ACLU of Northern California - Technology and Civil Liberties 
Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Protect Privacy and Free Speech: The ACLU Business Guide
Safeguarding people’s rights isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also good for business. Over the past few years, scandal after scandal has put tech companies under a microscope. Users, policymakers, and investors are demanding to know how companies are protecting privacy and free speech, and companies that fail to do so are being held accountable, by the government, by their users, and by their employees. Businesses large and small need to take proactive steps to protect users and find ways to navigate this landscape.The ACLU of California has a guide to help: Privacy and Free Speech: It's Good for Business, which offers advice for companies wrestling with today’s most pressing challenges.The industry can do better. It must do better. Right now, governments are seeking massive volumes of information from tech companies. Democracy is under threat by people exploiting poor privacy practices to suppress speech and weaponize personal information. The Trump administration is trying to exploit online services to monitor immigrants, activists, and entire neighborhoods. And a drum beat of data breaches are endangering users and exposing companies to massive potential liability.Mistakes in this climate can be catastrophic, for both users and a company’s long-term viability. Anticipating threats and protecting users isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also critical for business. To protect people’s rights, companies must plan ahead, ask difficult questions early, and build privacy not just into their products, but into their business models. The ACLU guide offers over a hundred case studies that illustrate the benefits of building a business on a foundation of privacy and free speech. Other case studies show the serious risks, for both users and the business, when companies fail to do so.The guide includes expert advice, identifies common mistakes, and gives clear guidance for how to avoid them. For example, companies must respect their data by only collecting what’s needed, protecting users, and avoiding replicating destructive real-world biases. Had Facebook limited and protected the data it collected, Cambridge Analytica couldn’t have abused user data and the company could have avoided the lasting reputational harm from users who find the company’s numerous privacy failures unacceptable.We show companies how to plan ahead by building privacy and security practices and policies into organizations’ structure and product-design process. With proper planning, Equifax could have prevented a hacking nightmare that exposed highly sensitive personal information of 143 million people and led to the largest class-action suit in history.We also highlight how to promote privacy by communicating clearly with users about what data a company collects and what it does with the data. If Venmo had been transparent about its default privacy settings, then it wouldn’t have come under fire from users furious that years of their transaction histories end up being aired publicly.We illustrate how companies can support diverse voices, encourage free expression, and only remove content when it is illegal or specifically harmful. By following this advice, PayPal could have avoided a barrage of public criticism for threatening to kick book publishers off its platform unless they removed “offending literature” from their catalogs.And we provide concrete examples of how companies can effectively partner with users by putting them in control of their data and standing up for their civil and human rights. Twitter, for example, was hailed for protecting its users when it sued U.S. Customs and Border Protection over a request to unconstitutionally identify and share the personal information of an online critic.Time and again, companies have learned firsthand that taking proactive steps to design user-protective products and business plans builds long-term sustainability, while failing to do so can lead to public relations nightmares, costly lawsuits, and government investigations.The stakes are simply too high to ignore privacy and free speech, and with this guide, companies will have an important tool to protect their users and build their bottom line. Jacob Snow is a Technology & Civil Liberties Attorney at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California. Hide default image? :
Amazon Met With ICE Officials to Market Its Facial Recognition Product According to documents released Tuesday by the Project on Government Oversight, earlier this year Amazon employees met with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to market “Rekognition” — the company’s facial recognition technology that the ACLU has been sounding the alarm on for months.The prospect of the Trump administration using facial recognition to supercharge its deportation machine is very alarming indeed. So to find out what’s happening, the ACLU filed a Freedom of Information Act request on Wednesday demanding that the Department of Homeland Security release information relating to where and how it intends to use facial recognition as well as who it has purchased the technology from.Amazon boasts that Rekognition can be used for surveillance on a massive scale, like tracking people in real-time, tagging over 100 people in a photograph, or identifying people just walking down the street. ICE has not released any information explaining what uses of Rekognition it has explored or whether it intends to buy it (or other face surveillance technology) to assist with immigration enforcement efforts. If ICE does plan to use this technology, it would be a significant cause for concern.ICE has historically relied on biometrics — primarily fingerprints — as a way of expanding its immigration enforcement capabilities. Through government programs like “Secure