Privacy and Technology

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As technology provides new ways to gather information, surveillance options become more sophisticated and data bases proliferate, the need for privacy protections becomes more urgent. The ACLU is a national leader in working to guarantee that individuals may determine how and when others can gain access to their personal information.

“If I’m not doing anything wrong, why should I care if the police are watching me?”

There’s no question that in a serious crime surveillance tools could appropriately be deployed to solve a crime. However, allowing permanent warrantless surveillance of citizens is another matter. It is a basic tenet of our society that we do not watch people just in case they do something wrong.

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News & Commentary
A protest sign that reads “My Body, My Business.”

Impending Threat of Abortion Criminalization Brings New Urgency to the Fight for Digital Privacy

As the Supreme Court nears a ruling that could allow abortion to be criminalized by politicians, privacy activists and lawmakers must shift our approach in the states.
News & Commentary
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"We The People" Means ALL of Us: Our Blueprint for COVID-19 Relief

COVID-19 has illuminated our failures as a society. To urge decision makers to minimize the harms made worse by this pandemic, today we released a blueprint for COVID-19 relief in South Carolina. The blueprint calls on our leaders to ensure the burdens of the pandemic do not unfairly fall on South Carolina’s most vulnerable communities and that all responses are rooted in science and public health and are no more intrusive on civil liberties than necessary. To ensure a COVID-19 response that protects all people, South Carolina must: 
Press Release
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ACLU of South Carolina Releases Blueprint for COVID-19 Relief

Court Case
Mar 20, 2017

United States v. Kolsuz

Court Case
Mar 06, 2013

FOIA - Information Request on Military Weapons and Tactics