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.

Welcome

Sep 25, 2006

Welcome to Bytes and Pieces, the new blog for the Technology and Civil Liberties Program. I hope that you will be a frequent visitor to this spot to keep up to date on all the latest news and activities on privacy, free speech, and new technology and share your thoughts on current projects and emerging issues. Hot Off the Presses: Landmark RFID Bill Passes Le... Read More

"Broderick Boys" Injunction Continues to Tear Apart Neighborhood

Jun 30, 2006

In late December 2004, the District Attorney of Yolo County filed papers seeking a permanent injunction against the Broderick Boys “gang.” thereby placing hundreds of residents of a predominantly Latino neighborhood in West Sacramento on permanent probation without trial or due process. Read More

Phone Companies Gave Private Customer Data to Government Without Consent or Court Order

May 26, 2006

The ACLU has sued telecommunications giants AT&T and Verizon to stop them from continuing to provide the National Security Agency (NSA) with the personal phone records of millions of California customers. Read More

Opinion: Courageous Hero Inspires America to Become More Beautiful

May 11, 2005

I did not expect to sing "America the Beautiful" along with nearly 1,000 people at a recent memorial for Fred Korematsu, a true American hero who died March 30. Read More

Tax-Exempt Bonds? Not for Pervasively Religious Schools

Apr 07, 2005

In the Fall of 2002, three Southern California fundamentalist schools needed money to construct new facilities. The schools discriminate in hiring and admission along religious lines and infuse every class and extracurricular activity with religion. The schools sought tax-exempt bonds from the California Statewide Communities Development Authority. The government can issue tax-exe... Read More

Google: Don't Close the Book on Reader Privacy

Mar 22, 2001

What you choose to read says a lot about who you are, what you value, and what you believe. That’s why you should be able to learn about anything from politics to health without worrying that someone is looking over your shoulder. The ACLU has fought alongside libraries and bookstores time and again to defend the privacy rights of readers. Now we need your help to protect reader privacy rights in ... Read More

Court Bans San Quentin's Secret Execution Procedures

Apr 15, 1997

Upholding the First Amendment right to witness California's executions, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker ruled on February 28, 1997 that public witnesses - including the media - have a constitutionally protected right to observe executions."The Court has sent a loud and clear message that the California authorities cannot pull the curtain on executions. The public has a right to have repres... Read More