Communities,” the fingerprints of people arrested by local police are matched against ICE databases. In cases where ICE claims someone is undocumented, the agency can issue a request that someone be held for 48 hours so that they can be transferred to ICE custody. In 2017, ICE issued over 142,000 such detainer requests.The use of biometrics in this way has fueled the current mass detention and deportation efforts, which terrorize immigrant communities throughout the country, resulting in countless errors, deportations without due process, and increased racial profiling. Worse still, ICE is an agency that often acts with impunity, operating with a record $7.1 billion budget with inadequate oversight and accountability.If ICE is seeking to augment its existing biometric matching with facial recognition, the impact on immigrant communities could be even more striking. Using just a photo, it could make it easier to track and apprehend people as they attend a protest or walk their kids to school. And given the high rates of inaccuracy of facial recognition on communities of color the inevitable mistakes could be disastrous.In July, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California released a test showing that Amazon Rekognition falsely matched 28 members of Congress with mugshot photos, with members of color incorrectly matched at a disproportionately higher rate. After this, a bipartisan group of 25 House members, including civil rights legend John Lewis (D-Ga.), sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos demanding a meeting and writing, “[W]e are alarmed about the deleterious impact this tool — if left unchecked — will have on communities of color; immigrants; protestors peaceably assembling and others petitioning the Government for a redress of grievances; or any other marginalized group.”In a recent statement to The Washington Post, ICE said that it had used face recognition in the past to assist in “criminal investigations.” This is disturbing given that Congress has never authorized this use, ICE has not publicly disclosed any policies or procedures, and the inherent civil liberties risks of the technology.Amazon shouldn’t be arming an out-of-control agency with additional means for targeting immigrants. And if the government is planning to use this powerful surveillance tool, the public has a right to know how.Neema Singh Guliani is a senior legislative counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office. Hide default image? :
Spring 2019 Legal-Policy Internships
Location: San Francisco, Sacramento, and FresnoDeadline: Please apply early in the hiring cycle as decisions are made on a rolling basis.The ACLU-NC invites applications for internships for law and graduate students in the Legal-Policy Department. Students willing to work with intensity and focus will find an internship at the ACLU-NC a rewarding learning experience. Qualified applicants are enthusiastic, creative, and detail-oriented; have excellent research, writing, and oral communication skills; and, can articulate a commitment to work for social justice and the ideals of the ACLU.We are currently accepting applications for Spring 2019.About the Legal-Policy DepartmentThe Legal-Policy Department pursues cutting edge impact litigation and promotes policy change in order to defend and expand the civil liberties and civil rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The work of the Department covers a vast span of issues with particular emphasis in ten core areas: Criminal Justice, Education Equity, Equality (including economic, environmental, and racial justice, in addition to gender equality), First Amendment, Immigrants’ Rights, LGBT Rights, National Security, Reproductive Justice, Technology and Civil Liberties, and Voting Rights. The Department’s attorneys, policy directors, and assistants are based in San Francisco, Sacramento-metro office, and Fresno. Department staff work closely with the other departments within the ACLU-NC, including Organizing & Community Engagement, Communications, Development, Finance & Administration, as well as with ACLU of California Center for Advocacy and Policy in Sacramento.Available InternshipsLitigation internshipsLitigation Interns work directly with one or more attorneys and conduct legal research and writing in support of active and potential impact litigation that spans the ten core issue areas. Interns may be asked to draft legal memoranda, portions of court documents, and pre-litigation demand letters. When possible, interns attend appellate arguments, trial proceedings, and depositions. Additionally, interns may be asked to investigate facts and possible legal claims arising from intakes received via the Civil Liberties Hotline. Interns are encouraged to attend and participate in monthly program meetings, where prospective litigation and strategy are discussed. Litigation Internship applicants must currently be attending law school. For summer applicants, preference is given to students who will have completed their second year of law school when beginning the internship, but applications from all interested students are welcome. The Legal-Policy Department accepts 4-5 Litigation Interns per term. Litigation intern positions are open in our San Francisco, Sacramento-metro, and Fresno offices.Technology & Civil Liberties internshipThe Technology and Civil Liberties Intern will participate in cutting edge legal and policy work to safeguard privacy and free speech in the modern digital world. Interns will conduct legal and factual research and help draft reports, analyses, articles, and testimony to the legislature and regulatory agencies and brief the ACLU of California and National ACLU staff on a variety of technology issues. