Privacy

Supreme Court Ruling a Blow to Genetic Privacy

Submitted by ACLU of Nevada on June 3, 2013

On Wednesday, June 25, Governor Sandoval signed a bill requiring the DNA collection and testing of all individuals arrested for a felony in Nevada. Today, in a case from Maryland, the United States Supreme Court ruled that DNA testing of arrestees is constitutional. Nevada’s new law is much broader than the scheme in Maryland examined by the court. Nevada’s law requires DNA testing for any person arrested for a felony, but Maryland’s is limited to violent felonies. Similarly, Nevada’s law does not prohibit familial searching and does not require automatic expungement of DNA records if an individual is not convicted of a crime. Maryland’s law prohibits familiar searching and also requires automatic expungement of records. There are two known cases in Nevada where mistakes made in DNA testing by crime labs resulted in the conviction of innocent people. The ACLU of Nevada will closely monitor the implementation of this law while reviewing whether it meets the new constitutional bar.

What Secrets Are In Your DNA?

Submitted by ACLU of Nevada on April 24, 2013

Today is National DNA Day, which commemorates the anniversaries of the discovery of the double helix in 1953 and the completion of the National Genome Project in 2003. It is a day to celebrate and learn more about the marvels and technological advances in DNA. DNA analysis reveals a "treasure-trove" of information about an individual's medical and personal history and therefore is not simply a method of identification, like a fingerprint.

ACLU of Nevada and Local Artist Eric Holland Produce (Un)Civil Liberties Art Show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 9, 2012

RENO, NV – The entire Northern Nevada community is invited to an eye-opening Reno event, the (Un)Civil Liberties Art Show, combining civil liberties with the arts to highlight the necessity of protecting our constitutional rights and liberties, and specifically focusing on fighting the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The event, sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada and local artist and art teacher Erik Holland, is at 5-8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 25, at Rainshadow Charter High School, 121 Vesta Street. It is free and open to the public.

Counterterrorism "Fusion Centers" Threaten Civil Liberties

Submitted by Dane S. Claussen on October 8, 2012

Last week, the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a two-year bipartisan report of 141 pages concluding that the 70 state and local intelligence “fusion centers” have not produced significant, useful information to support federal counterterrorism intelligence efforts.

Nevada Highway Patrol using Automatic License Plate Recognition System for DEA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 13, 2012

LAS VEGAS, NV – Several law enforcement agencies in Nevada have responded to the request by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada for documents related to the acquisition and use of automatic license plate readers (ALPR) that can be used for important purposes, such catching a fleeing suspect, to tracking and recording the movements of huge numbers of innocent Americans going about their daily business.

Automated License Plate Recognition Helps Law Enforcement but Endangers Public Privacy

Submitted by Dane S. Claussen on July 31, 2012

The Henderson, Nevada, Police Department implemented automated license plate recognition (ALPR) in three patrol cars in May 2011 and the next month bragged that a stolen vehicle had been spotted and its driver arrested through use of the technology—which cost $160,000 to be installed in nine cars. Impressive technology, right? (Although it should be, with that pricetag!)

ACLU Seeks Details on Automatic License Plate Readers in Massive Nationwide Request

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 27, 2012

NEW YORK –American Civil Liberties Union affiliates in 35 states, including the ACLU of Nevada, sent requests today to local police departments and state agencies that demand information on how they use automatic license plate readers (ALPR) to track and record Americans’ movements.

No DNA Collection Before Conviction

Submitted by ACLU of Nevada on July 16, 2012

How do you feel about your DNA being collected and stored before ever being convicted of a crime? Some states have adopted a version of this policy, where the government collects DNA samples after every arrest. Thankfully, Nevada is not one of those states – yet. The ACLU of Nevada has helped fight off automatic DNA collection after felony arrests in 2011, but it could resurface in the next legislative session.

Concern About Police Drones

Submitted by Dane S. Claussen on May 14, 2012

The idea of police drones flying over Nevada has attracted a great deal of media and public attention over the past few weeks even though no drones are FAA-licensed for use in our state.

Several Times a Minute

Submitted by Paige White on April 5, 2012

That’s how many times your cellphone registers its location with cell networks – several times a minute. It’s just how cellphones work, and there’s no way to stop your phone from reporting its location while still getting a wireless signal.

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