Our Work
Founded in 2014, the Center on Privacy & Technology is a leader at the intersection of privacy, surveillance, and civil rights.
Latest Work
“ICE Searches of State Driver’s License Databases” blog
Senior Associate Harrison Rudolph published a blog covering the research the Privacy Center has been doing on ICE's use of face recognition tech. Read the whole blog here.
DMV Searches by ICE Earn Criticism and Calls for Investigation in Utah
After The Washington Post reported the Center's research on ICE's FR searches on DMV databases in Utah and Washington, Utah Lt. Gov. Cox expressed concern and said the they would be investigating ICE's access. The Center's findings left lawmakers and civil society groups in Utah outraged.
Center Files Location Privacy Complaint with FCC
The Center filed under the Freedom of Information Act requests showed that ICE had asked at least three states that offer undocumented people driver’s licenses to run face recognition searches of their DMV photos. The documents were released via an exclusive with The Washington Post.
Law Fellow Speaks on IGF-USA Panel
Law Fellow Gabrielle Rejouis spoke on the IGF-USA "Which National Privacy Strategy Should the US adopt?" panel. The panel examined different privacy frameworks and the benefits of each approach.
“It’s not just the tech sector that isn’t representative — it’s the people making the laws, too” blog
Associate Jameson Spivack published a blog about a House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology hearing on the ethical and societal implications of AI and the demographics of the committee. Read the whole blog here.
“Haven’t You Heard?” blog
Associate Gabrielle Rejouis published a blog about the inequalities of technology. Read the whole blog here.
House Oversight Committee Hearing on Face Recognition
Senior Associate Clare Garvie testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She argued that in the absence of regulation police use of face recognition poses risks to our First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Because of those risks, a moratorium is appropriate.
Privacy Center Senior Associate Testifies at House Oversight Hearing on Face Recognition
On May 22, 2019, Senior Associate Clare Garvie, whose research has exposed face recognition technology's potential for abuse, testified before the House Oversight Committee. The hearing examined the use of face recognition technology by government and commercial entities and the need for oversight on its use on civilians. Read the full press release.
New York Times Calls for Regulation of Facial Recognition
Citing the Center's reports, The New York Times' editorial board called for regulation of NYPD's use of face recognition, warning that "dragnets become tools aimed at minority populations." Earlier, columnist Farhad Manjoo called for a moratorium on the technology based on Center reports.
NPR: San Francisco Bans Facial Recognition Tech
Senior Associate Clare Garvie spoke with NPR's On Point about the recent San Francisco face recognition ban and the privacy and civil liberties concerns surrounding police use of the technology.