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in strategy meetings with other ACLU staff, work with other interns in the San Francisco office, and likely attend technology meetings and events throughout the Bay Area. Applicants must currently be enrolled in law school or a graduate program in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Science, Public Policy, Political Science, Journalism, or a related field, and must demonstrate a strong interest in the intersection of civil liberties and new technology, particularly privacy and free speech. This internship is only available for the San Francisco office.Reproductive Justice internshipThe Reproductive Justice Intern will assist with projects to ensure that Californians have access to the services, information, and other supports they need to make reproductive health decisions and exercise their reproductive rights. Interns will have the opportunity to conduct research, draft materials, and otherwise work on various issues encompassed by our Reproductive Justice Project. Interns will participate in staff meetings and strategy meetings with coalition partners and assist in fact-gathering for local and state advocacy efforts through Public Records Act requests, field interviews, and other strategies. Reproductive Justice Internship applicants must currently be enrolled in law school or a graduate program in public health, social work, public policy, or a related field, and applicants must demonstrate a passion for reproductive justice and a commitment to work for social justice and the ideals of the ACLU. This internship is only available for the San Francisco office.Criminal Justice internshipThe Criminal Justice (CJ) Intern will participate in the CJ Project’s new Prosecutorial Accountability Project: What a Difference a DA Makes. The project aims to increase engagement in prosecutorial elections, increase accountability and prevent error, and draw attention to the immense power and discretion exercised by prosecutors. Interns will conduct legal and policy research and analysis, help author reports, draft advocacy materials, and assist with legislative or other local campaigns. Interns may attend and participate in public hearings at the state and county level and participate in meetings with criminal justice policy-makers and advocates as such opportunities arise. Applicants must currently be attending law or graduate school and demonstrate a passion for criminal justice issues and a commitment to work for social justice and the ideals of the ACLU. This internship is only available for the San Francisco office.Application ProcessSchool year internshipsSchool year internships are full- or part-time, generally requiring a 16 – 24 hours per week commitment. Students on the semester system must be able to commit to working 12 – 14 weeks. Students on the quarter system can serve shorter quarter-long internships. We greatly prefer that part-time interns commit to work full work days (i.e., two eight-hour days rather than four four-hour days) and recommend that students commit as many days a week as possible for the best internship experience. Semester interns earn academic credit as determined by their law schools. Work-study funding may be available. Semester litigation internships are available for our San Francisco, Sacramento, and Fresno offices.Application deadlinesApplicants are encouraged to apply early in the hiring cycle as decisions are made on a rolling basis.Spring term: Applications will be accepted beginning Sep. 15 for the following spring term.How to applyApplications from all interested students are welcome. Applications must be in PDF format and include the following: (1) Cover Letter that includes a statement about (a) which internship you are applying for and what location, (b) a brief statement about why you want to work on that issue and location at the ACLU-NC, and (c) how you encountered the internship opening; (2) Resume; (3) Writing Sample; and, (4) List of References with contact information.Submit Spring 2019 applications online athttps://aclunc.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk01ywaThe ACLU of Northern California advances equity and inclusion in the workplace by providing equal employment opportunity to support a work environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (over 40), sexual orientation, military and veteran status, arrest or conviction record, and any other basis prohibited by law. The organization also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. This equal employment opportunity policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, advancement, training, problem resolution, and separation from employment. Through this policy, the ACLU-NC strives to establish and maintain an equitable and accessible work environment that is supportive and free from discrimination. Type : Internship
Summer 2019 Legal-Policy Internships
Location: San Francisco, Sacramento, and FresnoDeadline: Please apply early in the hiring cycle as decisions are made on a rolling basis.The ACLU-NC invites applications for internships for law and graduate students in the Legal-Policy Department. Students willing to work with intensity and focus will find an internship at the ACLU-NC a rewarding learning experience. Qualified applicants are enthusiastic, creative, and detail-oriented; have excellent research, writing, and oral communication skills; and, can articulate a commitment to work for social justice and the ideals of the ACLU.We are currently accepting applications for Summer 2019.About the Legal-Policy DepartmentThe Legal-Policy Department pursues cutting edge impact litigation and promotes policy change in order to defend and expand the civil liberties and civil rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The work of the Department covers a vast span of issues with particular emphasis in ten core areas: Criminal Justice, Education Equity, Equality (including economic, environmental, and racial justice, in addition to gender equality), First Amendment, Immigrants’ Rights, LGBT Rights, National Security, Reproductive Justice, Technology and Civil Liberties, and Voting Rights. The