Home : Privacy & Technology

ACLU Applauds Senate Review of Identity Theft; Recent Data-Theft Scandals Highlight Need for Better Oversight (03/10/2005)
WASHINGTON - A key Senate committee should be supported for examining identity theft and the security of sensitive information at a time when most private information of millions of Americans has become vulnerable to theft and abuse, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

ACLU Calls on Pennsylvania to Follow Michigan's Lead and Withdraw From "Matrix" Snoop Program (03/08/2005)
PHILADELPHIA - Yesterday, state police officials in Michigan announced that they were withdrawing from the controversial Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange, more commonly known as MATRIX. Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania calls on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to follow Michigan's lead by ending its involvement in this government supervised invasion of people's privacy.

ACLU Applauds Michigan's Withdrawal From MATRIX Program (03/08/2005)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union applauds the decision by the Michigan State Police to drop out of the MATRIX interstate public-private information -sharing program. The decision not only appears to reflect a recognition that Michigan's participation in the program is forbidden under state law, but is in fact in the best interests of the residents of Michigan. We hope that the other four states that continue to participate in this project - Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Connecticut - will follow suit.

New ACLU Legislative Counsel To Focus on Privacy Issues in Post 9/11 America (02/28/2005)
WASHINGTON - Timothy D. Sparapani today joined the Washington Legislative Office as Legislative Counsel on Privacy Issues. Sparapani will be a key member of the ACLU's "Safe and Free" team and will work closely with the ACLU's Technology & Liberty Project.

California Company Pulls out of Program to Track Student Movements (02/16/2005)
SAN FRANCISCO - The Sutter-based company InCom announced last night at a packed special school district meeting that it would end its pilot program to require students to wear Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) badges that track the students' movements. The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) urged school officials to end the program after being contacted by several parents.

House Approves Assault on Immigrants' Rights and Privacy; ACLU Urges Senate to Reject Sensenbrenner Measure (02/10/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union strongly urged the Senate to reject legislation approved by the House today that would make it more difficult to seek asylum, lay the foundation for a national ID card and chill free speech in America.

ACLU, Allies Oppose Sensenbrenner's Anti-Immigrant Bill; Mean-Spirited Measure Would Hurt Persecuted, Undermine Privacy (02/09/2005)
WASHINGTON - In one of its first major actions this session, the House of Representatives is debating today anti-immigrant legislation introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). The American Civil Liberties Union renewed its opposition to the measure, H.R. 418 - the REAL ID Act -- joining a diverse coalition of privacy, immigrants' rights and conservative organizations who have raised concerns.

Parents and Civil Liberties Groups Urge Northern California School District to Terminate Use of Tracking Devices (02/07/2005)
SAN FRANCISCO - Parents in a northern California public school district and civil liberties groups are urging the district to terminate the use of Radio Frequency Identification tags (RFIDs) in mandatory ID badges that track students' movements.

Court Rules that Michigan State Police Must Disclose Information About MATRIX in ACLU Lawsuit (02/04/2005)
DETROIT - A judge ruled today that an American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan lawsuit, which challenges state police participation in the Multi-State Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange (MATRIX), can move forward with discovery. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the organization and three individuals, including former Michigan Governor William Milliken and a Catholic nun, who say that MATRIX is out-of-step with state law.

Sensenbrenner Renews Assault on Immigrants' Rights; ACLU Says Measure Would Hurt Persecuted Seeking Sanctuary (01/26/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today opposed legislation introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), calling it an unnecessary assault on immigrants. The Sensenbrenner legislation includes several controversial provisions that were pulled from the intelligence reform legislation adopted by Congress last year.

ACLU Urges Michigan State Police to Stop Re-victimizing Identity Theft Victims (01/19/2005)
DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and Western Michigan Legal Services (WMLS) today urged the state attorney general to stop re-victimizing victims of identity theft.

ACLU of Massachusetts Calls for End to DNA Dragnet (01/10/2005)
BOSTON - Calling the use of DNA sweeps unproductive and a potential violation of the Fourth Amendment rights of individuals asked to give such samples, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today called upon law enforcement officials to discontinue use of a DNA dragnet in attempting to solve the Christa Worthington murder case in the Cape Cod town of Truro.

In First Week, House Renews Anti-Immigrant Push; Extreme Measures Rejected During Intelligence Reform Debate (01/07/2005)
WASHINGTON - With the new Congress barely a week old, three major anti-immigration bills are already in play. The American Civil Liberties Union called many of the bills extreme and noted that most were rejected as harsh and unnecessary during debate over intelligence reform legislation passed at the end of last year.

ACLU Announces Online Complaint Form For Airline Security Groping, Warns That Women Are Still Vulnerable (12/22/2004)
NEW YORK-As Americans head into the holiday travel rush, the American Civil Liberties Union today warned that women still remain susceptible to sexual harassment at airline security gates, and announced that it has posted an online complaint form that travelers can use to describe any abuses that take place.

ACLU of New Jersey Wins Victory In DNA Law Challenge (12/22/2004)
NEWARK, NJ - The Superior Court of New Jersey in Mercer County ruled today that New Jersey must limit its new DNA collection law so that it does not violate the constitutional right of freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.