A Project of the:
In collaboration with:
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Liberty Coalition and its partner groups
The material linked on this page provides accurate, reliable research that assists activists in developing effective analyses, strategies, and tactics to defend and expand civil liberties. It includes links to groups across the political spectrum and no link implies agreement by every group.
Civil Liberties is one aspect of Building Human Rights as a master frame for
re-invigorating activism and civic participation.
Be alert for any government plan that shifts attention from criminal acts to "radical" ideas and "extreme" views on politics and religion. This chills dissent across the political spectrum.
Stay Tuned.
New Resource Tracked in America: A powerful collection of stories
"Patterns of Misconduct: FBI Intelligence Violations from 2001-2008," Electronic Frontier Foundation
The FBI COINTELPRO Operations 1956-1971
The War at Home by Brian Glick (Entire Book Online in PDF)
Political Spying is a Form of Repression
Browse the Document Depository
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Guidelines
- Federal Bureau of Investigation General
- Federal Bureau of Investigation - COINTELPRO
- Federal Executive Orders
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Massachusetts Commonwealth Fusion Centers
- Testimony by Leiter on Sept. 30, 2009
- Testimony by Mueller on Sept. 30, 2009
- Testimony by Napolitano on Sept. 30, 2009
New! Information Relating to Counter-Terrorism Training:
Background Information
Documents from these states:
Other Documents
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- U.S. Army
- International Counter-Terrorism Officers Association (ICTOA)
More Resources
Liberty and Security: Recommendations for the Obama Administration and Congress
[A coalition effort coordinated by the Constitution Project]
Senate Committee Reports
Homegrown Terrorism Legislation
Articles - Theory - Home
Groups With Reliable Resources
American Civil Liberties Union
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Background Materials
BORDC's flyer:
"Stop Violent Radicalization and
Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act"
available in PDF in two sizes: full page and half page.
Center for Constitutional Rights
The Liberty Coalition
10 Amendments, The Bill of Rights (A Primer)
[Partner Groups]
Punishing Protest
Government Tactics That Suppress Free Speech by Heidi Boghosian
News & Updates from Allies
Hey ITU Member States: No More Secrecy, Release the Treaty proposals…
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will hold the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) in December in Dubai, an…Posted on May 18, 2012, 5:14 pm PDT
House Endorses NDAA’s Indefinite Detention…
Ryan J. Reilly - TalkingPointsMemo.com…Posted on May 17, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
Congress still okay with indefinite detention and torture of Americans…
Jose Luis Magaua - RT…Posted on May 17, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
House Fails To Pass Amendment Scaling Back NDAA Indefinite Detention Provisions…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org WASHINGTON – An amendment that would have explicitly banned indefinite detention…Posted on May 17, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
House Approves Amendment to Defense Spending Bill to Limit Defense Drones Surveillance…
The House of Representatives has approved an amendment, introduced by Congressman Landry (R-LA), to the National Defense Authorization Act to prohibit…Posted on May 17, 2012, 3:41 pm PDT
With New Privacy Policy, Twitter Commits to Respecting Do Not Track…
Under a new policy announced today, Twitter will be suggesting accounts for Twitter users to follow based on data collected from an individual’s bro…Posted on May 17, 2012, 1:56 pm PDT
DOJ PREA Regulations Encouraging but Fail to Protect Immigration Detainees…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice (DOJ) today released federal regulations…Posted on May 17, 2012, 12:19 pm PDT
Privacy Board Approved by Judiciary Committee, Vote Moves to Senate…
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has approved President Obama's five nominees for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. The Board is a…Posted on May 17, 2012, 11:52 am PDT
Racial Profiling Bill And Secure Communities Intersect…
Hugh McQuaid - CT News Junkie…Posted on May 16, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
Prison Rape Elimination Act To Expand To Immigrant Detention Centers…
Elise Foley - Huffington Post…Posted on May 16, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