Department’s attorneys, policy directors, and assistants are based in San Francisco, Sacramento-metro office, and Fresno. Department staff work closely with the other departments within the ACLU-NC, including Organizing & Community Engagement, Communications, Development, Finance & Administration, as well as with ACLU of California Center for Advocacy and Policy in Sacramento.Available InternshipsLitigation internshipsLitigation Interns work directly with one or more attorneys and conduct legal research and writing in support of active and potential impact litigation that spans the ten core issue areas. Interns may be asked to draft legal memoranda, portions of court documents, and pre-litigation demand letters. When possible, interns attend appellate arguments, trial proceedings, and depositions. Additionally, interns may be asked to investigate facts and possible legal claims arising from intakes received via the Civil Liberties Hotline. Interns are encouraged to attend and participate in monthly program meetings, where prospective litigation and strategy are discussed. Litigation Internship applicants must currently be attending law school. For summer applicants, preference is given to students who will have completed their second year of law school when beginning the internship, but applications from all interested students are welcome. The Legal-Policy Department accepts 4-5 Litigation Interns per term. Litigation intern positions are open in our San Francisco, Sacramento-metro, and Fresno offices.Technology & Civil Liberties internshipThe Technology and Civil Liberties Intern will participate in cutting edge legal and policy work to safeguard privacy and free speech in the modern digital world. Interns will conduct legal and factual research and help draft reports, analyses, articles, and testimony to the legislature and regulatory agencies and brief the ACLU of California and National ACLU staff on a variety of technology issues. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in strategy meetings with other ACLU staff, work with other interns in the San Francisco office, and likely attend technology meetings and events throughout the Bay Area. Applicants must currently be enrolled in law school or a graduate program in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Science, Public Policy, Political Science, Journalism, or a related field, and must demonstrate a strong interest in the intersection of civil liberties and new technology, particularly privacy and free speech. This internship is only available for the San Francisco office.Reproductive Justice internshipThe Reproductive Justice Intern will assist with projects to ensure that Californians have access to the services, information, and other supports they need to make reproductive health decisions and exercise their reproductive rights. Interns will have the opportunity to conduct research, draft materials, and otherwise work on various issues encompassed by our Reproductive Justice Project. Interns will participate in staff meetings and strategy meetings with coalition partners and assist in fact-gathering for local and state advocacy efforts through Public Records Act requests, field interviews, and other strategies. Reproductive Justice Internship applicants must currently be enrolled in law school or a graduate program in public health, social work, public policy, or a related field, and applicants must demonstrate a passion for reproductive justice and a commitment to work for social justice and the ideals of the ACLU. This internship is only available for the San Francisco office.Criminal Justice internshipThe Criminal Justice (CJ) Intern will participate in the CJ Project’s new Prosecutorial Accountability Project: What a Difference a DA Makes. The project aims to increase engagement in prosecutorial elections, increase accountability and prevent error, and draw attention to the immense power and discretion exercised by prosecutors. Interns will conduct legal and policy research and analysis, help author reports, draft advocacy materials, and assist with legislative or other local campaigns. Interns may attend and participate in public hearings at the state and county level and participate in meetings with criminal justice policy-makers and advocates as such opportunities arise. Applicants must currently be attending law or graduate school and demonstrate a passion for criminal justice issues and a commitment to work for social justice and the ideals of the ACLU. This internship is only available for the San Francisco office.Application ProcessSummer internships Summer internships are full-time for 10 – 12 weeks and usually begin the day after Memorial Day. “Split” summers may be considered where the intern is available for a minimum of 10 weeks. Part-time internships are not available during the summer. For summer internships, students are encouraged to seek independent funding through their schools where available. The ACLU-NC will consider matching grants and may provide additional funding as available. Summer internships available in our San Francisco, Sacramento, and Fresno offices.Application deadlinesApplicants are encouraged to apply early in the hiring cycle as decisions are made on a rolling basis.Summer term: Applications will be accepted beginning Oct. 15 for the following summer term.How to applyApplications from all interested students are welcome. Applications must be in PDF format and include the following: (1) Cover Letter that includes a statement about (a) which internship you are applying for and what location, (b) a brief statement about why you want to work on that issue and location at the ACLU-NC, and (c) how you encountered the internship opening; (2) Resume; (3) Writing Sample; and, (4) List of References with contact information.Submit Summer 2019 applications online athttps://aclunc.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk01yw4The ACLU of Northern California advances equity and inclusion in the workplace by providing equal employment opportunity to support a work environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (over 40), sexual orientation, military and veteran status, arrest or conviction record, and any other basis prohibited by law. The organization also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. This equal employment opportunity policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, advancement, training, problem resolution, and separation from employment. Through this policy, the ACLU-NC strives to establish and maintain an equitable and accessible work environment that is supportive and free from discrimination. Type : Internship
