March, 30 2010, 11:59am EDT
ACLU Joins AT&T, Google And Privacy Groups To Urge Updates To Privacy Law
The American Civil Liberties Union today joined with a broad
coalition to urge Congress to make much-needed changes to the laws that
protect the privacy of electronic information. Congress passed the
Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) in 1986 - before the Web
was invented - and it has not been properly updated to reflect the vast
changes in technology since then.
coalition to urge Congress to make much-needed changes to the laws that
protect the privacy of electronic information. Congress passed the
Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) in 1986 - before the Web
was invented - and it has not been properly updated to reflect the vast
changes in technology since then.
WASHINGTON
The American Civil Liberties Union today joined with a broad
coalition to urge Congress to make much-needed changes to the laws that
protect the privacy of electronic information. Congress passed the
Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) in 1986 - before the Web
was invented - and it has not been properly updated to reflect the vast
changes in technology since then. The coalition, named Digital Due
Process, joins together the ACLU, AT&T, Google, Microsoft, the
Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation and
other privacy groups.
coalition to urge Congress to make much-needed changes to the laws that
protect the privacy of electronic information. Congress passed the
Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) in 1986 - before the Web
was invented - and it has not been properly updated to reflect the vast
changes in technology since then. The coalition, named Digital Due
Process, joins together the ACLU, AT&T, Google, Microsoft, the
Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation and
other privacy groups.
Digital Due Process will be working with Congress, law
enforcement agencies and other relevant government officials to ensure
that ECPA is brought up to date.
enforcement agencies and other relevant government officials to ensure
that ECPA is brought up to date.
"Our privacy laws desperately need an upgrade," said Laura W.
Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "Technology
has evolved at a lightning pace, leaving our privacy protections out of
date and ineffective. The Fourth Amendment guarantees us the right to be
secure in our 'papers and effects' and that means something entirely
different in the 21st century. Many of our 'papers and
effects' are no longer tangible in the same way they used to be but
still must be defended from the overreaching hands of government.
Congress must step up and make the much-needed changes to the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act."
Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "Technology
has evolved at a lightning pace, leaving our privacy protections out of
date and ineffective. The Fourth Amendment guarantees us the right to be
secure in our 'papers and effects' and that means something entirely
different in the 21st century. Many of our 'papers and
effects' are no longer tangible in the same way they used to be but
still must be defended from the overreaching hands of government.
Congress must step up and make the much-needed changes to the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act."
Digital Due Process priorities include restricting the sharing of
Americans' location information and records of electronic
communications. Eighty-two percent of Americans own cell phones which
transmit location information every minute of every day, and countless
e-mails and text messages are sent daily. Digital Due Process is asking
that ECPA be updated to require government officials to obtain a warrant
based on probable cause before allowing access to any of those
electronic records, just as they have always had to do for similarly
sensitive personal papers. The ACLU believes the efforts being urged by
the coalition to update ECPA are critical first steps, but is asking
Congress to make even further changes to the law.
Americans' location information and records of electronic
communications. Eighty-two percent of Americans own cell phones which
transmit location information every minute of every day, and countless
e-mails and text messages are sent daily. Digital Due Process is asking
that ECPA be updated to require government officials to obtain a warrant
based on probable cause before allowing access to any of those
electronic records, just as they have always had to do for similarly
sensitive personal papers. The ACLU believes the efforts being urged by
the coalition to update ECPA are critical first steps, but is asking
Congress to make even further changes to the law.
"An electronic privacy law that was written the year 'Top Gun'
was in theaters is clearly in desperate need of an update," said
Christopher Calabrese, ACLU Legislative Counsel. "As more and more
Americans live their lives online we need to make sure their privacy
remains solidly protected, but as it stands, the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act falls very short. Comprehensive protection
for records of our e-mails, texts and cell phone locations is the very
least that needs to be done. It's time for Congress to update this law."
was in theaters is clearly in desperate need of an update," said
Christopher Calabrese, ACLU Legislative Counsel. "As more and more
Americans live their lives online we need to make sure their privacy
remains solidly protected, but as it stands, the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act falls very short. Comprehensive protection
for records of our e-mails, texts and cell phone locations is the very
least that needs to be done. It's time for Congress to update this law."
