American Civil Liberties Union

ACLU Skeptical of Senate Report on “Homegrown” Terrorism

2008-05-08T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – After Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced a report on Islamic homegrown terrorism today, the American Civil Liberties Union strongly urged Congress to use caution when moving forward on related legislation, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 (S. 1959). The report, "Violent Islamist Extremism, the Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorism Threat," is based on findings from hearings held by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The ACLU and nearly twenty other groups sent a memo to the committee outlining concerns with the report, most notably the free speech implications of labeling the internet as a "weapon" and the unfair singling out of one religious group as possible "extremists."

ACLU Commends Net Neutrality Hearing

2008-05-06T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union commends Chairman Edward Markey (D-MA) of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet for holding a hearing today on the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008 (H.R. 5353), legislation designed to keep the Internet free for open discourse.

Senate Poised To Tighten Broadcast Ownership Rules

2008-04-24T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Today, the Senate Commerce Committee is expected to approve a bipartisan resolution, sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), which would restore a media ownership rule recently rescinded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The old rule generally restricted a company from owning both a newspaper and a television station in the same city, unless the FCC granted a waiver.

ACLU: Keep the Internet Open and Innovative

2008-04-17T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC –The ACLU submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today calling for open access to the internet. Its activists plan to participate in today’s FCC public hearing on Internet freedom and net neutrality in Palo Alto.

ACLU Encouraged By Bipartisan Support of Shield Bill

2008-04-15T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - After reports that the three major presidential candidates expressed support for The Free Flow of Information Act, the American Civil Liberties Union asked the Senate leadership to use that momentum to bring H.R. 2102, the House-passed version of the bill, to the floor for a vote. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL) all signaled their support for a federal shield bill yesterday, with Senator McCain announcing his backing in a speech and Senators Clinton and Obama adding their names as co-sponsors of the Senate version of the bill.

ACLU Encouraged By Bipartisan Support of Shield Bill

2008-04-15T12:00:00-05:00

Berryville Revises Demonstration Ordinance Under Pressure from ACLU and VOP

2008-04-15T12:00:00-05:00

Berryville, VA – Less than a month after the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and the Virginia Organizing Project threatened to file a lawsuit, the Town Council of Berryville has repealed its old demonstration and parade ordinance and passed a new one.

ACLU Introduces First Amendment Argument In Key Patent Law Case

2008-04-04T12:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON - Introducing a rare argument applying the First Amendment to patent law, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend of the court brief today urging a federal court to uphold the denial of a patent that would, if awarded, violate freedom of speech. In the brief, the ACLU argues that Bernard L. Bilski is seeking a patent for an abstract idea, and that abstract ideas are not patentable under the First Amendment.

ACLU Slams Administration Attempts to Curb First Amendment

2008-04-04T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today reiterated the need for a strong federal shield law for journalists in light of letters sent to the Senate by Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, outlining administration concerns about the “The Free Flow of Information Act.” This legislation, introduced by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), is designed to protect journalists from being forced to reveal confidential sources. It was marked up earlier this year by the Senate Judiciary Committee but has not been voted on by the full Senate. The House passed its version of the bill in 2007 by a wide bipartisan supermajority.

ACLU Wants Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule Reversed

2008-04-02T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC -- In a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Vice Chairman Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), the American Civil Liberties Union urged support of a resolution (S. J. Res 28) disapproving of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on broadcast media cross-ownership.

Coalition Files Suit Against City for Violations of Free Speech Rights Ahead of RNC March

2008-03-24T12:00:00-05:00

St. Paul, MN – Cooperating attorneys for the ACLU of Minnesota and the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild filed a complaint today in the United States District Court, against the City of St. Paul on behalf of the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. The complaint challenges the City’s violation of the Coalition’s rights to free speech and due process of law, in connection with the Coalition’s plans to demonstrate at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul on September 1, 2008. The complaint seeks to require the City of St. Paul to grant the Coalition’s request for a demonstration permit in sufficient detail, and to require the City to amend its permit procedure to provide basic due process to permit applicants.

ACLU Seeks Repeal of Botetourt County Ordinance Placing Time Limits on Campaign Signs

2008-03-20T12:00:00-05:00

Botetourt County, VA -- The ACLU of Virginia today urged Botetourt County government officials to immediately suspend -- then repeal -- an ordinance that prohibits residents from having campaign signs in their yards more than 60 days in advance of an election or more than 15 days afterwards. The ACLU is prepared to go to court to have the ordinance declared unconstitutional.

