Nov 16, 2010
Need to get directions when you are lost? Want to know if your friends are in the neighborhood? Location-based services–applications and websites that provide services based on your current location–can put this information and more in the palm of your hand. But navigating the complex web of privacy policies and settings for these services can be far more difficult.
For Immediate Release: Nov 16, 2010
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) has released a study showing that despite the racial and ethnic diversity of Alameda County, jurors are being selected from pools with insufficient representation from communities of color. The disparities identified are striking: while African Americans represent approximately 18 percent of the eligible jury pool in the county, they comprised only 8% of the people who appeared for jury duty in 11 recent felony trials examined in the study.
For Immediate Release: Nov 16, 2010
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
Nearly 50 million people in the United States carry smartphones with capabilities to track and pinpoint their location. Roughly one-fifth of smartphone owners use mobile location-based services – like Google Maps, Foursquare, and Facebook Places – that generate specific information tied to the user's location. But consumers are rightfully concerned about the privacy implications: where we go and what we do says a great deal about who we are. The more that location information is available, the more potential there is for misuse or abuse.
For Immediate Release: Nov 15, 2010
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
The California Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that students who attend at least three years of high school in California and who graduate from a California high school are eligible for in-state tuition rates at California public colleges and universities, regardless of their immigration status. The Court found that federal law did not bar California from offering tuition equality to students. California is one of ten states to grant tuition equality to its students.
Nov 15, 2010

California voters came out in droves to support Proposition 19 this November. More than 4.1 million people voted for Prop. 19, which would have allowed adults 21 and older to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for personal use and allow cities and counties to tax and regulate commercial sales. That's more votes than Meg Whitman or Carly Fiorina garnered.

Nov 03, 2010

Facebook and other online services evolve at a breathtaking pace. But these new tools and technologies can make it harder than ever to control our own information. We need to understand how our personal information is collected, used, and shared, and we need real control over that information—especially when it might be shared with many different parties.

Oct 26, 2010

Seattle – A federal judge ruled late Monday that government requests for detailed information about Amazon.com customers violate Internet users' rights to free speech, anonymity and privacy. The ruling came in a lawsuit originally brought by Amazon to stop the North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) from collecting personally identifiable information about customers that could be linked to their specific purchases on Amazon.

Oct 26, 2010

Your Rights, Your School was the ACLU in California's video contribution to the Make it Better Project, which was launched in response to tragic suicides by LGBTQ youth in recent weeks. Youth have the right to a safe and supportive school environment. No one should suffer through bullying and harassment. Don't just wait for it to get better - let's make it better together!

Watch the video

For Immediate Release: Oct 25, 2010
Media Contact: press@aclunc.org, (415) 621-2493
ACLU of Northern CA
The ACLU of California sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), on Oct. 25, arguing that there would be no legal basis for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to sue to overturn Proposition 19 should it be approved next month by California voters, and urging the Justice Department not to change its current law enforcement focus on major criminal activity in favor of new enforcement activities against California marijuana users.
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