Despite Opposition, Immigration Agency to Expand Fingerprint Program…
Julia Preston - New York Times…Posted on May 16, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
The case against ‘indefinite detention’…
Rep. Adam Smith and Rep. Justin Amash - Politico…Posted on May 16, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
NYPD announces training changes in stop-and-frisk policy amid allegations of racial profiling…
Associated Press - Washington Post…Posted on May 16, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
Military Detention Law Blocked by New York Judge (Update 2)…
Bob Van Voris and Patricia Hurtado - Bloomberg…Posted on May 16, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
EPIC Supports Geolocation Privacy Act, Suggests Improvement…
In a Statement for the Record, EPIC has expressed support for H.R. 2168, the "Geolocational Privacy and Surveillance Act," which prohibits the interce…Posted on May 16, 2012, 3:19 pm PDT
Posted on May 16, 2012, 1:07 pm PDT
"Privacy And Security: An Evening Conversation With Leading Experts"…
Marc Rotenberg, EPIC Executive Director Stanford Law School and Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center Washington, D.C. May 16, 2012…Posted on May 16, 2012, 8:30 am PDT
Indefinite Detention Blocked: District Judge Rules On Controversial Provision Of NDAA…
Larry Neumeister - Huffington Post…Posted on May 15, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
US rendition 'torture' case heard…
BBC News…Posted on May 15, 2012, 10:00 pm PDT
New Alabama Anti-Immigrant Law Condemned by ACLU as a "Step Backward"…
Legislature’s Revision Leaves Worst Aspects of Draconian Law Intact FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org MONTGOMERY, A…Posted on May 15, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
This Week in Internet Censorship: India, Iran, Brazil, Russia, and More…
Iran Continues March Towards “Halal Internet” This past weekend, Iran’s minister of telecommunications announced that domestic institutions inc…Posted on May 15, 2012, 5:27 pm PDT
FAA Revises Drone License Procedures, Privacy Petition Still Pending…
The Federal Aviation Administration has announced new procedures for government agencies that operate drones in the United States. The procedures wil…Posted on May 15, 2012, 12:07 pm PDT
TPP: Internet Freedom Activists Protest Secret Trade Agreement Being Negotiated This Week…
The U.S. content industry will try anything to preserve its profit margin and power over the creative content market at the expense of the Internet. T…Posted on May 14, 2012, 4:06 pm PDT
EPIC Proposes Update to Privacy Act to Address Recent Supreme Court Decision…
Following the recent decision of the Supreme Court in FAA v. Cooper, EPIC has set out proposed changes to the Privacy Act that would compensate indivi…Posted on May 14, 2012, 2:57 pm PDT
DHS Considers Collecting DNA From Kids; DEA and US Marshals Already Do…
Documents just released by US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) in response to one of EFF’s Freedom of Information Act requests show that…Posted on May 14, 2012, 1:45 pm PDT
ACLU-NJ Wins Round Two of Real ID Battle…
Judge Again Rules for Civil Libertarians in Struggle Over TRU-ID FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org Judge Paul Innes of Me…Posted on May 14, 2012, 1:00 pm PDT
ACLU-NJ Wins Round Two of Real ID Battle…
Judge Again Rules for Civil Libertarians in Struggle Over TRU-ID FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org Judge Paul Innes of Me…Posted on May 14, 2012, 1:00 pm PDT
EPIC Calls on FTC to Develop Substantive Privacy Protections at Workshop on Mobile Advertising…
EPIC submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission for the May 30 workshop on mobile advertising disclosures. EPIC recommended that the agency fo…Posted on May 11, 2012, 3:52 pm PDT
Global Network Initiative Gets an Inside Look at Tech Firms’ Human Rights Practices…
On April 18, the Global Network Initiative (GNI) released its annual report documenting third-party assessments conducted in 2011 and 2012 for GNI’s…Posted on May 11, 2012, 12:53 pm PDT
NY Twitter Decision Fails to Recognize Content and Location Data Require a Warrant…
A New York judge's broad opinion, ordering Twitter to comply with a subpoena (PDF) and turn over account information about one of its users arre…Posted on May 11, 2012, 10:57 am PDT
And the Privacy Invasion Award Goes To ……
Who’s playing fast and loose with your data? The Big Brother Awards, billed as the “Oscars for data leeches” by the hackers and privacy advocate…Posted on May 11, 2012, 9:32 am PDT
ACLU in Appeals Court Today for No Fly List Challenge…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org PORTLAND, Ore. – The American Civil Liberties Union will argue in a federal appea…Posted on May 11, 2012, 6:50 am PDT
