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Liberty and Security

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Liberty and Security

America’s founders had come through the experience of war when they wrote the Bill of Rights. The protections for individual freedom and system of checks and balances they provided must not be sacrificed in the name of national security. The ACLU works to conserve our nation’s traditional values, to maintain an America that is both safe and free.

"Top Secret America" Sheds Light on the Intelligence-Industrial Complex

Randy Tyler
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 1:12 pm
This week, the Seattle Times is running a Washington Post expose on the vast American intelligence bureaucracy. Called Top Secret America, the series delves deep into the underbelly of the intelligence world and exposes a runaway freight train that costs a pretty penny and does little to keep us safe. Of particular significance to ACLU-ers, the series documents official frustration with data overload, notes the high cost and low efficacy of the expanding network of programs and agencies, and highlights concerns with the increasing role of private intelligence contractors. Those familiar with our work on surveillance and privacy will recognize these issues as common refrains.
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Chinn Case Is Just The Tip of the Surveillance Iceberg

Randy Tyler
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Well, that settles it – government surveillance without suspicion is a costly endeavor. The case surrounding the false arrest of Phil Chinn –the Olympia activist targeted for surveillance based on his political associations – has come to a close. Unfortunately, a new ACLU report on political spying shows that coordinated efforts to target political activists for surveillance persist not only throughout Washington, but throughout the country.
 

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Surveiling Only With Suspicion

Bills: SB 6432, HB 2798
Position: support
Status: Hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on Jan. 20 at 3:30 p.m.
 
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Don't Chip My Rights Away

ACLU Letter to UTC Requesting Investigation of Phone Companies

The American Civil Liberties Union is troubled by recent media reports claiming that telephone companies have regularly shared consumer telephone records with the National Security Agency without legal authority. If true, these companies have seriously violated the privacy of their customers by disclosing information that reveals their associations, interests and a host of personal details about their lives.
 
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Lawsuit Challenges Unlawful Arrests and Restrictions at Port of Tacoma Protests

September 24, 2009
Anti-war activists are pursuing a lawsuit challenging police actions that violated their rights at demonstrations at the Port of Tacoma: unlawful arrests, unconstitutional restrictions, unreasonable force, and unauthorized surveillance, all designed to discourage and prevent peaceful protest.
 

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McCarthy v. Barrett

Anti-war activists are pursuing a lawsuit challenging Tacoma Police Department actions that violated their rights at demonstrations at the Port of Tacoma. The suit asserts police conducted unlawful arrests, imposed unconstitutional restrictions, used unreasonable force, and engaged in unauthorized surveillance in order to discourage and prevent peaceful protest.
 
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Shirly Scheier

Settlement for Handcuffing and Detention of UW Art Professor

June 8, 2009
Shirley Scheier was frisked, handcuffed, and detained for taking photographs of power lines as part of an art project. The ACLU-WA has reached a settlement of her lawsuit against the City of Snohomish.
 

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Mohamed, et al. v. Jeppesen Dataplan

The national ACLU brought suit on behalf of five men who were kidnapped and secretly transferred to U.S.-run prisons or foreign intelligence agencies overseas, where they were interrogated under torture. The lawsuit was dismissed in February 2008, and the ACLU is appealing that ruling.
 
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