Home : Privacy & Technology : Surveillance & Wiretapping

ACLU of Iowa Challenges Use of Speed Cameras in Davenport (06/14/2006)
DAVENPORT, IA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa today began the defense of a Davenport automobile owner who received a speeding ticket in the mail based upon pictures of his vehicle taken by an automated traffic enforcement camera.

ACLU To FCC: Review of AT&T-BellSouth Merger Must Look At NSA Spying (06/06/2006)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union said today that it has filed formal comments reminding the Federal Communications Commission of allegations that AT&T and BellSouth illegally provided customer information to the National Security Agency, and pointing out that under existing law the FCC cannot permit the pending merger between those two companies to proceed without investigating the merit of those allegations.

ACLU Says Specter’s NSA Legislation Would Pardon President’s Illegal Actions; Group Calls for Inspector General Investigation (05/16/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today strongly condemned a new proposal drafted by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) that embraces the president’s claims of inherent power to secretly wiretap Americans without meaningful checks. Also today, the organization renewed its request to the Justice Department’s Inspector General to open an investigation into the involvement of the department in the warrantless spying on Americans by the National Security Agency.

ACLU Condemns NSA's Massive Database of Americans’ Phone Call Records, Demands Full, Thorough Congressional Investigation (05/11/2006)
WASHINGTON – In a story released today in USA Today it was revealed that the NSA has been collecting call information about millions of American residents and businesses served by Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth. One industry insider referred to it as the “largest database ever assembled in the world.” The American Civil Liberties Union strongly condemned the Bush administration’s most egregious abuse of power to date.

Secret DHS Agreement to Share Passenger Data in Violation of Agreements Is Confirmed (04/25/2006)
WASHINGTON – The text of a secret agreement that the Department of Homeland Security executed with the Centers for Disease Control to share airline passenger data confirms what the American Civil Liberties Union had feared, which is that the U.S. government is distributing information that it explicitly promised it would not share. This is very troubling for several reasons.

ACLU Seeks Information on Secret Data-Sharing Agreement Between Homeland Security and CDC (04/21/2006)
NEW YORK—Responding to the revelation that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reached a secret agreement to share airline passenger data with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Civil Liberties Union today said it has asked the CDC to disclose details of the deal.

Business and Civil Rights Leaders Support ACLU Challenge to NSA Warrantless Wiretapping (04/20/2006)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the filing of two friend-of-the-court briefs supporting its lawsuit challenging the National Security Agency’s illegal domestic spying program. One brief was submitted on behalf of six prominent leaders of the nation’s business community and the other by five leading civil rights organizations.

ACLU Says Ohio's Anti-Terror Tip Program May Increase Profiling, Violate Privacy (01/25/2006)
COLUMBUS, OH -- The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep concerns with the Ohio Department of Public Safety's new initiative, "See Something, Say Something," which encourages residents to call a toll free line if they witness something they believe is "suspicious."

In New Ad, ACLU Steps Up Call for Investigation of President’s Spying Order (01/05/2006)
NEW YORK -- As President George W. Bush continues to push for Patriot Act renewal, the American Civil Liberties Union ran a full-page advertisement in the New York Times today criticizing the president for authorizing the National Security Agency to engage in illegal surveillance of Americans.

ACLU Calls on Gonzales to Appoint Special Counsel on NSA Domestic Spying; Investigation of Violations of Law Must Be Independent, Free of Political Pressure (12/21/2005)
WASHINGTON - In a formal request to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the American Civil Liberties Union today called for the immediate appointment of an outside special counsel to investigate and prosecute any criminal acts and violations of laws as a result of the National Security Agency’s surveillance of domestic targets as authorized by President Bush.

President Bush Continues Offensive on Patriot Act, NSA Spying; ACLU Says Constitution and Rule of Law Must be Respected and Maintained (12/19/2005)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today renewed its call on President Bush to respect and preserve both the Constitution and the rule of law as the White House continued its offensive on both the Patriot Act reauthorization and its reaction to recent revelations that the National Security Agency, under direct orders from the president, engages in the warrantless wiretapping of people in the United States.

ACLU Files Challenge to Online Wiretapping Power Grab (12/01/2005)
NEW YORK—The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a legal challenge to an order from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that would dramatically increase the government’s surveillance powers on the Internet.

ACLU Defends Colorado Bus Rider Arrested by Homeland Security for Not Showing ID (11/23/2005)
DENVER -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado announced today that its attorneys will defend Deborah Davis, a Denver-area passenger on a public bus who declined to produce identification and was subsequently arrested, handcuffed and removed by Homeland Security officers at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood. Davis is scheduled to appear in federal district court on December 9 to face criminal charges stemming from her failure to show ID.

ACLU Calls on California Governor to End Surveillance of Peaceful Protesters (06/30/2005)
SAN FRANCISCO -- Following revelations that an intelligence unit recently spied on a peace rally organized by families of slain American soldiers, the American Civil Liberties Union today called on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to take immediate steps to stop the California National Guard from spying on people who engage in peaceful protest. The ACLU also filed a California Public Records Act request with both the governor and the California National Guard seeking documents relating to the peace rally and the Intelligence Unit.

Civil Rights Groups File Freedom of Information Act Request in Wake of Reports of FBI Harassment of Muslims in Lodi, CA (06/16/2005)
SACRAMENTO -- Prompted by reports from the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Sacramento Valley and the Muslim community, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and local civil rights groups today filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking FBI records of the procedures and policies used during the questioning and detention of dozens of Muslims in the Central Valley town of Lodi.

ACLU Says DHS Privacy Office Probe on TSA's Handling of Consumer Data Confirms Fears About Government Abuse of Databases (06/16/2005)
NEW YORK -- The revelation that the Chief Privacy Officer of the Department of Homeland Security is investigating the possible violation of the Privacy Act by the Transportation Security Agency confirms what the American Civil Liberties Union and other privacy advocates have been saying about the problems with entrusting the government with large amounts of personal data on millions of innocent American travelers.

ACLU of Florida Calls on Sheriff to Safeguard First Amendment Rights of Brevard Residents (06/15/2005)
MELBOURNE, FL -- In a memorandum sent today to Brevard County Sheriff Jack Parker, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida's Brevard Chapter called for additional training and reforms to prevent a recurrence of political surveillance practices that took place from 2002 to 2005.

ACLU Criticizes Pennsylvania Eco-Terrorism Legislation as Part of Government's Crackdown on Political Dissent (06/06/2005)
PHILADELPHIA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania today criticized eco-terrorism legislation that is before the state General Assembly, calling it a threat to the First Amendment rights of all Pennsylvanians who wish to express their views on matters of public policy.

ACLU Questions Scope of "Intelligence Fusion Center" in Massachusetts (05/11/2005)
BOSTON -- Responding to Governor Mitt Romney's unveiling of the state's first ""intelligence fusion center,"" the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today issued a formal request to Secretary of Public Safety Edward A. Flynn for documents describing the purpose, structure, and funding of the center.

ACLU Seeks Information On Government Tests of Controversial Passport Computer Chips (04/26/2005)
NEW YORK-The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a Freedom of Information Act Request seeking the results of tests that the government has been carrying out in preparation for embedding radio computer chips in all U.S. passports.