Department of Transportation Completes Investigation of JetBlue

2008-03-19T12:00:00-05:00

ACLU Urges High Court to Uphold Free Speech Ruling

2008-03-17T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC - The Court announced this morning that it will hear an appeal of a lower court ruling in FCC v. Fox Television Stations, et al. that found the FCC failed to provide adequate justification for its regulations governing the broadcast of "fleeting expletives." The Department of Justice is appealing that decision on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Congress Must Act to Keep the Internet Free from Censorship

2008-03-11T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – Testifying today before the House Judiciary Committee hearing on net neutrality, the director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office, Caroline Fredrickson, urged Congress to act to safeguard free speech on the Internet. “Congress should act to protect the rights of all Internet users to send and receive lawful content free of censorship from government or business,” Fredrickson said. “Restoring meaningful rules that protect Internet users from corporate censorship is vital to the future of free speech on the Internet.”

Fired Art Teacher Wins $65,000 Settlement from Chesterfield County School Board

2008-03-07T12:00:00-05:00

Chesterfield County, VA — The ACLU of Virginia today announced that it has reached an agreement with the Chesterfield County School Board in the case of former Monacan High School art teacher Stephen Murmer. Murmer was fired in January 2007 for creating paintings rendered by transferring paint from his body onto canvasses. The paintings were produced at Murmer’s own expense and during his private time away from work.

Coalition Appeals City’s Incomplete “Conditional Alternative Permit” For RNC March

2008-03-06T12:00:00-05:00

St. Paul, MN – Cooperating attorneys for the ACLU of Minnesota and the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild today filed an appeal to the St. Paul City Council on behalf of the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, challenging the conditions imposed by the City of St. Paul on the “Conditional Alternative Permit” that was granted to the Coalition earlier this week. The appeal challenges the failure of the City to grant the Coalition the permit that was requested due to the imposition of conditions on the permit which are not authorized by city ordinance. “The permit that we received is substantially different from the one that was requested, so we are asking the City Council to protect our constitutional rights,” said Coalition member Marie Braun. The “Conditional Alternative Permit” issued to the Coalition completely omitted any reference to important details such as a march route within sight and sound of the convention. “Tens of thousands of people will be coming from the Midwest and around the country to protest the illegal and immoral war against Iraq. We need these important details as soon as possible so we can work out the logistics of moving 50,000 people through the streets of St. Paul in a safe manner,” Braun added.

ACLU announces settlement of 4-year-old lawsuit over Colorado

2008-03-05T12:00:00-05:00

The ACLU of Colorado announced today a settlement of a four-year-old legal battle over state regulations that apply to rallies, demonstrations, and other First Amendment activity on the West steps of the Capitol Building and nearby locations administered by the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration (DPA).

ACLU Asks Judge To Review Lawsuit Challenging FBI Brutality

2008-03-05T12:00:00-05:00

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - The American Civil Liberties Union today will ask a federal appeals court to allow a case brought by journalists who were kicked, punched and pepper sprayed by FBI agents to move forward. The ACLU will ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to reverse an earlier decision by the district court that sided with the FBI agents and ignored important constitutional issues raised by the journalists.

ACLU of Arkansas Applauds Decision by Arkansas Technical University President to Lift Ban on Showing Sondheim-Weidman Musical, “Assassins”

2008-02-29T12:00:00-05:00

Little Rock, Arkansas – Today the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas applauded the decision by Arkansas Technical University President Robert Brown to lift the ban he had imposed on the Theater Department showing the Sondheim-Weidman musical, “Assassins.” Dr. Brown first announced he would permit only one closed performance of the musical for family members of the cast. He later postponed the play indefinitely, “out of respect for the families of victims” of shootings at other campuses, because of the play’s “portrayal of graphically violent scenes.” The University later indicated that concerns about security issues that might be raised by the sounds of gunfire in the production prompted the postponement.

ACLU And EFF File To Intervene In Internet Free Speech Lawsuit

2008-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

SAN FRANCISCO - The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) last night filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit that led a federal district judge to order the domain name Wikileaks.org shut down. The motion is on behalf of organizations and individuals that have accessed and used documents on the Wikileaks.org website in their work and want to continue to be able to do so.

MAINE ACTIVISTS RENEW CALL FOR NET NEUTRALITY

2008-02-25T12:00:00-05:00

PORTLAND –Mainers who are actively working to ensure that the Internet is available to all users without discrimination travel to Boston today for a Federal Communications Commission hearing on the issue of network neutrality, the principle of non-discrimination on the Internet. The FCC hearing will address Comcast’s practice of blocking peer-to-peer traffic on its network, and the FCC has requested comment on Verizon Communications’ recent blocking of text messaging.