EFF to Testify at Hearings on Expanding DMCA Exemptions for Jailbreaking and Video Remixing…
Copyright Office to Hear Public Testimony in Washington, D.C. and Los AngelesWashington, D.C. and Los Angeles - Experts from the Electronic Frontier F…Posted on May 10, 2012, 10:35 am PDT
ACLU-NJ Praises Privacy-in-Social-Media Bill, Calls for it to Cover Law Enforcement Officials…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org The ACLU-NJ supports bills A2878 and A2879, which would prevent private and public empl…Posted on May 9, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
Password Protection Legislation Introduced In House And Senate…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mandy Simon, (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org WASHINGTON – Legislation was introduced today in both the House and…Posted on May 8, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
ACLU Leader Calls Guantánamo Hearing "Déjà vu All Over Again"…
Executive Director Anthony Romero Criticizes Military Commissions for Providing Second-Tier Justice in 9/11 Cases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (2…Posted on May 4, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
ACLU Asks Guantánamo Tribunal Not to Censor 9/11 Defendants’ Accounts of Torture…
Motion Seeks to Bar Government from Keeping Statements about Torture and Abuse Under Wraps FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.Posted on May 3, 2012, 8:45 am PDT
Government Settles Charity’s Lawsuit Over Unconstitutional Terrorism Probe…
Agreement Removes KindHearts from List of Groups with Assets Frozen, Allows Funds to Go to Humanitarian Causes FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 5…Posted on May 1, 2012, 8:27 am PDT
ACLU Credits White House for Drone Strike Transparency, but Says Program Still Unlawful…
ACLU National Security Experts Warn Program Flouts Constitution FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org NEW YORK -- President O…Posted on April 30, 2012, 11:06 am PDT
House Passes Overbroad Cybersecurity Legislation…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org WASHINGTON – The House today passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection…Posted on April 25, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
House Passes Overbroad Cybersecurity Legislation…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org WASHINGTON – The House today passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection…Posted on April 25, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
Griffith Teens’ Facebook Speech is Protected Says ACLU of Indiana…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org Indianapolis – A northern Indiana school that expelled three students for a Faceb…Posted on April 24, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
Mother of Jose Padilla Appeals Torture Lawsuit to U.S. Supreme Court…
ACLU Suit Seeks to Hold U.S. Government Officials Accountable For Torture of American Citizen Jose Padilla FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2…Posted on April 23, 2012, 7:47 am PDT
ACLU OF Utah Seeks To Enjoin Statute Regulating Internet Speech…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org SALT LAKE CITY— Today, the ACLU of Utah as a plaintiff along with a coalition of…Posted on April 11, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
ACLU Comment on Charges Against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Other 9/11 Suspects…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org NEW YORK – The cases of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other detainees accused of par…Posted on April 4, 2012, 9:32 am PDT
PA House Sends Real ID Opt Out Bill to Governor, Says ACLU of PA…
Civil Liberties Group Calls Federal Law “De Facto National ID” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org HARRISBURG,…Posted on April 2, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
ACLU Says Prosecution of Tombstone Street Performer “Johnny Bones” is Malicious, Unconstitutional…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org TOMBSTONE – Tombstone prosecutors are moving forward with charges against busker…Posted on April 2, 2012, 1:49 pm PDT
ACLU Asks State Police to Stop "Shoulder Surfing" Practice…
May Violate Federal Law, Constitutional Rights of Free Speech and Privacy FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org Richmond, VA…Posted on March 26, 2012, 9:00 pm PDT
Supreme Court Remands ACLU Gene Patenting Case to Appeals Court…
