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Former Ambassador Joe Wilson talks about the Bush administration's efforts to stifle free speech

Judiciary Committee Reviews Predatory Marketing Law Following Constitutional Challenge (10/15/2009)
The Maine Civil Liberties Union testified today in front of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee regarding a new Maine law with potentially disastrous consequences for the free flow of information and the First Amendment rights of Mainers. The law, which was intended only to protect children from predatory marketing by pharmaceutical companies goes far further, implicating not only free speech, but also privacy rights and Commerce Clause restrictions on state regulations.

ACLU Wins Free Speech Victory: Court Declares City of Englewood's Sign Code Unconstitutional (10/01/2009)
Today, the Colorado Court of Appeals agreed with the ACLU in a case challenging the constitutionality of the City of Englewood's sign code. The case was brought on behalf of Mike Mahaney, an Englewood shop owner whose mural depicting an Alice in Wonderland scene prompted controversy and citations for allegedly violating the City's sign code.

Obama Administration Seeks To Gut Reporters’ Shield Legislation (10/01/2009)
WASHINGTON – According to a report in the New York Times today, the Obama administration has presented a proposal to Congress regarding legislative efforts to secure a federal reporters’ shield bill. The administration reportedly will oppose any legislation that would protect journalists from being thrown in prison for refusing to reveal confidential national security sources. The proposal reportedly claims that the administration could decide what stories would cause “significant” damage to national security and, in some cases, have courts defer to the administration’s assertions.

FCC Proposes Net Neutrality Rules (09/22/2009)
WASHINGTON – On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed expanded “net neutrality” guidelines that would require Internet service providers to treat all content and applications equally, regardless of their origin or messaging. The American Civil Liberties Union strongly supports these principles put forth by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, which would offer much needed First Amendment protections. The FCC is also calling on operators to make their management practices transparent to users, offering greater consumer protections.

ACLU Petitions Court for Release of Richard Hatch (09/09/2009)
BOSTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today filed a habeas corpus petition asking a federal court to release Richard Hatch from jail in Barnstable County. Mr. Hatch gained notoriety for having won the first season of the television show "Survivor," and for the legal battle regarding his taxes that ensued.

Enacting A Reasonable Federal Shield Law: A Reply To Professors Clymer And Eliason (07/01/2008)
These days, it can be difficult to read a newspaper without seeing a story of another journalist subpoenaed to identify a confidential source. From Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada to Judith Miller and Jim Taricani, many reporters are becoming known more for the court proceedings against them than they are for the stories they write. Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter James Risen, who broke the story on the Bush Administration’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program, is the latest casualty.2 Instead of reporting the news, journalists have become the news.

Reclaiming Our Rights: Declaration of First Amendment Rights and Grievances (09/01/2007)

Publish and Perish: The Need for a Federal Reporters' Shield Law (03/14/2007)
The need for a federal reporters' shield law today is urgent. Efforts by the press to fulfill its role of exposing government abuses of power and unlawful acts are met with subpoenas, criminal charges, and lengthy prison terms.

NYCLU Report: Arresting Protest (04/28/2003)

Amicus Brief of the Int'l Center for Technology Assessment, Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism, Greenpeace, and Council for Responsible Genetics (09/10/2009)

The Authors Guild, Inc., et al. v. Google Inc. - Privacy Authors And Publishers' Objection To Proposed Settlement (09/08/2009)

Amicus Brief of the National Women's Health Network and Other Organizations (08/28/2009)

ACLU v. DHS - Complaint for Injunctive Relief (08/26/2009)

ACLU Freedom of Information Act Request for Records Maintained by Customs and Border Protection (06/10/2009)

ACLU Statement for the Record for a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Hearing on Cyberbullying (09/30/2009)

ACLU Letter to Senate Judiciary Regarding the Markup of S. 448, The Free Flow of Information Act of 2009 (09/09/2009)

ACLU Letter to House and Senate Conferees Regarding Hate Crimes (09/08/2009)

ACLU Letter to the Department of Defense Regarding Its Level 1 Anti-terrorism Training Materials (06/10/2009)

Joint Letter to White House Urging Rescindment of Speech Limitations for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (03/31/2009)
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (“CREW”), the American Civil Liberties Union (“ACLU”) and the American League of Lobbyists (“ALL”) respectfully request that President Barack Obama rescind Section 3 of the March 20, 2009, memorandum issued to the heads of executive departments and agencies with the subject line, “Ensuring Responsible Spending of Recovery Act Funds.”

BRCA - Statement of Support: Joshua Sarnoff (05/13/2009)

BRCA - Statement of Support: Council for Responsible Genetics (05/12/2009)

BRCA - Statement of Support: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (05/12/2009)

BRCA - Statement of Support: Center for Genetics and Society (05/12/2009)

BRCA - Statement of Support: International Center for Technology Assessment (05/12/2009)

BRCA: Genes and Patents (05/12/2009)
What are genes and patents? What is the law that applies? Why is the ACLU getting involved with patent law?

FAQs on Reporter Shield Laws (05/28/2008)

Wisconsin Right to Life v. FEC (11/21/2005)
Whether the ACLU can be barred from broadcasting advertisements prior to an election that name a federal candidate, even though the ACLU has never taken a position on an election in its 85-year history. DECIDED

ACLU v. DHS (06/10/2009)
Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a component of the Department of Homeland Security, issued a policy that asserted that CBP had the right to search the laptops, electronic devices and printed material of any traveler at the border, "absent individualized suspicion." The policy applied to both U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens, and subjected travelers to the possibility of having their personal financial information, family photographs and lists of Web sites visited searched by CBP officials without having reason to believe they had broken the law.

ACLU Lawsuit To Uncover Records of Cell Phone Tracking (07/01/2008)
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a lawsuit in July 2008 urging a federal court to order the Department of Justice (DOJ) to turn over records related to the government's use of people's cell phones as tracking devices.