NYCLU and Journalist Sue to End Secrecy Surrounding NYPD Press Passes

2008-02-20T12:00:00-05:00

The New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a lawsuit in state court challenging the NYPD’s refusal to disclose information about its policy for issuing press passes to journalists covering the cops.

Free Market Foundation, ACLU, Texas Eagle Forum PAC

2008-02-13T12:00:00-05:00

AUSTIN, Texas – A broad-based coalition of plaintiffs today filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Austin that challenges a state law blocking individuals and organizations in Texas from engaging in true public debate over the election of the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

ACLU Urges William & Mary to Allow Controversial Show to Go On

2008-02-04T12:00:00-05:00

Richmond, VA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today faxed a letter to William & Mary President Gene Nichol urging him to allow a performance of the Sex Workers’ Art Show to take place tonight as scheduled. The letter also informs him that a special contract the college is requiring sponsoring students and performers to sign is unconstitutional.

ACLU Files Court Brief In Support Of Attorney General's Right To Speak Out in Lead Paint Case

2008-02-01T12:00:00-05:00

PROVIDENCE, RI - Supporting the public’s right to know, the Rhode Island ACLU has today filed a brief urging the R.I. Supreme Court to reverse the imposition of $15,000 in fines against Attorney General Patrick Lynch for public comments he made during the “lead paint public nuisance” case. The brief argues that the fines violated not only Lynch’s First Amendment right to free speech, but also the public’s right to hear the “views of attorneys concerning pending litigation in which the attorneys are involved.”

ACLU Says NY Times Reporter Subpoena Is Assault On Free Press

2008-02-01T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – After reports that a federal grand jury issued a subpoena to New York Times reporter James Risen last week in an attempt to force disclosure of a confidential source, the American Civil Liberties Union today strongly objected to the subpoena, saying that basic First Amendment principles are at stake when reporters are called into the courtroom against their will. According to reports, a chapter in Mr. Risen’s book on the Central Intelligence Agency, "State of War," piqued the interest of the Justice Department and consequently he has been ordered to appear before the grand jury next week.

ACLU Calls FCC Fine Paternalism at its Worst

2008-01-28T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today criticized a Federal Communications Commission proposal of a $1.4 million fine against 52 ABC network affiliates that aired a 2003 episode of NYPD Blue during which a woman’s nude buttocks can be seen. The ACLU responded that the fine represents another egregious example of the government trying to decide what grown adults can and cannot watch.

ACLU Statement In Support Of Senator Larry Craig’s Efforts To Withdraw His Guilty Plea

2008-01-16T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union supports Senator Larry Craig’s attempt to have his guilty plea withdrawn because the Minnesota law under which he was arrested is unconstitutionally broad. The statute punishes “offensive, obscene or abusive language” which tends to arouse “alarm, anger or resentment” in others. Clearly, this law has the potential to ensnare and criminalize legal, constitutionally protected free speech, including solicitation for private sex.

ACLU Sues Law Enforcement for Shielding President Bush From Protestors

2008-01-15T12:00:00-05:00

ALBUQUERQUE - The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of New Mexico filed a lawsuit in federal court today on behalf of several New Mexico residents and advocacy organizations who were made to stand more than 150 yards away from the site of a fundraiser being attended by the president as they peacefully protested the views of the administration, while a group of people expressing support for President Bush were allowed to stand only a few feet from the fundraiser site.

ACLU of North Carolina Asks North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission to Investigate Judge’s Decision to Close Courtroom in Blackwater Protesters’ Trial on Trespass Charges

2008-01-09T12:00:00-05:00

RALEIGH – The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina Legal Foundation (ACLU-NCLF) filed a complaint today with the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission, asking the Commission to investigate a Currituck County district judge’s decision to clear the courtroom on December 5, 2007, during a criminal trial. The decision, made by Judge Edgar Barnes, came during the criminal trespass trial of seven individuals arrested in October 2007 after protesting on Blackwater USA’s property in Moyock. Based upon reports that the ACLU-NCLF received from several individuals who were present in the courtroom that day, including some of the defendants, several reporters and a concerned citizen, it appears that Judge Edgar Barnes held a significant portion of the trial behind closed doors, ordering sheriff’s deputies to clear the courtroom. Everyone, except the defendants, prosecutors, sheriff’s witnesses and a Blackwater official, was immediately barred from the trial. Reportedly, Judge Barnes did not give a reason for clearing the courtroom. Further, by all reports, there was no disruption on the part of the public attending the trial. Judge Barnes then proceeded to try the cases, finding all seven defendants guilty of trespassing.

