Privacy and Technology

The ACLU of Northern California defends the right to privacy guaranteed by the California Constitution and fights for social justice in the digital age. We work to stop dangerous government surveillance, eliminate bias in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, and restrict the online collection and use of our personal data.

Outline of the state of California with a man in a suit holding a sign that says "Defend Against Surveillance" and a camera
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Making Artificial Intelligence Work for the People

People deserve to have control over their lives and futures. And increasingly, that means having a say in how AI will be used to shape the world around us. To that end, we’ve created resources for policymakers, companies, and people who want to ensure AI is used the right way.

Read our resources
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Seeing Through Surveillance: Why Policymakers Should Look Past the Hype

With AI looming and rights under attack, surveillance is becoming more powerful, and more dangerous. This report gives policymakers the resources they need to see through the surveillance hype in order to pursue real public safety.

Read the report
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Privacy and Free Speech: It’s Good for Business

Our primer gives companies a step-by-step guide on how to protect their users’ rights — and their brand’s reputation. With concrete recommendations and dozens of case studies, we explain why companies can and must weave privacy and free speech into their business model.

Explore
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California Constitutional Right to Privacy

Article I, Section 1 of the California Constitution guarantees an “inalienable” right to privacy that applies both to government and private entities. For the last five decades, it has helped to safeguard our homes, our families, our bodies, our thoughts, and our associations from invasion by government and corporate interests.

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The Latest

Podcast

MAKE the CASE: Safety Through Mass Surveillance is an Illusion

What can go wrong when a private company builds a nationwide mass surveillance network that records billions of license plate scans per month? Nick Hidalgo, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, examines claims that Flock cameras fight crime—and the consequences of tracking millions of people as they go about their daily lives. Each episode of MAKE the CASE takes you behind the scenes of a consequential case or issue making headlines, unpacking what’s at stake, why the ACLU gets involved, and whose rights could be affected. Listen to MAKE the CASE on our website and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Press Release
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ACLU Files Civil Rights Complaint Challenging Discriminatory Hiring Products

Complaint raises concerns that Criteria Corporation’s hiring assessment products discriminate against applicants based on disability, race, and sex
Issue Areas: Privacy and Technology, Racial Justice
Press Release
scales of justice

ACLU of Northern California Takes Listeners Behind the Scenes in Fight for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties with New Podcast MAKE the CASE

ACLU organizers and attorneys discuss battles for freedom in new four-part podcast
Issue Areas: Criminal Law Reform, Immigrants’ Rights, Police Practices, Privacy and Technology, Voting Rights
Court Cases: American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California v. Vallejo Police Department (Police misconduct), SIREN, et al. v. City of San Jose, et al., National TPS Alliance v. Noem, National TPS Alliance v. Noem (NTPSA II)
Resource
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MAKE the CASE Podcast

The new podcast from the ACLU of Northern California delves into some of the most consequential questions of our time, from immigration to surveillance to voting rights. Host Carmen King goes behind the headlines to help listeners understand what’s at stake, why the ACLU gets involved, and whose rights will be most impacted.
Legislation

Pass the Freedom from Face Surveillance Act (AB 1034)

Police body cameras were intended for officer accountability, not public surveillance. The use of facial recognition on body cameras would break this promise, transforming these devices into a vehicle for mass surveillance.
Status: Inactive
Legislation

Stop Reverse Demand Warrants (AB 793)

Reverse warrants are a form of unconstitutional digital surveillance that compel tech companies to search their records and reveal the identities of all people who looked up a particular keyword online or were in a certain area at a certain time.
Status: Inactive
Legislation

Prevent Expansion Of Facial Recognition Tech (Oppose AB 2261)

While AB 2261 purported to protect privacy, it did the opposite.
Status: Inactive / Oppose
Legislation

The Body Camera Accountability Act (AB 1215)

Status: SIGNED