BART Board’s Vote on Surveillance Technology Protects the Privacy of BART Riders; Promotes Public Safety
SAN FRANCISCO — Today, the BART Board of Directors passed a surveillance oversight ordinance that requires public notice and debate prior to seeking funding, acquiring equipment, or otherwise moving forward with surveillance technology proposals. BART joins Palo Alto, Davis, Oakland, Berkeley, and Santa Clara County by passing legislation that puts communities in control of police surveillance.The ACLU of Northern California, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) SF, and Oakland Privacy, issued the following statements in response:“This is a victory for every person who rides BART,” said Matt Cagle, Technology and Civil Liberties Attorney. “This surveillance ordinance holds BART accountable to the community it serves and gives riders a seat at the table. People should be free to move around the Bay Area without being secretly policed by dangerous surveillance technology. We commend the willingness of BART leadership to find common ground, and we look forward to working together to build a city that we can all feel safe living in.”“Today’s decision will help BART staff and law enforcement officials begin to earn back the community’s trust by asking us for feedback about how they navigate the city,” said Sameena Usman, Government Relations Coordinator of CAIR SF. “Further, the passage of this ordinance will empower community members to have a say in the spaces they occupy -- which will increase public safety in and of itself. And under an administration committed to targeting sanctuary cities like San Francisco, it will protect our civil liberties at the local level, which is crucial to the safety of our most marginalized communities.”“We applaud the BART Board and Staff for recognizing the concerns caused by mass surveillance,” said Brian Hofer, a member of Oakland Privacy. “By implementing rules to govern the use of invasive equipment, BART can ensure adequate protection of our civil liberties, while still ensuring public safety.” File Under : Privacy and Government Surveillance Racial Justice Technology and Civil Liberties
ACLU Calls on BART Board to Pass Strong Surveillance Oversight Ordinance Without Exception
Tomorrow, ACLU of Northern California staff and members will attend the BART Board of Directors meeting to urge the passage of a comprehensive surveillance oversight ordinance.The surveillance technology ordinance, long advocated for by the ACLU and community partners such as Oakland Privacy, would require surveillance proposals to undergo public scrutiny prior to approval. For technologies that the Board approves, the legislation would require a set of strict limits governing how the technology and collected data can be used.In a letter sent to the BART Board of Directors today, the ACLU commended the Board for considering the legislation while explaining that in order to fully protect riders from secret and unaccountable surveillance, the legislation must be adopted as an ordinance so that it is fully enforceable and be modified to remove or significantly narrow an exception allowing BART agencies to secretly test surveillance technology at single station for 90 days without any oversight or rules to prevent harm. For over two years, the ACLU has encouraged BART to take up this legislation. The BART Board of Directors placed the ordinance on tomorrow’s agenda as a direct result of an August 2018 meeting in which the Board, after hearing extensive concerns from the public and a coalition of civil rights and racial justice organizations, hit the brakes on a last minute multi-million-dollar proposal to significantly increase BART’s surveillance systems and assured the public that it would not implement face surveillance technology in the system.When: Thursday, Sept. 13 at 9amLocation: BART Board of Directors 2040 Webster Street, Third Floor Oakland, CA File Under : Privacy and Government Surveillance Racial Justice Technology and Civil Liberties Subtitle : Ordinance Would Be First of Its Kind for a Major Transit System
Technology and Civil Liberties Fellowship
Location: San Francisco, CAApplication deadline: Open until filledThe opportunityThe ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) seeks applicants for a full-time, one-year Technology & Civil Liberties Fellowship to begin no later than October 2019 with a focus on work at the intersection of government surveillance, immigrants’ rights, and racial justice. Applicants are urged to seek school-sponsored fellowship support as available, but applicants without access to school funding support are also strongly encouraged to apply.This position joins our statewide Technology and Civil Liberties team, nationally recognized for its use of cutting-edge legal, policy, and technology strategies, in the San Francisco office. The Fellow reports to the Technology and Civil Liberties Director for the ACLU of California, also based in San Francisco.The approachYou bring experience, enthusiasm and passion to your work on issues at the intersection of technology and civil liberties. You are a creative thinker who can help identify and implement diverse legal and policy strategies. You are a relationship-builder and willing