open to all two women

Blog

We can be pretty sure that each new day will bring two things: new threats to our civil liberties, and new stories of people standing up for their rights and winning. Behind every court ruling is a person. Behind every landmark law is a movement. Read the stories and hear the voices that ground our work.

Casting a ballot in California
Blog

Don’t Be Fooled by Proposition 1’s False Promises

Feb 16, 2024
Instead of replenishing our system of care, state legislators are asking voters in the March primary to consider Proposition 1, a zero-sum initiative that pits California’s housing and voluntary community-based mental health needs against one another while taking us back to a dark era of forced treatment and institutionalization.  Read More
Screenshot of SFPD geofence
Blog

Cops Blanketed San Francisco In Geofence Warrants. Google Was Right to Protect People's Privacy

Jan 07, 2024
The change appears to place significant limits on law enforcement’s ability to use “geofence warrants” (also called “reverse location search warrants”) to find out who was in a particular place at a particular time. Google’s announcement is welcome news, and we are cautiously optimistic that this change—once it rolls out—will protect people for years to come.   Read More
ACLU logo
Blog

The ACLU, the NRA, and the First Amendment

Dec 19, 2023
On December 9, the ACLU’s national office announced it will represent the National Rifle Association (NRA) in a case before the United States Supreme Court, NRA v Vullo. The case raises important First Amendment concerns about government overreach in targeting certain organizations for their disfavored viewpoints. This decision has led to dissent from the New York Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU a... Read More
Logo for the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Blog

Human Rights and the US Constitution

Dec 11, 2023
The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an opportunity to redouble our commitment to its principles worldwide. For those individuals and organizations whose focus is human rights within the United States, we are called to do two things. First, rather than cede the US Constitution to powerful forces who would use it to turn back the clock, we must embrace a visio... Read More
Sheriff's vehicle
Blog

Why Every County Needs Civilian Oversight of its Local Sheriff's Department

Nov 28, 2023
A State law that took effect in 2021 gave counties the authority to establish civilian oversight boards to assist supervisors in overseeing sheriffs’ offices. However, the law does not require counties to create civilian boards. That’s why the ACLU of Northern California is helping to educate community members about the fact that this law exists. And we are supporting individual counties that wish... Read More
colorful dried corncobs
Blog

Cultivating Authentic and Respectful Thanksgiving Traditions

Nov 22, 2023
Every year on Thanksgiving Day, people across the country gather with loved ones to share a special meal. This breaking-of-bread-style holiday is a well-known ritual, but for many of us, continuing to participate in Thanksgiving with integrity means breaking with traditions that rely on fictionalized accounts of history. Read More
Illustrated image of a white police officer using face surveillance on a Black family. It
Blog

Progress in the Fight Against Face Surveillance

Aug 08, 2023
For years, ACLU of Northern California has built momentum to ban the use of face surveillance by law enforcement. That’s why we put all our muscle behind a campaign to defeat AB 642, a bill that would have normalized real-time, mass surveillance. Read More