Topic: American Civil Liberties Union

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FISA 101: 10 key dates in the evolution of NSA surveillance

When news of the PRISM data collection and surveillance program broke in early June 2013, it shook up the cyber security debate, and called into question just how much information the US government is authorized to collect. But government data collection isn’t something that just sprang up out of nowhere – it just sprang into national attention after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked government documents about the secret government agency. Here’s a brief list of post-9/11 legislation and surveillance programs to add a historical perspective to the current government surveillance debate.

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FISA 101: 10 key dates in the evolution of NSA surveillance

When news of the PRISM data collection and surveillance program broke in early June 2013, it shook up the cyber security debate, and called into question just how much information the US government is authorized to collect. But government data collection isn’t something that just sprang up out of nowhere – it just sprang into national attention after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked government documents about the secret government agency. Here’s a brief list of post-9/11 legislation and surveillance programs to add a historical perspective to the current government surveillance debate.
License plate scanners have allowed police to log location and movement of millions

License plate scanners: A rapidly growing network of police cameras is capturing, storing and sharing data on license plates, making it possible to stitch together people's movements whether they are stuck in a commute, making tracks to the beach or up to no good.
Gay marriage: Pennsylvania attorney general pulls an Obama on DOMA

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane says she will not defend her state's ban on gay marriage in court. Obama took a similar tack with the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
Gay marriage: Lawsuit, first since DOMA ruling, targets Pennsylvania ban

The ACLU, on behalf of 10 same-sex couples and others, filed the suit, which cites language from the majority opinion in the DOMA case in asking a US judge to strike down the Pennsylvania ban.
Mom settles suit: Poppy seed bagel led to false positive in hospital drug test

A Pennsylvania mom settled a lawsuit over a hospital drug test she failed because she had eaten a poppy seed bagel. Poppy seeds have trace amounts of opium in them.
USA Update Texas abortion law won't go through if 13-hour filibuster succeeds

Texas abortion law would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and require abortion doctors to have visiting rights at nearby hospitals. The state is one of many trying to tighten restrictions.
FBI uses drones on US soil: Senators want assurances on privacy (+video)

FBI Director Robert Mueller told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that the FBI is using drones to conduct secret surveillance on US citizens. Many lawmakers seemed surprised.
Nine states charging hard against abortion

This year, numerous governors are promoting new limits on abortion – or have already signed legislation. Here’s a rundown:
Chapter & Verse Should prison inmates be allowed to read whatever they choose?

"Werewolf erotica"? A history of race relations? The Bible? What should prisoners be reading – and does society have the right to decide for them?
Briefing NSA surveillance 101: What US intelligence agencies are doing, what they know

US intelligence agencies are gathering massive amounts of US telephone calling data and social media data on both foreigners and citizens. Here are seven questions and answers about what is known so far.
The Monitor's View More light on the NSA

Some government actions must be clandestine. But US citizens are being told so little about government spying on them that they lack the information they need to have an informed opinion about it.
Backchannels ACLU files suit over NSA surveillance, citing 'chilling effect'

The American Civil Liberties Union charges that secret warrants allowing the National Security Agency to collect mass data on phone usage violates the First and Fourth Amendments of the Constitution.
NSA data-mining 101: two 'top secret' programs and what they do

Two US surveillance programs – one scooping up records of Americans' phone calls and the other collecting information on Internet-based activities – came to public attention this week. The aim: data-mining to help the NSA thwart terrorism. But not everyone is cool with it.
Report reveals inmates suffer high levels of sexual abuse from guards

A new report by the Justice Department found prison inmates in Indianapolis, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Philadelphia suffered a higher-than-average rate of sexual abuse at the hands of guards.
Federal judge blocks Arkansas law banning abortions after 12 weeks

On Friday, a federal judge granted an injunction against a law that would have banned most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The judge said the law was likely unconstitutional.
Drones are cheaper and more powerful. In US, that's a problem, lawmakers told

Police departments are increasingly interested in deploying drones, a House subcommittee is told. As drones proliferate, so too does the 'specter of routine aerial surveillance in American life.'
IRS report shows why tea party scandal was almost inevitable (+video)

When all the shouting about the IRS targeting of tea party groups dies down, Congress or the IRS will realize that the relevant tax law is devilishly hard to enforce fairly.
Briefing IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal

The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
Officials seize AP's phone logs: What are they looking for?

The Associated Press is now in the news as well as covering it: Justice Department officials secretly obtained two months of telephone records from AP reporters and editors.
20,000 students sue Calif. educators for not teaching English

20,000 students sue the state of California and its eductators for failing to give adequate language instruction to non-native English speakers. According the the ACLU, the state education system's lack of English instruction could be holding the 20,000 students back in school.
How long does Apple keep Siri user data? Two years.

But Apple says that six months after a Siri request or command is made, the phone number of the user is 'disassociated' with the audio clip in question.
USA Update Florist sued again for refusing to provide flowers for gay wedding

The ACLU has filed a discrimination lawsuit against a florist in Washington State who says she would not sell flowers for a gay couple's wedding because of her religious beliefs. The state is already prosecuting her under a consumer protection law.
Can medical companies patent human genes? Supreme Court hears key case. (+video)

The US Supreme Court on Monday takes up a case with widespread implications for scientific innovation and health care in the US. The question: Are human genes patentable?
Immigration reform: What about those who arrive legally but never leave? (+video)

An estimated 40 percent of the more than 10 million undocumented people in the US today came legally but stayed after their visa expired. It's a major issue in the immigration debate.
New cybersecurity bill: Privacy threat or crucial band-aid?

The cybersecurity bill was a flash point for privacy advocates a year ago. Now, changes have been made to the bill, which was the focus of a closed hearing Wednesday by the House Intelligence Committee.