collaborator with demonstrated success maintaining key relationships with diverse community groups and leaders. You excel at time-management and are able to keep a disciplined focus on your priorities while balancing emerging opportunities. You are thorough while also efficient and always produce top-notch work product that is tailored to Project goals. You have a growth-mindset and always seek to learn and improve the quality of your practice.The positionYour job is to defend and promote civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age, with a focus on work at the intersection of government surveillance, immigrants’ rights, and racial justice. This Fellowship serves a critical, immediate need. Advances in surveillance technology and the current administration’s policies combine to severely threaten the safety of communities of color and undermine civil rights.As the Technology and Civil Liberties Fellow, you will help investigate surveillance technologies that pose a threat to civil liberties and civil rights. You will be responsible for helping to develop and implement multi-disciplinary, proactive strategies to stop the use of powerful surveillance technologies, such as face surveillance, to track and target communities of color.Working on the Technology and Civil Liberties team and with ACLU experts on immigrants’ rights, border surveillance, national security, policing, and racial justice, you will integrate a range of legal and policy strategies into your work. These may include, but are not limited to: legal, policy, and technical research; legislative and agency lawyering; litigation and legal analysis; civic engagement; coalition development; public education; and strategic communications.About the organizationThe ACLU-NC is an affiliate of a nationwide, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the defense and expansion of civil liberties and civil rights. For most of the last century, it has been at the heart of many of the most major – and sometimes controversial – struggles for civil liberties and civil rights in our state. Our mission is to ensure that Constitutional rights don’t just exist on paper, but are protected in practice. As we move into a new era and face dangerous policies that threaten our civil rights and civil liberties, we remain dedicated to confronting these issues and defending the progress we have made. We must use our decades of experience in impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and fearless organizing to fight these un-American policies and protect our most cherished rights and freedoms. We are the resistance. Join us.Duties & responsibilitiesConduct legal, policy, and technical research about technology and civil liberties issues, with a focus on the civil liberties and civil rights impact of surveillance on immigrant communities and other communities of color;Manage public records request projects;Participate in litigation, including via preparation of amicus briefs;Help to implement local, state and company campaigns to defend and promote civil rights, including legal and policy research and working on civic engagement, public education, and strategic communication materials;Engage in legislative, agency, corporate and political process lawyering, and support legal and policy efforts, including evaluating local and state legislation, helping to develop new legislation and policy models, drafting local and state advocacy letters, and providing expertise to policymakers;Forge and maintain relationships with technology experts, public interest groups, government officials, community stakeholders, and academics to engage them in our work, implement collaborative projects, and foster positive working relationships and opportunities to collaborate with state and national ACLU staff; andEngage in other activities to advance the work of the Technology and Civil Liberties Project.QualificationsJ.D. or graduate degree by June 2019 in a field such as public policy, political science, or information science;Relevant legal, policy or technical experience related to technology and privacy, free speech, immigrants’ rights, racial justice, national security, police practices, or broader civil rights;Excellent analysis, research, and writing skills, including the ability to translate complex legal and technology issues for diverse audiences;Strong time and project management skills, including a high level of organization, attention to detail, and follow-through, while balancing and prioritizing multiple activities and responsibilities;Excellent relationship-building and collaboration skills, including success working as a member of a team and/or with community organizations;Demonstrated experience engaging in creative problem solving and taking initiative, while utilizing a solutions-oriented approach and exhibiting flexibility and good judgement;Demonstrated experience engaging and working with and/or on behalf of communities of color. Applicants with personal experience related to immigrants’ rights, racial justice, policing, or government surveillance are encouraged to apply for this position; Willingness to travel within California, and occasionally to other parts of the country for speaking events, meetings, and conferences;Spanish, Arabic, or other relevant language skills preferred, but not required; andA commitment to diversity; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance.CompensationCompetitive salary depending on experience. Starting salary range is $70,000. Excellent benefits include four weeks paid vacation in addition to 14 office holidays; medical, vision and dental insurance for staff members, their dependents and spouse/domestic partner; life and long-term disability insurance; and 401(k) plan with employer match.To applyApplications will be accepted until the position has been filled. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we will be evaluating applications on a rolling basis. Applications must include (1) a cover letter explaining why you are interested in this position and the ways in which you satisfy the qualifications specified above, (2) resume, and (3) a list of four references.Cover letters should include the following additional information: (1) if seeking school-sponsored support and if so, the timeline for that process; (2) if concurrently applying to any other position with the ACLU and if so, which positions; (3) the month you would be able to begin the Fellowship (no later than October 2019).Applicants concurrently applying to any other position with the ACLU should state what other position they are applying for in the cover letter. Please submit your application materials online at:https://aclunc.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk01a8mThe ACLU of Northern California advances equity and inclusion in the workplace by providing equal employment opportunity to support a work environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (over 40), sexual orientation, military and veteran status, and any other basis prohibited by law. The organization also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. This equal employment opportunity policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, advancement, training, problem resolution, and separation from employment. Through this policy, the ACLU-NC strives to establish and maintain an equitable and accessible work environment that is free from discrimination and supportive of a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of our communities and the people we serve. Type : Fellowship
Oakland: BART Board Action
Oakland: BART Board Action File Under : Criminal Justice and Drug Policy, Privacy and Government Surveillance, Technology and Civil Liberties Hashtag: #HellaPrivacyAs a subway, BART is supposed to serve and represent all the people who use it. That's why we will be at the BART Board's next meeting – to demand that they vote for an ordinance that gives people a seat at the table when BART considers invasive new surveillance technology. Join us this Thursday, Sep. 13 at 9am at in Oakland at 2040 Webster Street, Third Floor. Read the ACLU's letter.In the wake of the tragic murder of Nia Wilson, BART dropped a multi-million dollar security dragnet proposal with only three days' notice.The Bay Area responded with hours of passionate public testimony, leading BART to reject proposals that threatened the safety of riders, especially immigrants and people of color. In the end, the Board listened to the community and a civil rights and racial justice coalition, and promised to hold a vote on an ordinance that gives people oversight over new surveillance technology.The ordinance will require transparency and accountability when BART wants to buy and use technology like cameras, license plate readers, and face surveillance. It will make sure there can be no mass surveillance proposals on three days' notice ever again, and that the community will get a say on what security measure we want - and which we don't want.But we need you there to make sure it is passed: (1) as an enforceable ordinance (not a policy) and (2) without a dangerous exception that allows BART agencies to test invasive new technology without the necessary transparency and safeguards to prevent harm to riders. Read our letter to the Board discussing this legislation and our recommendations.Passing this law would give people the information and time they need to organize against technology that poses a threat to rider safety. Legislation like this ensures that BART riders have a seat at the table. It empowers riders to speak up if BART tries to purchase threatening new technology, such as face surveillance.Public safety in the digital age requires transparency, accountability, and oversight over surveillance technology. Please come and help us keep BART safe for everyone. Location:BART Board of Directors2040 Webster Street, Third FloorOakland, CARSVP requested on Facebook Event Date : Thursday, September 13, 2018 - 9:00am
Raimondo v. FBI (Internet Free Speech)
Active Case Our Work Legal Docket Legislation Know Your Rights Need Legal Help? Raimondo v. FBI (Internet Free Speech) August 27, 2018 Share: In 2004, the FBI conducted a “threat assessment” of long-time journalists and commentators Justin Raimondo and Eric Garris, as well as their website, Antiwar.com. In violation of the federal Privacy Act, this threat assessment compiled descriptions of the journalists’ First Amendment activities without any apparent law enforcement purpose. Attorneys at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP represented the journalists in a federal lawsuit against the FBI. Records the journalists received in response to their Freedom of Information Act claims revealed that the threat assessment was based on shoddy investigative work in addition to the apparent targeting of the journalists’ political speech. In the litigation, the FBI asserted that it was entitled to create this threat assessment because of Antiwar.com’s posting of government documents. But the First Amendment has long protected the publication of government secrets and the FBI never even suggested that the journalists or Antiwar.com had violated the law by obtaining or posting those documents.The district court held for the government and the ACLU appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Several organizations filed amicus brief in support of the journalists’ position.Learn moreACLU Releases Records in Freedom of the Press Lawsuit: Sloppy FBI Work Leads to Spying on Journalists (Nov. 6, 2013)ACLU Lawsuit Takes on FBI Surveillance of News Organizations (May 21, 2013) File Under : Free Speech, Privacy and Government Surveillance, Technology and Civil Liberties Case Developments Filing 08/27/2018 FBI's Responding Brief Filing 08/03/2018 Amicus Brief of First Amendment Coalition Filing 08/03/2018 Amicus Brief of Electronic Frontier Foundation Filing 08/03/2018 Amicus Brief of Knight First Amendment Institute, Center for Constitutional Rights, and Color of Change Filing 07/27/2018 Appellants’ Opening Brief Ruling 01/12/2018 Order on Further Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment Ruling 05/10/2016 Order on Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment Filing 05/01/2014 First Amended Complaint Filing 05/21/2013 Complaint