Massachusetts Education Department Drops Appeal of Adverse First Amendment Ruling

2007-12-19T12:00:00-05:00

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE) has agreed to drop its appeal of a lower state court’s ruling that DOE officials violated the First Amendment when they coerced education conference organizers into cancelling the keynote speech of Alfie Kohn, a well-known critic of high stakes exams like the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) testing program. In dropping the appeal, the DOE issued a statement acknowledging that a former DOE official “violated the First Amendment rights of Alfie Kohn to be heard and to communicate information and of people to hear and receive information, at a conference in western Massachusetts in 2001.” The DOE said, “The DOE’s position is that vigorous debate about education issues is healthy and welcome.”

Information Even More Free with Passage of Bill to Strengthen FOIA

2007-12-18T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The ACLU applauds Congress for passing a bill to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the law that allows Americans to find out what their government is up to. The Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National (OPEN) Government Act will impose strict, meaningful deadlines on FOIA requests and punish federal agencies if they miss the 20-day deadline the law demands. The bill also ensures requesters will have timely information on the status of their requests, creates real oversight with a FOIA ombudsman and clarifies that government records held by private contractors can be obtained through FOIA.

New Plaintiffs Join ACLU Illegal Arrests Lawsuit, Call on City Police to Finally End Unconstitutional Practices

2007-12-18T12:00:00-05:00

BALTIMORE Charging that Baltimore City police continue to arrest thousands of people without just cause each year, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland today added new plaintiffs to its lawsuit against the Baltimore City Police Department amending the case to challenge wrongful arrests that took place since the filing of the lawsuit in 2006. The legal filing includes an original plaintiff in the lawsuit who was wrongfully arrested for a second time, a young man who was illegally arrested twice in the same summer, and four plaintiffs who were wrongfully arrested while engaged in protected First Amendment activity.

School District Affirms Student Speech Rights After 10th Grader Punished for ‘gay? fine by me’ T-Shirt

2007-12-07T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK -- The Spencer-Van Etten School District has met a demand from the New York Civil Liberties Union that it send a message directly to its student body affirming students’ constitutional right to free speech. The development occurred in response to the censorship of a Tioga County High School student for wearing a “gay? fine by me” T-shirt.

ACLU of Eastern Missouri Applauds Decision In Free Speech Case

2007-12-06T12:00:00-05:00

ST. LOUIS – The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri welcomed a decision today preserving the constitutional protection of unpopular speech. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit found in favor of Shirley L. Phelps-Roper, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), in a case challenging a Missouri law that stripped her of her constitutional rights to free speech and religious liberty by banning protests at funerals. The court’s decision in Phelps-Roper v. Nixon reverses an earlier decision that denied Phelps-Roper’s request for a preliminary injunction while the constitutionality of the law is reviewed.

ACLU Seeks Government Records on Use of Cell Phones as Tracking Devices

2007-11-29T12:00:00-05:00

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request today with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to learn the details of the government’s use of cell phones as tracking devices. The request follows on the heels of revelations that federal officials are using Americans' cell phones to pinpoint their location, sometimes without any court oversight.

ACLU of Utah Asks State Supreme Court to Invalidate Tax Law That Censors Free Expression

2007-11-16T12:00:00-05:00

SALT LAKE CITY – Citing First Amendment violations, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the Utah Supreme Court today in a case challenging a state law that imposes a substantial tax on businesses deemed to be “sexually explicit.”

ACLU-MN sues state of Minnesota over unconstitutional massage therapist law

2007-11-15T12:00:00-05:00

Saint Paul, Minn - The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, on behalf of LaRae Lundeen Fjellman and Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals, filed a lawsuit today against the current and former Commissioners of Health for the state of Minnesota. In their lawsuit they allege that the Minnesota statute (§146A.08, subd. 1(d)) which prohibits alternative health care providers from engaging in acts of private, consensual, noncommercial marital and non-marital sex with a former client within two years of termination of the professional relationship violates the rights of privacy and equal protection guaranteed by the Minnesota and United States Constitutions.

ACLU Asks Senate to Take Stronger Stand on Freedom of the Press

2007-11-02T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – In a letter to Senate leadership, the American Civil Liberties Union called for a vote on the House version of the federal reporters’ shield law. The House passed H.R. 2102, the Free Flow of Information Act of 2007, by a veto-proof majority of 398 to 21.