Justices Order Court that Hears Patent Cases to Reconsider Decision That Limited Access to Crucial Genetic Testing FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (21…Posted on March 26, 2012, 8:55 am PDT
Lawsuit Alleges Westfield Mayor Knapik Ordered Public Employees To Remove Political Yard Signs…
Property Owner Joins Politicians Whose Signs Were Removed in Suit Against Mayor FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org SPRINGF…Posted on March 21, 2012, 12:18 pm PDT
Under Pressure, Suffolk School Board Backs Off Discriminatory Gender-Based Dress Code Policy…
New substitute proposal to ban attire that causes disruptions concerns ACLU, which asks that students and parents report problems if it is adopted. FO…Posted on March 4, 2012, 9:00 pm PST
Posted on March 4, 2012, 9:00 pm PST
ACLU of Massachusetts Makes Statement on Twitter Subpoena Case…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org BOSTON -- After nine weeks of secret court hearings, the Suffolk Superior Court has ord…Posted on February 29, 2012, 9:00 pm PST
Posted on February 28, 2012, 9:00 pm PST
Surveillance Cameras Threaten Privacy and Waste Taxpayer Money, Says ACLU…
Toledo Officials Should Invest in Additional Police Officers FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org TOLEDO, OH - The American…Posted on February 27, 2012, 9:00 pm PST
White House Online Privacy Report Is Important First Step…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org WASHINGTON – The White House released a new report today on consumer online priv…Posted on February 22, 2012, 9:00 pm PST
Free Speech Prevails for Students Throughout San Diego…
Settlement in La Jolla High Case Updates Free Speech Policy for All Students FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org SAN DIEGO…Posted on February 15, 2012, 9:00 pm PST
Court Orders Missouri School District to Stop Censoring LGBT Websites…
Updated FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A federal district court ruled toda…Posted on February 14, 2012, 9:00 pm PST
ACLU Statement on Supreme Court GPS Tracking Decision…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org Below is a statement from American Civil Liberties Union Legal Director Steven R. Shapi…Posted on January 23, 2012, 1:04 pm PST
ACLU & EFF to Appeal Secrecy Ruling in Twitter/WikiLeaks Case…
Appeal Aims to Unseal Secret Orders to Other Internet Companies FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org RICHMOND, Va. – F…Posted on January 20, 2012, 11:18 am PST
Is the Obama Administration Serious about Anti-Muslim Demonization in Law Enforcement?
On August 4, 2011, the White House released a new strategy to counter violent extremism. The Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC) expressed suppor…Posted on August 5, 2011, 11:50 am PDT
John Guandolo: Another Counterterrorism Expert Exposed…
PRA’s groundbreaking exposé of how tax dollars fund anti-Muslim trainings for police and counterterrorism personnel won the attention of news outle…Posted on July 22, 2011, 11:02 am PDT
FBI Using Next Generation of Big Brother to Cajole States into Targeting Immigrants?
<!--StartFragment--> Post-9/11 congressional mandates for better interagency information sharing have often been taken in a direction that unde…Posted on July 8, 2011, 3:43 pm PDT
FBI Raids Reveal Repressive Apparatus Run Amok…
A recent Inspector General’s report on the FBI’s investigations of certain domestic advocacy groups from 2002-2006 found that the agency considere…Posted on October 1, 2010, 7:09 am PDT
The FBI is Seeking Extended Powers to Snoop into our Electronic Communications…
It’s well known that the FBI has historically abused its power to investigate non-criminal Americans—in the 1960s, the FBI relied on informants an…Posted on August 16, 2010, 10:45 am PDT
Posted on August 4, 2010, 8:14 am PDT
Behavior Profiling: Ineffective and Expensive Security Theater…
Behavioral profiling, the latest trend in pre-emptive policing, has been used in America’s airport terminals since 2003 when the Screening of Passen…Posted on July 29, 2010, 7:54 am PDT
FBI JTTF Agent Hands Private Data Over to Corporate Security Guards…
A Texas City police officer, Cpl. Tom Robison, detained freelance photographer Lance Rosenfield during the first week of July 2010 for taking pictures…Posted on July 20, 2010, 2:43 pm PDT
Ban All Racial Profiling Without Exception…
On Monday this week, the New York Times announced that its investigation of NYPD “stop and frisk” practices from 2006 through 2010 found police st…Posted on July 14, 2010, 10:59 am PDT
Praying as Suspicious Behavior in the Henderson 7 Case…
Since 9/11, practicing Islam has been unfairly viewed as suspicious in some circles, including among many in law enforcement. On December 20, 2009, i…Posted on July 7, 2010, 1:41 pm PDT