In addition to the changes being pursued by Digital Due Process,
the ACLU is asking that Congress modernize ECPA to:
the ACLU is asking that Congress modernize ECPA to:
- Robustly Protect All Personal Electronic
Information. Congress
must ensure that current loopholes in our privacy laws are closed to
ensure that electronic information, including most transactional
communications, receive full warrant protection regardless of their age
or nature. - Institute Appropriate Oversight and Reporting
Requirements. So Congress
can fulfill its oversight role and ensure adequate transparency to the
public, existing reporting requirements for wiretap orders must be
extended to all types of law enforcement surveillance requests. - Require
a Suppression Remedy. Just as non-electronic information
illegally obtained by law enforcement is not admissible in a court of
law, the same should be true of illegally obtained electronic
information. The discrepancy in the law encourages government
overreaching and must be changed to require a judge to bar the use of
such unlawfully obtained information in court proceedings. - Craft Reasonable Exceptions. Overbroad exceptions are also depriving
Americans of their rightful privacy protection. Currently ECPA sometimes
allows access to the content of communications without a true
emergency, without informed consent or oversight and without prompt
notice to the subject. These overly broad exceptions must be amended to
properly safeguard Americans' privacy rights.
More information on the ACLU's work with online privacy can be
found at: www.dotrights.org
found at: www.dotrights.org
and www.aclu.org/ecpa
More information on the coalition's work to update ECPA can be
found at the coalition's page www.digitaldueprocess.org
found at the coalition's page www.digitaldueprocess.org
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
(212) 549-2666LATEST NEWS
'No Way' We Let Trump Privatize Postal Service, Say Progressives
Instead of privatization, said one Democratic lawmaker, "Fire his former pick for postmaster, DeJoy, and let a real professional run it like it should be run. The first priority is delivering mail. Cut the Pentagon's bloat if you want to save money."
Dec 15, 2024
After weekend reporting indicated President-elect Donald Trump is actively thinking about avenues to privatize the U.S. Postal Service, progressives decried any such efforts and once again directed their ire on the much-reviled Postermaster General, appointed to run the USPS during Trump's first term.
Citing people familiar with recent talks within the incoming team's camp, the Washington Postreported Saturday that Trump is "keen" for a privatization scheme that would hand the USPS over to for-profit, private interests.
According to the Post:
Trump has discussed his desire to overhaul the Postal Service at his Mar-a-Lago estate with Howard Lutnick, his pick for commerce secretary and the co-chair of his presidential transition, the people said. Earlier this month, Trump also convened a group of transition officials to ask for their views on privatizing the agency, one of the people said.
Told of the mail agency's annual financial losses, Trump said the government should not subsidize the organization, the people said. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to reflect private conversations.
Trump's hostility to government programs that serve the public interest—including Medicare, Social Security, public education, and consumer protection agencies—is well-documented.
"The United States Postal Service is a crucial asset that was built and is owned by all of us, and there is zero mandate from the public to turn it over to an oligarch."
Trump's attacks on the Postal Service, including his blessing of the 2020 appointment of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a former logistics industry executive, sparked alarm about Republican desires to gut the agency from the inside out.
While calls to fire DeJoy from the USPS top leadership post persisted during the last year of Trump's first term and remained constant during Biden's time in office, he remains Postmaster General despite repeated accusations that his ultimate aim is to diminish the agency to such an extend that it will be more possible to justify its dismantling.
While the Post's reporting on Saturday stated that Trump's "specific plans for overhauling the Postal Service" in his upcoming term "were not immediately clear," it did quote Casey Mulligan, who served as a top economic advisor during the last administration, who touted the private sectors performance compared to a Postal Service he claimed was too slow and costly.
"We didn't finish the job in the first term, but we should finish it now," said Mulligan.
Progressive defenders of the Postal Service, in response, denounced any future effort to privatize the agency, one of the most popular among the U.S. public.
"The Post Office is in our constitution," said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) on Saturday. "There is no way we let Donald Trump privatize it. Fire his former pick for postmaster, DeJoy, and let a real professional run it like it should be run. The first priority is delivering mail. Cut the Pentagon's bloat if you want to save money."
Former Ohio state senator Nina Turner also defended the USPS, saying that "72% of Americans approve of the U.S. Postal Service, it's how many seniors receive medication, especially in rural areas."
