News & Commentary

An unfavorable ruling in the case could “give police free rein to enter the home without probable cause or a warrant, whenever they think it is ‘reasonable’ to do so.”

The ACLU has issued a report calling for the decriminalization of sex work, relying in part on evidence from a period of time in RI when indoor sex work was technically legal in the state.

We released a report which highlights the alarming lack of privacy protections afforded students who use school-loaned laptops. Our report calls for the adoption of laws and policies at the state and local level to address this concerning violation of student privacy rights.

UPDATE: In response to the ACLU's objections, South Kingstown issued an amended executive order that favorably addressed our key concerns.

The following statement was issued today by ACLU of Rhode Island executive director Steven Brown on the Governor’s announcement and release of the “Crush Covid RI” app:

A review of school district policies in the state has prompted the ACLU of Rhode Island to call on all districts to “take prompt action to protect the privacy rights of students and families” with their use of school-loaned devices, such as Chromebooks, and third-party programs that facilitate online learning but also allow for widespread spying on both students and parents. The ACLU’s examination of current school district policies and programs show that they often allow for remote access to a school-loaned computer’s microphone and camera at any time and the ability to view weeks of computer browsing activity, whether on a school laptop or personal computer. In a letter sent to each school district, the ACLU has asked superintendents to take steps to prevent such snooping.

ACLU of Rhode Island executive director Steven Brown issued the following statement in response to the latest order from Governor Gina Raimondo giving State Police and the National Guard the power to stop any car with out-of-state license plates coming into Rhode Island:

The 2019 Top 10. A completely unexhaustive list of (some of) the most absurd civil liberties violations we encountered this year. 

The ACLU will be in court on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 9:30am to argue that the federal government must obtain a warrant before accessing the private health information in New Hampshire’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). The hearing will be held in Boston before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.