News & Commentary
AT&T’s First Transparency Report Reveals Warrantless Demands for Customer Data
We are pleased that following our shareholder advocacy, AT&T has now joined Verizon and released its first transparency report. AT&T’s report shows how large volumes of customer information have been disclosed, typically without a warrant.
OPD Documents Expose Grave Potential for Abuse of Domain Awareness Center
Oakland Police Department (OPD) documents obtained by the ACLU of Northern California and released for the first time today reveal an example of OPD officers engaging in unconstitutional selective enforcement based on political ideology, underscoring serious and ongoing concerns about the city’s planned Domain Awareness Center and its potential for abuse.
By Will Matthews
Ensuring the Local Control Funding Formula Works for California families
Just under a month ago, the California State Board of Education was tasked with reviewing and voting on the emergency spending regulations and accountability template, the rules that govern how school districts must use the funding they have received under Governor Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and how they will be held accountable to ensuring that the promise of the LCFF becomes a reality.
By Laila Fahimuddin
Brown Administration Finally Agrees to More Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform
Today’s order from the three-judge panel overseeing the standing federal court order to reduce the state’s prison population to 137.5 percent of capacity gives the state an additional two year extension to comply, and Plaintiffs’ attorneys’ are justifiably concerned about ongoing constitutional violations inside the prisons due to the continued overcrowding.
By Allen Hopper
License Plate Readers in Alameda Need Strict Privacy Safeguards
The ACLU of Northern California today submitted an analysis of the City of Alameda’s draft policies for automated license plate readers (ALPR), which the city will discuss next Monday night at a public forum hosted by the city council.
Public Remains in the Dark about Planned Oakland Surveillance Center
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California today sent a letter to members of an Oakland City Council committee demanding there be more transparency and oversight over the city’s ongoing plans to build a domain awareness center (DAC) – essentially a central surveillance hub for law enforcement.
By Will Matthews
What Does the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 Mean for California?
On Jan. 16, Congress introduced the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 — a modern-day bill to strengthen voter protections nationwide. The bill is in response to last year’s Supreme Court ruling in Shelby County v. Holder that invalidated a critical part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA): the coverage formula that determined which states and political subdivisions were subject to the law’s preclearance requirement.
By ACLU of Northern California
VICTORY! In San Francisco, Immigration Detainees No Longer Shackled
Hard to believe, but until recently, all detained immigrants appearing in the civil immigration court in San Francisco were forced to give critical testimony while restrained by shackles and chains at the wrists, waist, and ankles. The inhumane practice was particularly problematic for asylum seekers and immigrants who had suffered from torture and domestic violence in the past—and it was unnecessary since the majority of immigrant detainees appearing in civil court proceedings are peaceful individuals.
By Jenny Zhao
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