Progressive critics of right-wing attacks on the Postal Service have noted for years that the "financial performance" issues are a direct result of the "burdensome and unnecessary" pre-funding of liabilities mandated by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which forces the USPS to pay billions each year towards future postal worker retirement benefits.
"No matter what your partisan stripe," said Micah Rasmussen, director of the The Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, "we should be able to agree the United States Postal Service is a crucial asset that was built and is owned by all of us, and there is zero mandate from the public to turn it over to an oligarch."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Holiday Season Ultimatum From Amazon Workers: Bargain or We Strike!
"If Amazon chooses to ignore us, they’re the ones ruining Christmas for millions of families. We’re not just fighting for a contract; we’re fighting for the future of worker power at Amazon and beyond."
Dec 14, 2024
Workers at a Amazon warehouse and delivery center in New York announced approval of strike authorizations on Friday, giving the retail giant—who have refused to negotiate for months—until Sunday to come to the bargaining table or risk a major work stoppage at the height of the holiday shopping season.
The unions representing Amazon workers at two New York City facilities—the JFK8 warehouse on Staten Island and the DBK4 delivery center in Queens—cited the company's "illegal refusal to recognize their union and negotiate a contract" to address low wages and dangerous working conditions as the reason for the strike authorization.
"We just want what everyone else in America wants—to do our jobs and get paid enough to take care of ourselves and our families. And Amazon isn't letting us do that."
"Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in a statement. "We've been clear: Amazon has until December 15 to come to the table and bargain for a contract. If these white-collar criminals want to keep breaking the law, they better get ready for a fight."
The workers are demanding:
- A living wage with fair pay increases.
- Safer working conditions to prevent injuries and fatalities.
- Job security and protection from arbitrary firings.
- Dignity and respect for all employees.
In June, over 5,500 workers at JFK8—who first voted in favor of creating a union in 2022—joined the Teamsters and chartered the Amazon Labor Union (ALU)-IBT Local 1. Despite consolidating their organizing strength with the backing of the Teamsters, Amazon management has dragged their feet on bargaining a first contract, hardly surprising given the company's long-standing hostility to organized labor.
"Amazon's refusal to negotiate is a direct attack on our rights," said Connor Spence, president of ALU-IBT Local 1, on Friday. "If Amazon chooses to ignore us, they’re the ones ruining Christmas for millions of families. We’re not just fighting for a contract; we’re fighting for the future of worker power at Amazon and beyond."
Rank-and-file members said their demands are reasonable, especially as the company—owned by the world's second-richest man, Jeff Bezos—continues to rake in massive profits year after year as one of the world's largest companies.
"We aren't asking for much," said James Saccardo, a worker at JFK8. "We just want what everyone else in America wants—to do our jobs and get paid enough to take care of ourselves and our families. And Amazon isn't letting us do that."
In Queens, where Amazon workers at DBK4—the corporation's largest delivery station in the city—voted nearly unanimously to authorize a strike of their own.
"Driving for Amazon is tough," said Luc Rene, a driver who works out of DBK4. "What's even tougher is fighting a mega-corporation that constantly breaks the law and games the system. But we won't give up."
"Every horror story you read about Amazon is true, but worse," said Justine, a warehouse worker in New York in a video produced by More Perfect Union.
BREAKING: Amazon workers in NYC are going on strike right before Christmas — the company's busiest time.
The first unionized Amazon warehouse is going to shut down in a historic walkout.
Workers plan to hit the company where it hurts to win their first union contract. pic.twitter.com/CwnrRWg4be
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) December 13, 2024
A strike at this time of year, the busiest for the retail giant, reports labor correspondent Jessica Burbank for Drop Site News, "would hit them where it hurts. The scale of the strike would be unprecedented, including the major hubs of New York and San Bernadino, California."
According to Burbank:
Amazon now has a workforce of over 700,000, making it the largest employer of warehouse workers in the nation. If a contract is won at these initial 20 bargaining units, it has the potential to impact working conditions for thousands of workers, and inspire union organizing efforts at Amazon facilities across the country.
For Amazon workers who voted to unionize their warehouses in March of 2022, this has been a long time coming. “Thousands of Amazon workers courageously cast their ballots to form a union at JFK8 in Staten Island,” Smalls said in a text. “We shocked the world, we had won against a corporate giant and hoped that step would propel us forward to help create a better workplace.” For years, Amazon stalled on recognizing the union, and has not yet met union representatives at the negotiating table.
