illinois
Mixed Bag Illinois Law Unleashes Drones on Populace, But Guarantees FR and Weapons Limits
According to The Register, a new Illinois law signed by governor Pritzker overhauls the rules regulating law enforcement use of drones, to mixed effect. The law, known as the “Drones as First Responders Act,” grants police in the … Read more »
Illinois’s Nation-Leading Biometric Privacy Protections Continue to Strengthen
Last month, the Illinois Supreme Court set a milestone legal precedent to strengthen the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (or “BIPA”). The ruling expands the scope of possible enforcement of already potent biometric privacy protections.
In the case before the … Read more »
Daley’s Casual Proposal to Expand Surveillance Would Build on Chicago’s Already Appalling Legacy
According to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times, last month mayoral candidate Bill Daley unveiled a prospective crime-fighting plan that includes adding thousands of additional surveillance cameras to Chicago’s already sprawling network. Even more unsettlingly, the proposal would also … Read more »
Illinois Bill Authorizing Police to Fly Facial Recognition-Equipped Drones Over Protests Falters in House, For Now
Chicago Tribune reports that the Illinois House has tabled a bill that would allow law enforcement across the state to deploy drones armed with facial recognition technology over large public demonstrations. The bill (SB 2562), which was … Read more »
From the President: Say No to Torture, Oppose Gina Haspel Nomination as CIA Chief
There is urgency to this posting because Congress will return from its Spring break April 9 and the Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to schedule quickly thereafter the Haspel confirmation hearings, to be followed almost immediately by full Senate vote.… Read more »
Illinois State Government Joins Ranks of Net Neutrality Defenders Across Country
With the publication in the federal register of the FCC’s plan to scrap federal net neutrality protections, the struggle for net neutrality enters its most contentious phase: state legislatures and attorneys general have mounted a coordinated defense, as well as … Read more »
Rauner Vetoes Bill Requiring User Opt-In for Selling Geolocation Data
The Chicago Tribune reports that Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has vetoed a bill which would have required tech companies and other businesses whose products or services handle geolocation data to receive explicit consent from users or customers before that data … Read more »
Rauner Signs Broadly Supported Civil Forfeiture Protections Into Law
Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law (HB303) restricting civil forfeiture practices of law enforcement agencies in the state. The newly enacted regulations, which CCDBR profiled previously, raise the evidentiary threshold for seizing citizens’ property from “probable … Read more »
Bill of Rights Club: A Podcast by CCDBR
The Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights is excited to announce the launch of a new podcast: Bill of Rights Club. Over the course of this series, we’ll be taking the most pressing and significant current events we cover … Read more »
Illinois Legislature Overwhelmingly Approves Bill Requiring Transparency and Accountability in Civil Forfeiture Practices
UPDATE (7/21/17): According to a new report from The Intercept, the US Department of Justice has announced that it will scrap reforms made under President Obama to rein in the practice of civil asset forfeiture by federal law enforcement… Read more »
