Surveillance Technologies
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’s 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 — Yassir Fazaga, Ali Uddin Malik, and Yasser Abdelrahim — insist that the FBI cannot escape accountability for violating their religious freedom by invoking “state secrets.” The plaintiffs are represented by the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, the ACLU of Southern California, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Council for American Islamic Relations, and the law firm of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai.
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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15 Surveillance Technologies Cases
Court Case
May 2020
Surveillance Technologies
ACLU v. CBP - FOIA Case for CBP and ICE Records Related to the Use of Cell-Site Simulator Technology
On May 19, 2017, ACLU submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) demanding records on the federal government's acquisition and use of "cell site simulators" (also known as "Stingrays" or "IMSI catchers"), powerful surveillance devices that target cell phones by impersonating a wireless service provider's cell tower. For more than two years, the two agencies failed to properly process the Request or produce any responsive records until the ACLU sued on December 11, 2019.
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Court Case
May 2020
Surveillance Technologies
ACLU v. CBP - FOIA Case for CBP and ICE Records Related to the Use of Cell-Site Simulator Technology
On May 19, 2017, ACLU submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) demanding records on the federal government's acquisition and use of "cell site simulators" (also known as "Stingrays" or "IMSI catchers"), powerful surveillance devices that target cell phones by impersonating a wireless service provider's cell tower. For more than two years, the two agencies failed to properly process the Request or produce any responsive records until the ACLU sued on December 11, 2019.
Massachusetts
Oct 2019
Surveillance Technologies
ACLU v. Department of Justice - FOIA Lawsuit Demanding Information About Facial Recognition Technology
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Massachusetts
Oct 2019
Surveillance Technologies
ACLU v. Department of Justice - FOIA Lawsuit Demanding Information About Facial Recognition Technology
Court Case
Oct 2019
Surveillance Technologies
ACLU v. DOJ, FBI & DEA
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Court Case
May 2019
Surveillance Technologies
+2 Issues
Sandvig v. Barr — Challenge to CFAA Prohibition on Uncovering Racial Discrimination Online
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which makes it a federal crime to access a computer in a manner that “exceeds authorized access.” This provision of the law often prohibits and chills academics, researchers, and journalists from testing for discrimination on the internet. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in June 2016. The plaintiffs are academic researchers, computer scientists, and journalists who wish to investigate companies’ online practices through standard academic and journalistic techniques, but are limited by the terms of service of target websites.
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Court Case
May 2019
Surveillance Technologies
+2 Issues
Sandvig v. Barr — Challenge to CFAA Prohibition on Uncovering Racial Discrimination Online
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which makes it a federal crime to access a computer in a manner that “exceeds authorized access.” This provision of the law often prohibits and chills academics, researchers, and journalists from testing for discrimination on the internet. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in June 2016. The plaintiffs are academic researchers, computer scientists, and journalists who wish to investigate companies’ online practices through standard academic and journalistic techniques, but are limited by the terms of service of target websites.
Court Case
Apr 2017
Surveillance Technologies
U.S. v. Prince Jones – Challenge to Police’s Warrantless Use of ‘Stingray’ Cell Phone Tracker
The highest local appeals court in Washington, D.C. — the district’s equivalent of a state supreme court — is considering a challenge to police use of a cell phone tracking device to locate a suspect without first obtaining a warrant.
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Court Case
Apr 2017
Surveillance Technologies
U.S. v. Prince Jones – Challenge to Police’s Warrantless Use of ‘Stingray’ Cell Phone Tracker
The highest local appeals court in Washington, D.C. — the district’s equivalent of a state supreme court — is considering a challenge to police use of a cell phone tracking device to locate a suspect without first obtaining a warrant.