Privacy & Technology
FBI v. Fazaga
In a case scheduled to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on November 8, 2021, three Muslim Americans are challenging the FBI鈥檚 secret spying on them and their communities based on their religion, in violation of the Constitution and federal law. In what will likely be a landmark case, the plaintiffs 鈥� Yassir Fazaga, Ali Uddin Malik, and Yasser Abdelrahim 鈥� insist that the FBI cannot escape accountability for violating their religious freedom by invoking 鈥渟tate secrets.鈥� The plaintiffs are represented by the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, the ACLU of Southern California, the 老熟女午夜福利, the Council for American Islamic Relations, and the law firm of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai.
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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U.S. Supreme Court
Jun 2018
Privacy & Technology
Carpenter v. United States
The Supreme Court ruled that the government needs a warrant to access a person鈥檚 cellphone location history. The court found in a 5 to 4 decision that obtaining such information is a search under the Fourth Amendment and that a warrant from a judge based on probable cause is required.
Court Case
Dec 2016
Privacy & Technology
Sarkar v. Doe - PubPeer Subpoena Challenge
The ACLU filed a motion in Michigan state court challenging the constitutionality of a subpoena issued to the website PubPeer demanding that it turn over the identities of anonymous commenters. In March 2015, the trial judge ruled that PubPeer had to unmask one 鈥� but only one 鈥� of the commenters. Both PubPeer and the researcher appealed, and the ruling was upheld in December 2016.
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75 Privacy & Technology Cases
Court Case
Apr 2016
Privacy & Technology
ACLU v. DOJ 鈥� FOIA Lawsuit Demanding OLC Opinion on 鈥淐ommon Commercial Service Agreements鈥�
The ACLU has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to compel the disclosure of a legal opinion authored by the Department of Justice鈥檚 Office of Legal Counsel. The lawsuit, filed in November 2015, enforces an earlier Freedom of Information Act request.
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Court Case
Apr 2016
Privacy & Technology
ACLU v. DOJ 鈥� FOIA Lawsuit Demanding OLC Opinion on 鈥淐ommon Commercial Service Agreements鈥�
The ACLU has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to compel the disclosure of a legal opinion authored by the Department of Justice鈥檚 Office of Legal Counsel. The lawsuit, filed in November 2015, enforces an earlier Freedom of Information Act request.
Florida
May 2015
Privacy & Technology
United States v. Quartavious Davis
In 2010, the government obtained four people's cell phone location records over a 67-day period in a criminal investigation in Florida, without a warrant.
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Florida
May 2015
Privacy & Technology
United States v. Quartavious Davis
In 2010, the government obtained four people's cell phone location records over a 67-day period in a criminal investigation in Florida, without a warrant.
Court Case
Feb 2015
Privacy & Technology
Florida Stingray FOIA
Last year, the ACLU sent public records to three dozen police and sheriffs鈥� departments in Florida seeking information about their use of Stingrays. Stingrays, also known as 鈥渃ell site simulators,鈥� or 鈥淚MSI catchers,鈥� are invasive cell phone surveillance devices that mimic cell phone towers and force phones in the area to broadcast information that can be used to identify and locate them. Even when used to track a particular suspect's cell phone, they also gather information about the phones of countless bystanders who happen to be nearby. Numerous law enforcement agencies across the country possess Stingrays, but it鈥檚 often difficult to tell how much and how often they are used.
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Court Case
Feb 2015
Privacy & Technology
Florida Stingray FOIA
Last year, the ACLU sent public records to three dozen police and sheriffs鈥� departments in Florida seeking information about their use of Stingrays. Stingrays, also known as 鈥渃ell site simulators,鈥� or 鈥淚MSI catchers,鈥� are invasive cell phone surveillance devices that mimic cell phone towers and force phones in the area to broadcast information that can be used to identify and locate them. Even when used to track a particular suspect's cell phone, they also gather information about the phones of countless bystanders who happen to be nearby. Numerous law enforcement agencies across the country possess Stingrays, but it鈥檚 often difficult to tell how much and how often they are used.
Florida
Jun 2014
Privacy & Technology
ACLU of Florida v. City of Sarasota - Stingray Cell Phone Tracking
The ACLU of Florida has filed an emergency motion in court to prevent the Sarasota, Florida, Police Department from continuing to violate state open records laws. After the ACLU submitted a public records request for documents related to the use of 鈥渟tingray鈥� cell phone tracking devices, the Department initially offered to turn over records. But then it reversed course and allowed the U.S. Marshals Service to seize the files, in violation of state law. The ACLU sued to prevent the Police Department from turning over any more records to the Marshals, and to force it to regain control over the original records and disclose them to the public as required by the state public records law.
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Florida
Jun 2014
Privacy & Technology
ACLU of Florida v. City of Sarasota - Stingray Cell Phone Tracking
The ACLU of Florida has filed an emergency motion in court to prevent the Sarasota, Florida, Police Department from continuing to violate state open records laws. After the ACLU submitted a public records request for documents related to the use of 鈥渟tingray鈥� cell phone tracking devices, the Department initially offered to turn over records. But then it reversed course and allowed the U.S. Marshals Service to seize the files, in violation of state law. The ACLU sued to prevent the Police Department from turning over any more records to the Marshals, and to force it to regain control over the original records and disclose them to the public as required by the state public records law.
U.S. Supreme Court
Apr 2014
Privacy & Technology
Free Speech
Abidor v. Napolitano
The ACLU, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers have filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Homeland Security鈥檚 (DHS) policy of searching, copying and detaining travelers鈥� laptops, cell phones and other electronic devices at the border, even when DHS has no reason to believe a search would reveal wrongdoing. A federal judge granted the government's motion to dismiss on December 31, 2013.
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U.S. Supreme Court
Apr 2014
Privacy & Technology
Free Speech
Abidor v. Napolitano
The ACLU, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers have filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Homeland Security鈥檚 (DHS) policy of searching, copying and detaining travelers鈥� laptops, cell phones and other electronic devices at the border, even when DHS has no reason to believe a search would reveal wrongdoing. A federal judge granted the government's motion to dismiss on December 31, 2013.