American Civil Liberties Union

The Technology & Liberty Program monitors the interplay between cutting-edge technology and civil liberties, actively promoting responsible uses of technology that enhance privacy and freedom, while opposing those that undermine our freedoms and move us closer to a surveillance society.


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Privacy Technology : Internet Privacy : Press Releases view all

Privacy vs. the Internet: Americans Should Not be Forced to Choose (09/25/2008)
Washington, DC – The Senate Commerce Committee continued exploring the issue of Internet privacy and online marketing today with a hearing on Internet service providers’ (ISPs) use of deep packet inspection (DPI). Use of this technology allows ISPs to scrutinize Internet users’ e-mail and browsing activities, to monitor usage and communications traffic, and sell that information to advertisers or turn it over to government officials. The risks posed by this technology are significant and should not be underestimated. The ACLU urges members of the committee to zealously guard the privacy of the American people.

ACLU Asks FCC to Scrutinize ISP Surveillance of Customers’ Internet Habits (07/21/2008)
Washington, DC – Today as part of the FCC field hearing at Carnegie Mellon University on broadband and the digital future, the American Civil Liberties Union will submit written comments about how Deep Packet Inspections (DPI) and other practices threaten Americans’ online privacy and a neutral Internet.

ACLU Warns Against Intrusive Deep Packet Inspection (07/17/2008)
Washington, DC – Americans’ online privacy was discussed today at a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. The hearing, titled “What Your Broadband Provider Knows About Your Web Use: Deep Packet Inspection and Communications Laws and Policies,” was meant to shed light on the practice of Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) by Internet service providers (ISPs). DPI allows ISPs to track users’ Internet browsing activities and can be data mined for targeted marketing purposes. The ACLU urges members of the committee to be wary of the privacy landmines inherent in DPI.

ACLU Challenges Virginia Law Prohibiting Dissemination of Public Records with Social Security Numbers (06/11/2008)
Richmond, VA - The ACLU of Virginia today filed a lawsuit in federal court in Richmond on behalf of privacy advocate B.J. Ostergren, challenging a new Virginia statute that prohibits the dissemination of public records that contain Social Security Numbers, even when the records are obtained from government websites available to anyone.

ACLU Condemns Bill Eliminating Online Privacy (02/13/2007)
Washington - The American Civil Liberties Union today condemned a bill introduced by Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX), that seeks to eliminate online privacy by requiring Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to maintain detailed records on each of their subscribers’ online activities. The bill would give Attorney General Alberto Gonzales broad discretion to determine what records ISPs must keep and for how long. In addition, it would require “sexually explicit” websites to post warning labels or face criminal sanctions.

Privacy Technology : Internet Privacy : Publications

Bigger Monster, Weaker Chains: The Growth of an American Surveillance Society (01/15/2003)

Big Brother in the Wires: Wiretapping in the Digital Age (03/01/1998)

Privacy Technology : Internet Privacy : Legal Documents view all

United States v. Forrester - ACLU Amicus Brief (08/29/2007)

Ashcroft v. ACLU - Amended Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (12/08/2004)

Motion to Quash Subpoena in Melvin v. Doe (12/02/2002)

ACLU Motion for Injunction (11/13/2002)

ACLU Memorandum in Support of Injunction (11/13/2002)

Privacy Technology : Internet Privacy : Legislative Documents view all

ACLU Letter to Secretary-General of the International Telecommunicaiton Union (09/30/2008)
We are writing to express our concern regarding the International Telecommunication Union-Standardization’s (ITU-T) decision to draft technical standards for tracking the source of Internet communications without input from civil society organizations. According to news reports, the ITU has initiated a process “to define methods of tracing the original source of Internet communications and potentially curbing the ability of users to remain anonymous.”

Letter to Reps. Coble and Berman on Internet Database Accuracy and H.R. 4640 (05/21/2002)

Letter to Reps. Smith and Scott Regarding "The Security Enhancement Act of 2001" (02/12/2002)

Testimony of Legislative Counsel Timothy Edgar Before the United States Commission on Civil Rights On Changes in Immigration Detention Practices and the Impact of Proposed Legislation on the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of Citizens and Immigrants (10/12/2001)

Letter to the House Urging Them to Vote "No" on the PATRIOT Act (10/12/2001)

Privacy Technology : Internet Privacy : Resources

ACLU Letter to FTC Re: Eli Lilly (07/05/2001)
Timothy MurisChairmanFederal Trade Commission600 Pennsylvania AvenueWashington DC 20580

Privacy in America: Computers, Phones and Privacy (12/31/1997)

Privacy Technology : Internet Privacy : Fact Sheets

Seven Reasons the US Should Reject the International Cybercrime Treaty (12/18/2003)
Seven Reasons the US Should Reject the International Cybercrime Treaty

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