Our Work
Founded in 2014, the Center on Privacy & Technology is a leader at the intersection of privacy, surveillance, and civil rights.
Latest Work
Worker Surveillance Panel at RightsCon 2023
Senior Associate Cynthia Khoo spoke on a panel at RightsCon 2023, titled, "Reclaiming and Building Worker Power in an Age of Workplace Surveillance." She joined representatives from Coworker.org, TEDIC Paraguay, and other privacy and technology policy professionals. Cynthia presented on how both privacy laws and employment / labour laws fail to protect workers from surveillance and data-driven harms, and what lawyers, other advocates, and decision-makers can do to address the issue.
Testimony Before the NYC Council Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection
Justice Fellow Meg Foster testified before the NYC Council Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection advocating for a complete ban on facial recognition technology.
“Testifying about the Dangers of Face Recognition Use in the Private Sector” blog
On February 24, 2023, Justice Fellow Meg Foster testified on behalf of the Privacy Center in a hearing before the New York City Council Committee on Consumer & Worker Protection. Read her whole testimony, with some additional context, on our blog here.
Roundtable Discussion of Cop Out: Automation in the Criminal Legal System
The Center hosted a roundtable discussion during Georgetown's Tech Society Week previewing the Center's new interactive digital narrative Cop Out: Automation in the Criminal Legal System. The discussion featured Assia Boundaoui, journalist and filmmaker behind The Feeling of Being Watched and Inverse Surveillance Project; Nasser Eledroos, Managing Director of Northeastern Law’s Center on Law, Innovation, and Creativity; Meg Foster, Justice Fellow at the Center on Privacy & Technology; Puck Lo, Research Director at Community Justice Exchange; Freddy Martinez, Senior Researcher at Project on Government Oversight; and Paromita Shah, co-founder and Executive Director of Just Futures Law.
“Building on the Dream: Privacy, Equity, and Civil Rights” Event
On January 18th, the Center on Privacy & Technology co-hosted "Building on the Dream: Privacy, Equity, and Civil Rights" with the Georgetown Law Tech Institute. The event featured US Assistant Secretary of Commerce Alan Davidson announcing a NTIA request for comments regarding how data practices affect civil rights and a panel of privacy and civil rights experts.
Washington Post: How Workers Can Protect Their Privacy
Senior Associate Cynthia Khoo was quoted in a Washington Post article about workers' considerations when it comes to their private communications at work. She discussed various factors that workers should be aware of with respect to their digital security and communications privacy.
Written Testimony Provided in Support of the Stop Discrimination by Algorithms Act
The Center submitted written testimony in support of the Stop Discrimination by Algorithms Act to the Council of the District of Columbia, co-authored by Senior Associate Cynthia Khoo, Associate Korica Simon, and Executive Director Emily Tucker. Their comments expanded on Khoo's oral testimony at hearing, further elaborating on the nature of algorithmic discrimination; arguing that business costs should not be weighed in prohibiting illegal discrimination; correcting industry talking points regarding technical definitions and the state of the relevant legal, policy, and research field; and urging DC Council to act now to reduce harm, rather than wait to follow potential future federal initiatives.
Advocacy for DC Community Control Over Police Surveillance Model Bill
The Community Control Over Police Surveillance Model Bill (CCOPS) was a bill supported by the Community Oversight of Surveillance coalition that would require DC entities to obtain Council approval before acquiring new surveillance technology and entities would be required to report why they wanted to use the technology and the impact it would have on civil rights and liberties. The Center on Privacy and Technology was a client of the Communications and Technology Law Clinic and asked the clinic to advocate on our behalf at coalition meetings about CCOPS.
Joint Committee Hearing on Massachusetts Information Privacy Act
Associate Cynthia Khoo submitted oral and written testimony on the Massachusetts Information Privacy Act, to the MA Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity. MIPA would restrict biometric and worker surveillance and algorithmic discrimination.
“Data, Camera, Busted: How surveillance interferes with the right to organize at work” blog
Associate Gabrielle Rejouis published a blog explaining how companies are using surveillance and monitoring to bust unions and unionizing efforts. Read the whole blog here.