American Civil Liberties Union

The Technology & Liberty Project monitors the interplay between cutting-edge technology and civil liberties, actively promoting responsible uses of technology that enhance privacy and freedom, while opposing those that undermine our freedoms and move us closer to a surveillance society.


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Privacy Technology : General : Press Releases

Right-Left Groups Tell Homeland Security Committee to Curb CAPPS II (03/25/2003)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today joined several groups from across the political spectrum in urging Congress to halt further deployment of the controversial airline surveillance system known as the Computer-Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System or CAPPS II.

GA Supreme Court Strikes Down Fornication Law (01/13/2003)
ATLANTA -- In a case argued by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Georgia Supreme Court today unanimously struck down the state's fornication law, saying that the government may not "reach into the bedroom of a private residence and criminalize the private, noncommercial, consensual acts of two persons legally capable of consenting" to sexual activity.

ACLU Announces Collaboration With Rep. Bob Barr; Says Conservative Congressman Will Consult on Privacy Issues (11/25/2002)
WASHINGTON - In a surprise announcement that comes on the heels of news that the outgoing Majority Leader, Richard Armey (R-TX), is considering consulting for the American Civil Liberties Union, the group said today that it also plans to hire conservative firebrand Bob Barr (R-GA) to work on informational and data privacy issues

NYCLU Urges City Agency to Reject First-Ever Fingerprint Plan for Subsidized Housing Tenants (11/04/2002)
NEW YORK--In a letter sent today to the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the New York Civil Liberties Union urged the agency to reject a proposal to impose a fingerprint identification system for tenants at a subsidized housing complex.

ACLU, Eagle Forum Call National ID Driver's Licenses Ineffective in Fight Against Terrorism (09/05/2002)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union and the conservative Eagle Forum today warned a House subcommittee that any attempt to standardize driver's licenses nationally would be ineffective in fighting terrorism and would lead to a de facto national ID card system.

Right-Left Furor Over National ID Cards Heats Up Again in House (06/28/2002)
WASHINGTON - An unusual right-left coalition, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Eagle Forum, today told the House of Representatives that legislation to standardize drivers' licenses across the country represents a backdoor route to a national identification system.

ACLU Challenges Georgia's Antiquated "Fornication" Law Barring Sex Outside of Marriage (06/25/2002)
ATLANTA-The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a legal brief with the Georgia Supreme Court on behalf of a 17-year-old youth seeking to challenge the state's ""Fornication Statute,""dating back to 1800's, that makes sexual intercourse between unmarried people illegal.

ACLU Says Manufacturer is Blaming the Messenger for Failure of Face-Recognition Technology (05/29/2002)
NEW YORK - In an apparent attack on the American Civil Liberties Union, a manufacturer of face-recognition systems has issued a news release charging that ""special interests"" have made ""misleading and incorrect"" statements about the technology. In doing so, the manufacturer, Visionics Corporation, has resorted to blaming the messenger for the inadequacies of its product. 

ACLU Says Standardized Driver's License Proposals Walk and Talk Like National ID Schemes (05/03/2002)
WASHINGTON -- Concerned with the increasing interest by the Bush Administration and some in Congress in a series of proposals to standardize driver's licenses across the country, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) today decried the schemes, calling them de facto national IDs and a serious threat to privacy, liberty and safety. 

ACLU Urges Congress to Support Barr/Watt Privacy Protection Bill (05/01/2002)
WASHINGTON - Concerned with the ever-increasing erosion of privacy in the United States, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged Congress to support legislation -- sponsored by Reps. Bob Barr (R-GA) and Mel Watt (D-NC) -- that would incorporate key privacy protections into the operations of federal agencies. 

ACLU Endorses Barr Privacy Protection Bill; Measure Would Introduce Key Protections into Federal Law (04/24/2002)
WASHINGTON - Concerned with the ever-increasing erosion of privacy in the United States, the American Civil Liberties Union today endorsed newly introduced legislation -- sponsored by Reps. Bob Barr (R-GA) and Mel Watt (D-NC) -- that would incorporate key privacy protections into the operations of federal agencies.

ACLU of Maryland Voices "Continued Concerns" Over Sex Offender Registry Website (04/22/2002)
BALTIMORE-- The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland continues to have concerns

Criticism Growing to Nation-Wide Standardized Driver's License Plan (04/16/2002)
WASHINGTON - Saying it would result in a de facto national ID system, the American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress and the Administration to reject any proposal that would standardize driver's licenses nation-wide and link state licensing databases into one integrated information bank.

ACLU of Rhode Island Files Contempt Motion Against Police for Failing to Release Video Camera Policy (04/08/2002)
PROVIDENCE, R.I.-- In papers filed in Superior Court today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island has asked that the Providence Police Department be held in contempt of court for failing to release copies of its policies governing its use of surveillance cameras in public locations in the city. 

Utah Supreme Court Decision a Win for Personal Privacy, ACLU Says (03/15/2002)
SALT LAKE CITY--In a ruling that preserves the privacy rights of couples engaged in sexual relations, the Utah Supreme Court today rejected Salt Lake City's attempt to expand police investigatory powers in ways that would have severely infringed upon such personal privacy. 

ACLU Calls for Removal of Controversial See-Through Scanner in Orlando (03/15/2002)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today called upon Orlando International Airport to remove a controversial new X-ray body-scanning device that can see through clothing and show a person's naked body. 

ACLU Asks Motor Vehicle Administrators Not to Turn Driver's Licenses Into a National ID (02/11/2002)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union told the nation's motor vehicle administrators Sunday that their plan to standardize and unify the nation's driver's licenses would inevitably become a national ID system that would gravely threaten Americans' privacy without making our society any safer. 

Drawing a Blank: Tampa Police Records Reveal Poor Performance of Face-Recognition Technology (01/03/2002)
NEW YORK--Facial recognition technology on the streets of Tampa, Florida is an overhyped failure that has been seemingly abandoned by police officials, according to a report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union. 

ACLU Calls on Fresno Airport to Remove Controversial Facial Recognition Technology (11/20/2001)
SAN FRANCISCO--A controversial facial recognition technology system installed at Fresno's Yosemite Airport will do little to keep Americans safe, but threatens fundamental civil rights, the American Civil Liberties Union said today in a letter to the city officials. 

"Heartbreaking" Loss: Federal Jury Clears Police of Responsibility for Threatening To Out Teen, Causing His Suicide (11/07/2001)
ALLENTOWN, PA -- A federal jury tonight cleared three small-town police officers of allegations that they violated a teen's constitutional right to privacy by threatening to disclose that the teen was gay, causing him to commit suicide.

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