Our Work
Founded in 2014, the Center on Privacy & Technology is a leader at the intersection of privacy, surveillance, and civil rights.
Latest Work
Privacy Center FOIA lawsuit covered in NBC Bay Area
A NBC Bay Area video story featured the Privacy Center's litigation against the Department of Homeland Security, which arises from FOIA requests we submitted with the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights and Americans for Immigrant Justice. The lawsuit demands greater transparency about DHS's DNA collection program, which is the subject of our 2024 "Raiding the Genome" report.
“A crypto coin for your privacy — how Altman promises the world in exchange for your biometric data” blog
"The political imagination of our elites raises the slogan “humanity first” only to display a barren concept of what it means to be human: to be a user, a consumer, and a source of data extraction." Our Fritz Fellow Dr. Marianna Poyares writes for our blog about Altman and Blania's World project and their Tools for Humanity retina scanning enterprise. Read the whole blog here.
Privacy Center quoted in The Tuscon Sentinel article about FOIA lawsuit
The Tucson Sentinel wrote an article about the Center on Privacy & Technology, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, and Americans for Immigrant Justice's lawsuit against the DHS. The article also cites the Privacy Center's 2024 report "Raiding the Genome" and quotes Executive Director Emily Tucker, Director of Research & Advocacy Stevie Glaberson, and Associate Emerald Tse.
Privacy Center quoted in NBC News article about FOIA lawsuit
Director of Research and Advocacy Stevie Glaberson, Executive Director Emily Tucker, and Associate Emerald Tse were all quoted in a NBC News article about the recent lawsuit the Center on Privacy & Technology, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, and Americans for Immigrant Justice jointly filed against the Department of Homeland Security after trying to get records about DHS' DNA collection program. "DHS is doing so despite collecting DNA from people accused of no crime and while operating with none of the constraints that are supposed to be in place before the government compels someone to give over their most sensitive personal information," Glaberson said. “It is a mistake to think of DHS’s DNA collection program as “immigration enforcement,"" said Tucker. "The program reinforces harmful narratives about immigrants and intensifies existing policing practices that target immigrant communities and communities of color, making us all less safe," said Tse.
Privacy Center quoted in Gizmodo article about CBP’s DNA collection program
Director of Research and Advocacy Stevie Glaberson was quoted in a Gizmodo article, "U.S. Immigration Authorities Are Adding Children’s DNA to a Criminal Database" about CBP's DNA collection program. “The revelation that CBP collected DNA from a 4-year-old and added it to CODIS brings the absurdity of the government’s DNA program into sharp relief," said Glaberson. The Center on Privacy & Technology's 2024 report, "Raiding the Genome," was also cited in the article.
Privacy Center quoted in Newsweek article about FOIA lawsuit
Director of Research and Advocacy Stevie Glaberson was quoted in a Newsweek article about the Center on Privacy & Technology, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, and Americans for Immigrant Justice's lawsuit against the DHS. "We filed this suit in the hopes of chipping away at the obscurity in which the administration is carrying out some of its most dangerous programs. The country deserves to know the details of DHS's DNA collection program," said Glaberson. Executive Director Emily Tucker's press release statement was also quoted.
Privacy Center quoted in The Guardian article about CBP collecting immigrant DNA
The Center on Privacy & Technology's 2024 report, "Raiding the Genome," was cited in a The Guardian article about US immigration authorities' collection of immigrant DNA. Associate Emerald Tse's press release statement was also quoted in the article. "The program reinforces harmful narratives about immigrants and intensifies existing policing practices that target immigrant communities and communities of color, making us all less safe," said Tse.
Privacy Center in NewsNation piece about the DNA collection of immigrants
Director of Research and Advocacy Stevie Glaberson appeared on NewsNation to talk about the DNA collection of immigrants. “When we start talking about DNA, we’re talking about some of the most sensitive information possible, making us really vulnerable. I think what’s important for people to understand is that the risks are not just, even, to the people whose DNA is taken and placed into the system. Very quickly, the risk starts to rebound to all of us," Glaberson said. The video and article were republished in WKRN News 2, WSPA, Fox 8, and KXAN Austin.
Privacy Center sues Department of Homeland Security
The Privacy Center, together with Amica Center for Immigrant Rights and Americans for Immigrant Justice filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act seeking records from DHS regarding the agency’s management and use of DNA. As the Privacy Center reported in its 2024 publication, Raiding the Genome, since 2020, DHS has built out a massive DNA-collection program. The three organizations filed a FOIA request in the summer of 2024 to uncover critical further information about DHS’s DNA-collection program, but the agency has yet to meaningfully respond. Read the full press advisory.
“American Dragnet” cited by the Migration Policy Institute
The Center on Privacy & Technology's 2022 report, "American Dragnet," was cited in a Migration Policy Institute article, "Seeking to Ramp Up Deportations, the Trump Administration Quietly Expands a Vast Web of Data." The article discusses various government databases, how they share information and DOGE's role in facilitating more government data-sharing and the risks of doing so.