Home : Privacy & Technology : Surveillance & Wiretapping

ACLU Calls on State Attorney General To Protect Californians' Right to Privacy (07/02/2002)
SAN FRANCISCO - - In an open letter sent today to California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, the California affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union urged Lockyer to take ""immediate steps to ensure that intelligence-gathering practices carried out by law enforcement officers fully respect Californians' constitutional right to privacy.""

ACLU Blasts Plan to Use Flawed Facial Recognition System at Statue of Liberty and Other NY Landmarks (05/24/2002)
NEW YORK--The American Civil Liberties Union today sharply criticized a plan to use ineffective facial recognition technology during the Memorial Day weekend to augment security at popular New York tourist destinations including Ellis Island and the Statute of Liberty.  

Data on Face-Recognition Test at Palm Beach Airport Further Demonstrates Systems' Fatal Flaws, ACLU Says (05/14/2002)
MIAMI--Interim results of a test of face-recognition surveillance technology obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union from Palm Beach International Airport confirm previous results showing that the technology is ineffective, the ACLU said today. 

Flaws in Face-Recognition at Palm Beach Airport (05/14/2002)
Flaws in Face-Recognition at Palm Beach Airport

Unusual Coalition Including ACLU, Eagle Forum Urge Bush to Oppose De Facto National ID (02/11/2002)
WASHINGTON -- An unusual left-right coalition, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Eagle Forum, today joined in opposition to a proposal that would standardize drivers' licenses across the country, calling it a backdoor route to a national identification system, a threat to privacy and a superficial, ineffective "quick fix." 

ACLU of Louisiana Calls For a "Safe and Free" Super Bowl (01/29/2002)
NEW ORLEANS--The American Civil Liberties Union today called upon the Secret Service to conduct its security operations at the Super Bowl without unnecessary infringements on the privacy and other rights of citizens attending the game and to be more open about the tools that it will be using. 

ACLU Calls Standardized Drivers' Licenses Plan De Facto National ID; Says Licensing Scheme Ineffective, Expensive, Un-American (01/14/2002)
WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union today called on Congress and the Administration to reject any proposal that would turn the drivers' licensing systems of the 50 separate states into a de facto national ID. 

ACLU of Northern CA Says Gov. Davis's Wiretapping Proposals Are Unnecessary and Harmful to Civil Liberties (01/10/2002)
SAN FRANCISCO--The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California today criticized Gov. Gray Davis's pledge to give new powers to state and local law enforcement to use "roving"" wiretaps and monitor e-mail. 

Poor Performance of Tampa's Face-Recognition Technology (01/03/2002)
Poor Performance of Tampa's Face-Recognition Technology

Surveillance Under the "USA/Patriot" Act (01/01/2002)
Surveillance Under the "USA/Patriot" Act

ACLU of Illinois "Disappointed" by Expanded Surveillance Authority in State Anti-Terrorism Bill (11/29/2001)
CHICAGO--We are disappointed that the Illinois General Assembly today approved House Bill 2299, a measure expanding state and local police authority to monitor and record conversations without traditional safeguards. 

ACLU Tells Congress that National ID System Would Be Ineffective, Expensive and Deeply Misguided (11/16/2001)
WASHINGTON -- Testifying before a House panel this morning, the American Civil Liberties Union said that a national ID system would be ineffective, overly expensive and deeply misguided. 

ACLU Says "Traveler's IDs" For Airline Passengers Will Create Dangerously False Sense of Security (11/08/2001)
NEW YORK -- The Air Transport Association today called for the creation of a federally issued "traveler's ID" containing biometric data such as finger and iris scans. The proposed cards would be "voluntary" for American citizens and mandatory for foreign visitors. 

Court Orders R.I. Police to Release Video Camera Surveillance Policies Requested by ACLU (10/30/2001)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. --A State Superior Court Judge Vincent Ragosta today ordered the police department here to provide the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island with copies of its policies governing the use of surveillance cameras in police cars and in public locations throughout the city. 

Facial Recognition Technology In Rhode Island Airport Will Not Improve Safety (10/29/2001)
Facial Recognition Technology In Rhode Island Airport Will Not Improve Safety

ACLU Says Plans to Install Facial Recognition Technology In Rhode Island Airport Will Not Improve Safety (10/29/2001)
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--In a letter sent today to the Chair of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, the American Civil Liberties Union called on officials to reconsider their to decision to install facial recognition technology at T.F. Green Airport here. 

ACLU Opposes Use of Face Recognition Software in Airports, Citing Ineffectiveness and Privacy Concerns (10/05/2001)
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union today said it opposes plans to install facial recognition software in combination with video surveillance in U.S. airports because flaws in the technology make it ineffective and provide a false sense of security -- a conclusion several federal agencies have already reached. 

ACLU Urges Halt to Use of Red-Light Cameras Until Privacy and Fairness Issues Are Addressed Statement of Barry Steinhardt Associate Director, American Civil Liberties Union (08/23/2001)
NEW YORK--Many American cities are installing controversial "red-light camera" systems that photograph vehicles allegedly running red lights or stop signs and then use the license plate to look up the owner's address and mail him or her a ticket. 

Proliferation of Surveillance Devices Threatens Privacy (07/11/2001)
Proliferation of Surveillance Devices Threatens Privacy

Proliferation of Surveillance Devices Threatens Privacy (07/11/2001)
WASHINGTON -- Over the past several days, a troubling expansion in the way technology is being used in the surveillance of ordinary Americans has come to light. In response, we are today joining together to call on all state and local governments to stop using these dangerous technologies now before privacy in America is so diminished that it becomes nothing more than a fond memory.