For Immediate Release: Apr 05, 2011
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
Gov. Brown signed a bill on April 4 that would keep individuals convicted of low-level felony offenses at the county level, either on probation or in jail, for terms of 16 months, two years or three years. The ACLU of Northern California, Drug Policy Alliance and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights criticized the plan for shifting the state's corrections overcrowding and overspending problems to counties, for failing to fund demonstrated crime prevention services, including drug treatment and mental health care, and for failing to include much-needed sentencing reforms.
For Immediate Release: Mar 30, 2011
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
California Senator Leland Yee has introduced the Reader Privacy Act of 2011 (SB 602), with backing from the California Affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). The law would bring a much-needed upgrade to match Californians' reading habits. Under SB 602 the government and other third parties would need a warrant or court order for access to sensitive reading records. This would establish protections for book records – both e-books and in physical bookstores – in line with long-established protections for library records and other expressive material. The bill mirrors the privacy and free speech safeguards in the California constitution and other areas of California law.
For Immediate Release: Mar 29, 2011
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
Today, Senator Dick Durbin is holding a Senate Judiciary Sub-committee hearing on the civil rights violations endured by American Muslims. This timely hearing comes on the heels of a report by the New York Times revealing that the FBI is using its intelligence gathering powers, which were expanded significantly during the Bush years, to investigate thousands of people and groups without any factual evidence that they have done anything wrong. The FBI admits to compiling 70,000 files on Americans without any suspicion of criminal wrongdoing. Alarmingly, this number is growing by over 11,000 files every four months.
For Immediate Release: Mar 29, 2011
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
Today, Senator Dick Durbin is holding a Senate Judiciary Sub-committee hearing on the civil rights violations endured by American Muslims. This timely hearing comes on the heels of a report by the New York Times revealing that the FBI is using its intelligence gathering powers, which were expanded significantly during the Bush years, to investigate thousands of people and groups without any factual evidence that they have done anything wrong. The FBI admits to compiling 70,000 files on Americans without any suspicion of criminal wrongdoing. Alarmingly, this number is growing by over 11,000 files every four months.
Mar 25, 2011

Free speech means that we all have the ability to express and hear a range of ideas. But does that extend to the world of apps? We say yes. Nearly 50 million of us carry smartphones that let us browse the marketplace of online apps – which is also a marketplace of ideas and expression. Companies like Apple, Google and RIM have the power and opportunity to make sure that their users have access to a free flow of ideas in app stores.

For Immediate Release: Mar 25, 2011
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
The ACLU today appealed a ruling that the government can collect the private records of three Twitter users as part of its investigation related to WikiLeaks. The ruling further held that the users cannot learn which other Internet companies were ordered to turn over information about them to the government.
For Immediate Release: Mar 24, 2011
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
A U.S. District Court Judge ruled yesterday that the California Department of Transportation's equal opportunity program for contracting businesses can continue its mission to ensure that minority and women-owned businesses have equal ground to compete for federal stimulus funds and other federal contracts.
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