Our Work
Founded in 2014, the Center on Privacy & Technology is a leader at the intersection of privacy, surveillance, and civil rights.
Latest Work
National Civil Rights Leader to Address Georgetown Law Conference on Surveillance of Immigrants
In June 2017, the Privacy Center hosted "The Color of Surveillance: Government Monitoring of American Immigrants." The conference, which featured a keynote address by Vanita Gupta, explored the surveillance of immigrants from the late 19th century to the present. Read the full press release,
Privacy Center Files Lawsuit for Release of Information on NYPD’s Face Recognition Program
On May 2, 2017, the Privacy Center filed a lawsuit against the New York Police Department (NYPD) for failure to release documents about its use of face recognition technology in compliance with the state's public records law. Read the full press release.
Privacy Center Executive Director Testifies at House Oversight Hearing on Law Enforcement Use of Face Recognition Technology
On March 22, 2017, founding Executive Director Alvaro Bedoya testified before the House Oversight Committee. The hearing follows the Privacy Center's publication of "The Perpetual Line-Up," which found that more than half of Americans is in a criminal face recognition network. Read the full press advisory.
Over Half of All American Adults Are In a Police Face Recognition Database, New Report Finds
On October 18, 2016, the Privacy Center released "The Perpetual Line-Up: Unregulated Police Face Recognition in America." Authored by Associate Clare Garvie, Executive Director Alvaro Bedoya, and Staff Technologist Jonathan Frankle, the report found that more than half of American adults were enrolled in a face recognition network searchable by law enforcement. Read the full press release.
Georgetown Privacy Center & MIT Privacy Practicum Course
In the spring of 2015, the Privacy Center teamed up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to offer a one-of-a-kind Privacy Practicum course. The course joined Georgetown Law students and MIT students via video conferencing as they worked together to draft better privacy laws. The course aimed to better integrate technologists and engineers into privacy policy, paving a powerful path that allows innovation while simultaneously protecting privacy. A video featuring interviews with Executive Director Alvaro Bedoya and Faculty Director David Vladeck is available to watch here.