the Shasta Superior Court and the California Court of Appeal – ruled that the district... Read More

The Reader Privacy Act has passed the California legislature with a strong bipartisan vote in both the Senate and Assembly and is now headed to Governor Brown's desk.The Reader Privacy Act is authored by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), co-sponsored by the ACLU of California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and supported by diverse organizations and companies, from the Consum... Read More

Today, California lawmakers took an important step towards updating reader privacy for the digital age. The California Assembly passed the Reader Privacy Act of 2011 (SB 602) with a strong bipartisan vote of 60-13. The Reader Privacy Act is authored by Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), co-sponsored by the ACLU of California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and supported by di... Read More

Civil Rights Groups Win Major VictoryWhile studying for a doctorate, San Francisco-based engineer Satinder P. Singh chose to specialize in the retrofitting of bridges. He joined a team charged with evaluating the structural soundness of the Bay Area's bridges following the Loma Prieta earthquake. Soon thereafter, Singh was hired as a Caltrans engineer. And in 1999, he founded his own structural en... Read More