Cell Phones & Smartphones

Saturday Panel in NYC: Life in the Panopticon

By Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at 4:53pm

A quick note to our New York City-area readers: the ACLU's Catherine Crump, author Ken MacLeod, Cato's Julian Sanchez and others will be appearing at Cooper Union this Saturday for a panel on "Life in the Panopticon: Thoughts on Freedom in an Era of Pervasive Surveillance.” The panel is sponsored by the ACLU and Cooper Union as part of the PEN American Center’s Festival of International Literature.

Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Weekly Highlights (4/9/2012)

By Anna Salem, ACLU of Northern California at 11:10am

In the digital age that we live in today, we are constantly exposing our personal information online. From using cell phones and GPS devices to online shopping and sending e-mail, the things we do and say online leave behind ever-growing trails of personal information. The ACLU believes that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between using new technology and keeping control of your private information. Each week, we feature some of the most interesting news related to technology and civil liberties that we’ve spotted from the previous week.

Meet the ACLU Digital Privacy Team at SXSW!

By Ateqah Khaki at 1:47pm

The ACLU's "dotRights" digital privacy team will be out in force at the 2012 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Conference to make sure privacy is on the agenda!

From social networking to cloud computing, online shopping to location services, Americans are increasingly living, working and playing online. As technology is advancing at lightning speed, it can sometimes feel like privacy law is moving at a glacial pace. The ACLU believes you shouldn't have to choose between privacy and technology. That is why we started the Demand Your dotRights campaign, and why the campaign will be at SXSW, one of the country's largest and most influential gathering of technology and new media brands and innovators.

ACLU Wins Round in Battle Against Warrantless Cell Phone Location Tracking

By Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at 7:08pm

Today 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 where the government accessed cell phone location data without a warrant.

ACLU at DEFCON 20!

By Ateqah Khaki at 5:04pm

The ACLU will be out in force at DEFCON – one of the largest annual hacker conventions in the country – later this week and weekend! 

We will have a table at the vendor area all weekend (with super awesome ACLU t-shirts for anyone who signs up to become a member!). In addition to trying our hardest not to end of up on the Wall of Sheep, here’s a rundown of what we’ll be up to in Las Vegas.

Friday Links Roundup

By Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at 3:26pm

Here are some links that have caught our eye recently:

The FBI’s “Next Generation Identification” biometrics database is starting to plan for the inclusion of iris scans. Iris scans raise more issues than some other biometrics (such as fingerprints) because they can be used at a distance without a subject’s participation, permission, or even knowledge. Hand-held iris scanners are being sold to police around the country for identification uses. We were assured in a meeting with the FBI last year that biometric scans in situations such as traffic stops would not be used to enroll individuals into the database, just to check their identity.

Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Weekly Highlights (5/18/2012)

By Anna Salem, ACLU of Northern California at 3:03pm
In the digital age that we live in today, we are constantly exposing our personal information online. From using cell phones and GPS devices to online shopping and sending e-mail, the things we do and say online leave behind ever-growing trails of personal information. The ACLU believes that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between using new technology and keeping control of your private information. Each week, we feature some of the most interesting news related to technology and civil liberties that we&r

Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Weekly Highlights (4/27/2012)

By Anna Salem, ACLU of Northern California at 4:01pm

In the digital age that we live in today, we are constantly exposing our personal information online. From using cell phones and GPS devices to online shopping and sending e-mail, the things we do and say online leave behind ever-growing trails of personal information. The ACLU believes that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between using new technology and keeping control of your private information. Each week, we feature some of the most interesting news related to technology and civil liberties that we’ve spotted from the previous week.

House Passes Controversial Cybersecurity Measure CISPA [Wired]
"The House on Thursday approved cybersecurity legislation that privacy groups have decried as a threat to civil liberties… Its goal is a more secure internet, but privacy groups fear the measure breaches Americans' privacy along the way."
     See Also Keep Domestic Cybersecurity Efforts in Civilian Hands [ACLU]
     See Also Insanity: CISPA Just Got Way Worse, And Then Passed On Rushed Vote [Techdirt]
     See Also The CISPA Amendments We Really Need [Read Write Web]
     See Also White House Threatens Veto, ACLU Says CISPA Amendments Not Enough [Reason]

Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Weekly Highlights (3/23/2012)

By Anna Salem, ACLU of Northern California at 2:10pm

In the digital age that we live in today, we are constantly exposing our personal information online. From using cell phones and GPS devices to online shopping and sending e-mail, the things we do and say online leave behind ever-growing trails of personal information. The ACLU believes that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between using new technology and keeping control of your private information. Each week, we feature some of the most interesting news related to technology and civil liberties that we’ve spotted from the previous week.

Facebook Considering New Laws And Legal Action Against Employers Asking For Users’ Passwords [Tech Crunch]
"Following up on disturbing reports that some employers are asking applicants to turn over their Facebook usernames and passwords, Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer on Policy, Erin Egan, hints that the company is looking into drafting new laws to protect users from violations of their privacy like this."

At SXSW? Come Meet the ACLU's dotRights Digital Privacy Team!

By Ateqah Khaki at 3:47pm

If you're in Austin, stop by our booth at the trade show to talk privacy and technology.

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