A Promising California Bill Could Help Communities Stop Secret And Discriminatory Police Surveillance
SB 21 Could Help Communities Stop Secret And Discriminatory Police Surveillance California is on the verge of passing Senate Bill 21 (SB 21), a strong bill that, in its current form, would help empower communities and their local elected officials to stop secret and discriminatory use of police surveillance technologies. Making sure state lawmakers enact robust surveillance reform laws is all the more important right now as the Trump administration equips its deportation force with surveillance capabilities, aggressively pursues political activists, and escalates pressure on sanctuary cities. Now is the time to make sure a strong SB 21 — with no further amendments — gets across the finish line.For years, the secret use of surveillance technology has been consistently expanding with virtually no restraints. Law enforcement agencies nationwide, using federal funds, have amassed sophisticated technologies, including Stingray cell phone trackers, automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), drones, and algorithm-based policing software.These surveillance technologies are frequently used to target immigrants and communities of color. South Asian, Muslim and Sikh protesters were spied on in San Jose. Baltimore police used facial recognition technology to identify people protesting the police killing of Freddie Gray. And social media surveillance technology in Fresno enabled police to monitor hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter as “threats to public safety.” Residents of Compton, California, have been monitored in their own backyards with high-powered, fly-over cameras and the New York Police Department used license plate readers to track people as they worshiped at mosques. Now immigrant communities living along the United States and Mexico border are facing an invasive new program to scan their eyeballs.Californians want reform, with more than two-thirds supporting both local and state-level rules to rein in police surveillance. If passed in its current form, SB 21 will become the first state law to require transparency and community control over police decisions about surveillance technology. The bill requires a public debate over proposals to acquire new surveillance technologies. It places local communities and elected officials at the center of every decision to approve or reject their locality’s use of surveillance technologies. And should local elected leaders approve the use of a surveillance technology, SB 21 requires the adoption of a council-approved policy governing its use and regular evaluations of its impact on civil rights and civil liberties.>> Take Action: Urge California to pass a strong SB 21 to rein in secret and discriminatory surveillance.The need for surveillance reform is not just a local issue. Sensitive surveillance information about who we are, where we go, and what we do that is collected by local law enforcement often flows, without adequate controls, to the federal government through fusion centers, which collect and share surveillance data from all levels of government, as well as other domestic spying infrastructure. This is not a hypothetical threat. Just ask Oakland, California, which despite being a sanctuary city, discovered that U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was using a fusion center to get its hands on Oakland’s license plate reader data. SB 21’s provisions, which empower communities to consider if and how any surveillance information is shared with the federal government, are particularly important in the current political climate.SB 21 builds on the nationwide Community Control Over Police Surveillance (CCOPS) movement, a reform effort spearheaded by 17 organizations, including the ACLU, that is designed to put local residents and elected officials in charge of decisions about surveillance technology. Last summer, Santa Clara County, California passed a groundbreaking ordinance ensuring consistent transparency, accountability, and oversight procedures for all surveillance decisions in the county. Nashville adopted a CCOPS law earlier this summer, and Seattle just voted to strengthen its first-in-the-nation surveillance ordinance.California’s SB 21 has emerged at a key moment — right now at least 18 U.S. cities are actively considering their own surveillance bills. Oakland is poised to enact a robust ordinance in an effort led by the city’s new Privacy Advisory Commission. In New York City, the ACLU of New York and various community groups are fighting to end the NYPD’s secret use of surveillance technology and prevent any inappropriate data sharing with the Trump administration. Residents in St. Louis are working to pass a CCOPS law as a part of broader efforts to address discriminatory policing in the region.We need strong local and state protections to push secret surveillance into the light, put communities back in control, and prevent abusive practices that all too often target immigrants, people of color, religious groups, and activists.We hope you’ll urge California lawmakers to pass a strong SB 21 – with no further amendments – and in so doing set an example for other cities and states to follow.To learn more about the CCOPS effort and how to start or join an effort in your community, please visit www.CommunityCTRL.com.Nicole A. Ozer is the Technology & Civil Liberties Policy Director with the ACLU of California. Chad Marlow is Advocacy and Policy Counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union.