University Officials Trample Free Speech

2007-11-02T12:00:00-05:00

OXFORD, OH – The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio expressed concern Friday over the reaction of officials at Miami University to a student art display. The art piece, created by a group of students, was intended to symbolize the Tree of Life and featured a tire swing and seven ropes. The display stood for several hours until police were called and removed it because it was deemed controversial. Following the removal of the display, university officials and police have threatened action against the students involved.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Says Attorney General's Office Unfairly Targeted City Councilor

2007-11-01T12:00:00-05:00

PORTLAND, Maine -- The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation today began negotiations with the Maine attorney general's office on behalf of Jill Duson, a Portland City Councilor who is running for re-election on November 6. Duson, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School Of Law, came under criticism from the attorney general's office last week for referring to herself as an attorney in campaign material, in reference to her previous work in Pennsylvania as a lawyer for low-income and elderly clients.

Maine Civil Liberties Union Says Attorney General’s Office Unfairly Targeted City Councilor

2007-11-01T12:00:00-05:00

PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation today began negotiations with the Maine attorney general’s office on behalf of Jill Duson, a Portland City Councilor who is running for re-election on November 6. Duson, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School Of Law, came under criticism from the attorney general’s office last week for referring to herself as an attorney in campaign material, in reference to her previous work in Pennsylvania as a lawyer for low-income and elderly clients.

ACLU of North Carolina Announces Successful Resolution Protecting First Amendment Right of Town Resident to Speak at Public Meeting

2007-10-23T12:00:00-05:00

OAKBORO, NC - The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina Legal Foundation (ACLU-NCLF) today announced the successful resolution of a battle between local anti-drug activist Brandon Smith and the Oakboro Town Board of Commissioners over Smith's constitutional right to free speech during the public comment portion of the Town Board of Commissioners meetings.

ACLU of Arizona Says Arrest of Newspaper Owners Stifles Freedom of Press, Violates Privacy Rights of Readers

2007-10-19T12:00:00-05:00

PHOENIX – The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona today blasted the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for arresting two Phoenix New Times owners, saying the arrests appear to be retaliatory in nature and part of a dragnet effort to uncover confidential information about New Times readers.

Reporters Shield Bill that Passed the House Compromises on Free Speech, ACLU says

2007-10-17T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed disappointment with the version of the Free Flow of Information Act of 2007 that passed in the House last night, but believes the reporters’ shield legislation is a step in the right direction. H.R. 2102, introduced by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) and Rick Boucher (D-VA), will lessen the chance that reporters will be arrested or intimidated for their reporting, particularly when using government sources.

ACLU Calls for Congressional Hearings on Net Neutrality

2007-10-05T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress to hold hearings to explore recent anti-consumer actions taken by several Internet service providers that infringed on users’ freedom of speech and access to lawful information. The ACLU believes Congress must take action to restore the network neutrality protections that were in place before 2005 and ensure the Internet remains vibrant, innovative and free of discrimination.

ACLU of Virginia Challenges Dismissal of Censored Art Teacher

2007-10-04T12:00:00-05:00

Richmond, VA - Lawyers for the ACLU of Virginia today filed a lawsuit in federal court in Richmond to challenge the dismissal of Stephen Murmer, a Chesterfield County high school art teacher, who was fired over paintings he produces and sells on his own time. Murmer, who uses his buttocks and other parts of his body to transfer paint onto canvasses, lost his job last December after a video of him demonstrating his technique surfaced on YouTube.com.

ACLU ‘Howls’ Against FCC Destroying the Best Poems of a Generation

2007-10-03T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – On the 50th anniversary of a court ruling that deemed Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ not obscene, the American Civil Liberties Union lamented an ironic reversal of First Amendment rights. A New York public radio station chose not to air the poem in its news story commemorating the decision, fearful that massive FCC fines that would have effectively shut down the station. WBAI instead posted the poem online, out of the reach of the FCC.

ACLU Urges Senate Panel to Rework Reporters’ Shield Legislation, Says Free Flow of Information Vital to Democracy

2007-09-27T12:00:00-05:00

Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to amend S. 2035, The Free Flow of Information Act of 2007, during its markup of the bill to give greater protection to reporters and their sources. Raising concern was an exception for national security circumstances in the bill that was broadly written and could be misused in such a way as to nullify any protection afforded a source. The ACLU is asking that the exception be rewritten to allow the press as much freedom as possible when it comes to reporting relevant news to Americans.