The Privacy Coalition is a nonpartisan coalition of consumer, civil liberties, educational, family, library, labor, and technology organizations that have agreed to the Privacy Pledge. Members of the coalition have been meeting since 1995, but formalized the organization in February 2001. View a list of member organizations.
Latest Posts
Congressional Committee Reviewing Issues Raised in Privacy Coalition Letter
November 12, 2009House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson has responded to the Privacy Coalition Letter regarding the Chief Privacy Officer of the Department of Homeland Security. Chairman Thompson said that "the Committee is in the process of reviewing the programs outlined" in the letter, and thanked the Coalition for bringing the issues to the attention of the committee. He further stated that the Committee "will continue to examine the Department's programs and policies and vigorously address privacy concerns and issues." For more information, see
Posted by EPIC on November 12, 2009
Privacy Coalition Asks Questions About DHS Chief Privacy Office
October 23, 2009Privacy Coalition members were joined by other organizations on a letter sent to the House Committee on Homeland Security urging them to investigate the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Chief Privacy Office. DHS is unrivaled in its authority to develop and deploy new systems of surveillance. The letter cited DHS ongoing use of Fusion Center, Whole Body Imaging, funding of CCTV Surveillance, and Suspicionless Electronic Border Searches as examples of where the agency is eroding privacy protections.
Posted by EPIC on October 23, 2009
FISA Reform Bill Introduced in the House
October 22, 2009Representatives Conyers, Nadler, and Scott introduced two bills today that would amend the PATRIOT Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 will enhance reporting and judicial oversight of law enforcement powers, including the National Security Letter process. The FISA Amendments Act of 2009 will place new limits on the government's ability to collect and store Americans' communications without a warrant and repeals retroactive immunity.
Posted by EPIC on October 22, 2009
Miriam Nisbet Discusses Government Openness with the Privacy Coalition
October 13, 2009Miriam Nisbet the Director of the Office of Government information Services for the National Archives spoke to the Privacy Coalition about the work of the office to provide the public with greater transparency on the work of federal government agencies. The Coalition also heard fromThomas Tamm, the former DOJ Lawyer who exposed the illegal government massive warrantless wiretapping program on the subject of FISA reform. Tyler Moran, Policy Director, National Immigration Law Center, briefed the Coalition on proposals for E-Verify a Department of Homeland Security project to screen applicants and existing employees against government databases. There are accuracy and privacy rights issues with the current proposal. Chris Calabrese, Legislative Counsel with the ACLU discussed Biometric National ID as part of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform proposals. Digital biometric identification systems are being discussed as a way to manage access to societal benefits and services. There are accuracy, reliability, integrity, privacy, and security challenges to using biometric ID systems.
Posted by EPIC on October 13, 2009
Privacy Coalition on the Obama Administration Privacy Report Card
September 9, 2009EPIC released its Privacy Report Card for the Obama Administration at a morning briefing held at the National Press Club. EPIC scored the Administration with an "Incomplete" for Consumer Privacy, A- for Medical Privacy, C+ for Civil Liberties, and a B for Cyber Security. A panel made up of Privacy Coalition member organizations representing privacy, civil liberty, consumer rights experts gave their reaction to the grades. The organizations participating in the program includedUS PIRG, Consumer Federation of America, the Liberty Coalition/Association of American Physicians and, Surgeons, and the Bill of Rights Defense Committee. In December 2008, the Privacy Coalition urged the new Administration to address growing public concerns about privacy protection.
Posted by EPIC on September 9, 2009
Privacy.org headlines
Nation's School Districts are Failing to Protect Children's Privacy (Nov. 2, 2009)
Worker Lost Her Job Over Error by FBI's NCIC Database (Nov. 2, 2009)
Facebook Issues New Privacy Policy in Response to Canadian Privacy Office (Nov. 2, 2009)
Job Applicants May Have to Give DNA (Oct. 29, 2009)
Privacy Groups Seek Investigation of DHS Chief Privacy Office (Oct. 23, 2009)
House Members Introduce New Bill to Fix US Patriot Act (Oct. 22, 2009)
Google Oops! User Voice Mails Disclosed in Search Engine (Oct. 22, 2009)
Are Smart Grids Privacy Smart? (Oct. 22, 2009)