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Most Recent Updates

Greenwald Speaks: Snowden and Demonizing Dissent

Published: 
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
In June of 2013, NSA contractor Edward Snowden famously leaked knowledge of systematic government spying to journalist Glenn Greenwald of The Guardian. Over the next year, Greenwald assembled his insights about government spying and Snowden into a book titled No Place to Hide. On a book tour, he recently spoke to a packed house at Seattle’s Town Hall.
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Liberty Link: Guess Where Seattle’s Police Drones Ended Up?

Published: 
Friday, June 20, 2014
Have you wondered where Seattle’s police drones are? How about … Los Angeles? In an aptly named article “Game of Drones” in the LA Weekly, Seattle journalist Rick Anderson chronicles how the Los Angeles Police Department acquired the two 3.5 Draganflyer X6 drones as a gift from the Seattle Police Department.
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Focus Cop Cams on Police Accountability

Published: 
Thursday, June 19, 2014
When people hear that their police department is considering equipping officers with body cameras, their initial reaction is likely to be “Good!”  Many instances of police misconduct have come to light over the years because someone recorded the incident with a mobile camera. So having a camera attached to each officer seems like a great way to ensure accountability.
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Despite Broad Bipartisan Support, Bill to Regulate Government Drones Is Vetoed

News Release, Published: 
Friday, April 4, 2014
The ACLU-WA is deeply disappointed that the Governor has vetoed a carefully considered bill to regulate government use of drones. The action was a missed opportunity to uphold the state’s strong tradition of privacy, and protect all Washingtonians from government surveillance. 
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Legislature passes bill to regulate government drone use

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
EHB 2789, legislation that puts reasonable regulations in place for government use of drones in Washington state, has passed the Senate with a 46-1 vote, and the House has concurred with a bipartisan 77-21 vote.  The bill has gone to the Governor to be signed into law.
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The ACLU-WA and Seattle’s Booking Photo Comparison Software

Published: 
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
The ACLU has long been concerned about the use of facial recognition systems and the broad fishing expeditions for which they can be used.  That’s why the ACLU of Washington worked hard to change the Seattle Police Department’s proposed policy for the Booking Photo Comparison Software (BPCS).
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Liberty Link: Ben Wizner Goes on “The Record” about Surveillance

Published: 
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Ben Wizner is director of the ACLU’s national Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, and is a legal advisor to Edward Snowden.  He has visited Snowden in Moscow and communicates with him over encrypted channels.  Wizner was in Seattle recently and spoke to KUOW host David Hyde on “The Record” about privacy in the digital age.
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ACLU activists make the case for reasonable drone regulation

Published: 
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
A group of enthusiastic ACLU-WA activists met at the State Capitol on Tuesday to encourage legislators to support  House Bill 1771 and Senate Bill 6172 calling for reasonable, common sense limits to drone use by state and local government agencies.
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Bill to Regulate Drones Passes Washington State House with Strong Bipartisan Support

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The Washington State House has passed HB 2789, a bill which puts reasonable regulations in place for government use of drones in Washington state. The measure passed overwhelmingly with strong bipartisan support by an 83-15 vote.
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Taking DNA Upon Arrest: Ineffective, Expensive, and Unconstitutional

Document, Published: 
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
SB 6314 would allow the collection of DNA samples from arrestees who have not yet been convicted of any crime. But this kind of DNA collection has not reduced crime in the states that have tried it. Analyzing the DNA of every felony arrestee is expensive, exacerbates crime lab backlogs, unfairly targets communities of color, and takes samples from large numbers of people who are unlikely to commit future crimes.
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