dotRights

Maryland Passes Nation's First Social Media Privacy Protection Bill

By Melissa Coretz Goemann, ACLU of Maryland at 4:30pm

Just this week, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed into law the first bill in the nation prohibiting employers from requiring or requesting employees or job applicants to disclose their user names or passwords or any other means of accessing personal internet sites as a condition of employment.

It all started last year when Robert Collins came to the ACLU of Maryland still angry about the invasion of his privacy that he had to endure to get a job.   He had been forced to give his Facebook password to his past employer, the Maryland Department of Corrections, when he reapplied for his job after a leave of absence to deal with a the loss of a family member. While being interviewed, he was forced to turn over the password to his personal social media account and sat mortified as his interviewer logged onto his account and told him that he was looking through all his personal messages, wall postings, and family photos.   ACLU-MD took the case up and tried to resolve the issue with the Department but was not satisfied with the response. Fortunately for Maryland job seekers and employees, they will no longer have to make the difficult decision to choose between their privacy and a job. . 

Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Weekly Highlights (5/4/2012)

By Anna Salem, ACLU of Northern California at 2:25pm

Wireless Carriers Who Aid Police Are Asked for Data [New York Times – Eric Lichtblau]
“Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, the co-chairman of the Congressional Bipartisan Privacy Caucus, said in a letter sent Wednesday to eight major wireless carriers that he was ‘deeply concerned' that routine tracking of cellphone use by law enforcement officials in many departments ‘may violate the privacy rights of Americans.'”

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 (4/20/2012)

By Anna Salem, ACLU of Northern California at 5:30pm

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.

Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Weekly Highlights (4/13/2012)

By Anna Salem, ACLU of Northern California at 3:19pm

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.

Maryland Legislature to Employers: Hands Off Facebook Passwords

By Allie Bohm, Advocacy & Policy Strategist, ACLU at 4:13pm

Maryland just passed the nation's first-ever bill barring employers from asking for the social media passwords of job applicants and employees.

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.

Court Says No GPS Tracking? How About Cell Phone Tracking?

By Sarah Roberts, Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at 12:55pm

After the Supreme Court ruled the police cannot attach a GPS device to a suspect's car to track them, law enforcement is trying to use cell phone location data to get the same information.

The Results From Our Nationwide Cell Phone Tracking Records Requests

By Allie Bohm, Advocacy & Policy Strategist, ACLU at 1:38pm

The ACLU has released the results of our public records requests to hundreds of police departments asking about their cell phone tracking policies. What we have learned is disturbing.

Results of Nationwide Government Cell Phone Tracking Records Request Show Frequent Violations of Americans' Privacy Rights

By Catherine Crump, Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project at 1:17pm

The ACLU has released the results of our public records requests to hundreds of police departments asking about their cell phone tracking policies. What we have learned is disturbing.

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