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ACLU-NC Applauds North Carolina House of Representatives for Passing House Bill 2136, Opposing the Controversial Federal Real ID Act as an Unfunded Mandate; Urges NC Senate to Act Quickly to Pass This Important Bill! (07/17/2008)
RALEIGH – The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina (ACLU-NC) today applauded the NC House of Representatives for taking an important stand against the controversial federal Real ID Act, a law imposing onerous new requirements for the issuance of drivers' licenses. House Bill 2136 passed overwhelmingly today with bipartisan support, by a vote of 69-45. Eleven (11) states have already passed legislation refusing to comply with Real ID, and if the NC Senate passes H. 2136 before the session adjourns this month, then North Carolina could become the twelfth (12th) state to block implementation of this law.

Anti-REAL ID Leaders Vow to Press Forward on Repeal (07/17/2008)
PORTLAND, ME - Leaders of the repeal REAL ID effort vowed today that they will press forward and ensure that Maine takes no further steps toward compliance. Their optimism is fueled by the stunning turn-out of 652 volunteers who gathered 24,125 signatures from 398 towns across the state in the grassroots effort to repeal Maine's REAL ID compliance law.

ACLU Warns Against Intrusive Deep Packet Inspection (07/17/2008)
Washington, DC – Americans’ online privacy was discussed today at a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. The hearing, titled “What Your Broadband Provider Knows About Your Web Use: Deep Packet Inspection and Communications Laws and Policies,” was meant to shed light on the practice of Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) by Internet service providers (ISPs). DPI allows ISPs to track users’ Internet browsing activities and can be data mined for targeted marketing purposes. The ACLU urges members of the committee to be wary of the privacy landmines inherent in DPI.

ACLU Calls for Probe of Secretary Chertoff’s Use of Terrorist Watch List (07/17/2008)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, when Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union calls on the committee to exercise vigorous oversight of the many DHS programs that endanger U.S. citizens’ privacy and civil liberties without increasing security. DHS’s unchecked detention and deportation powers have resulted in abusive interrogations of families with children at checkpoints, creation of militarized zones within the U.S. and widespread fear in immigrant communities facing natural disasters. Collectively, these practices illustrate how DHS has mismanaged its authority and wasted resources.

Terrorist Watch List Hits One Million Names (07/14/2008)
WASHINGTON, DC – The nation's terrorist watch list has hit one million names, according to a tally maintained by the American Civil Liberties Union based upon the government's own reported numbers for the size of the list.

Louisiana Becomes 11th State to Reject Federal Real ID Act (07/10/2008)
WASHINGTON – The state of Louisiana recently enacted legislation that prohibits the state from complying with the Real ID Act of 2005, federal legislation that mandates to all states that they create a national ID card. The Department of Homeland Security has been trying to gain support for the Act, but has faced growing resistance from the states. Louisiana is the 11th state to pass a law barring compliance with Real ID, and the 21st state to formally express its displeasure with the federal mandate. The legislation was passed by a vote of 72-22 in the Louisiana House, and by a vote of 36-2 in the Senate before Governor Bobby Jindal signed the bill into law.

ACLU to Mark One Millionth Addition to TSA Terrorist Watch List (07/02/2008)
WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union will mark the addition of the one millionth name to the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) terrorist watch list in a July 14th Press Club event. The roll-over to one million confirms the warnings the ACLU has been making for years: the TSA is pinning American security on a system of watch lists that are bloated, inefficient, ineffective and unfair.

US-EU Data Sharing Can’t Happen Without U.S. Legislation (07/01/2008)
The negotiations underway between U.S. security agencies and their European counterparts over the transatlantic transfer of personal data are just the latest attempt to overcome a looming problem that has consistently interfered with the Bush Administration’s attempts to collect the personal information of an ever-increasing share of the world’s population.

Repeal REAL ID Petition Drive Gears Up for Fourth of July (07/01/2008)
PORTLAND - Leaders of the drive to Repeal REAL ID announced Wednesday they will be "Defending the Fourth on the Fourth," by mobilizing hundreds of volunteers for a final push for signatures to repeal the state's REAL ID law, which violates the privacy rights guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.

Maine Phone Privacy Case Still Alive - For Now (06/26/2008)
Maine's privacy complaint against Verizon got a reprieve Thursday as the Senate delayed legislation that would have given the phone companies immunity from litigation on the issue.

ACLU Urges Congress to Ensure Privacy of Electronic Health Records (06/25/2008)
Washington, DC – Today, lawmakers will be making decisions about the future of patients’ medical privacy as legislation aimed at pushing the health care industry toward a conversion from paper to electronic health records is due for a vote by a House panel.