Smalls said, “I’m excited to see workers take control, take the next step and move even further down the path to victory when they exercise their right to strike.” He continued, “We celebrated as we inspired thousands of others to hope for the same.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Saturday issued his support for the union workers.
"Amazon delivery drivers and warehouse workers deserve decent wages, benefits and working conditions—and the right to form a union," said Sanders. "I strongly support the thousands of Amazon workers who will go on strike tomorrow if Amazon doesn't end its illegal union busting."
The workers at JFK8 said people could support the union's effort in various ways "at this critical time," including:
- Donate to the Solidarity Fund: Help workers sustain their fight by contributing to the strike fund.
- Show Up on the Picket Line: Join workers at JFK8 to demonstrate solidarity and hold Amazon accountable for their illegal refusal to negotiate a union contract.
- Spread the Word: Use social media and local networks to raise awareness about the workers’ struggle and the importance of their fight for justice at Amazon.
- Contact Elected Officials: Urge representatives to publicly support JFK8 workers and pressure Amazon to negotiate in good faith.
- Sign the Petition: Stand with Amazon workers and demand that Amazon guarantee a safe return to work, free of harassment and retaliatory disciplinary action, to all workers participating in protected collective action.
For his part, former labor secretary and economist Robert Reich said he had no sympathy for the retail giant's refusal to bargain in good faith with the workers who make its business model possible.
"Amazon had $15 billion in profits last quarter," said Reich. "Don't tell me they can't afford to bargain a fair contract."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Bernie Sanders Says Defeating Oligarchy Now Most Urgent Issue
"My friends, you don’t have to be a PhD in political science to understand that this is not democracy. This is not one person, one vote. This is not all of us coming together to decide our future. This is oligarchy."
Dec 14, 2024
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is escalating his fight against the U.S. oligarchy with a new campaign directed at the nation's wealthiest individuals—including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg—who he says are key culprits in a global race to the bottom that is stripping people worldwide of political agency while impoverishing billions so that the rich can amass increasingly obscene levels of wealth.
Announcing a new series that will detail how "billionaire oligarchs" in the U.S. "manipulate the global economy, purchase our elections, avoid paying taxes, and increasingly control our government," Sanders said in a Friday night video address that it makes him laugh when mainstream pundits talk openly about the nefarious oligarchic structures in other places, but refuse to acknowledge the issue in domestic terms.
"Strangely enough, the term 'oligarchy' is very rarely used to describe what's happening in the United States or in fact, what's happening around the world," said Sanders. "But guess what? Oligarchy is a global phenomenon, and it is headquartered right here in the United States."
Bernie Sanders talks about the oligarchy
While rarely discussed in the corporate press or by most elected officials, argues Sanders, the reality is that a "small number of incredibly wealthy billionaires own and control much of the global economy. Period. End of discussion. And increasingly they own and control our government through a corrupt campaign finance system."
Since the the victory of President-elect Donald Trump in November, Sanders has been increasingly outspoken about his frustrations over the failure of the Democratic Party to adequately confront the contradictions presented by a party that purports to represent the interests of the working class yet remains so beholden to corporate interests and the wealthy that lavish it with campaign contributions.
In a missive to supporters last month, Sanders bemoaned how "just 150 billionaire families spent nearly $2 billion to get their candidates elected" in this year's elections, which included giving to both major political parties. Such a reality, he said, must be challenged.
As part of his new effort announced Friday, Sanders' office said the two-time Democratic presidential candidate would be hosting a series of discussions with the leading experts on various topics related to the form and function of U.S. oligarchy and expose the incoming Trump administration's "ties to the billionaire class," including their efforts to further erode democracy, gut regulations, enrich themselves, and undermine the common good.
"In my view," said Sanders, "this issue of oligarchy is the most important issue facing our country and world because it touches on everything else." He said the climate crisis, healthcare, worker protections, and the fight against poverty are all adversely effected by the power of the wealthy elites who control the economy and the political sphere.
"My friends, you don’t have to be a PhD in political science to understand that this is not democracy," he said. "This is not one person, one vote. This is not all of us coming together to decide our future. This is oligarchy."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular