Privacy and Technology

With more and more of our lives moving online, these intrusions have devastating implications for our right to privacy. But more than just privacy is threatened when everything we say, everywhere we go, and everyone we associate with are fair game. We shouldn’t have to choose between using new technologies and keeping our personal information private. The ACLU of Hawai‘i works to promote a future where technology can be implemented in ways that protect civil liberties, to limit the collection of personal information, and to ensure that individuals have control over their private data.

We will continue to advocate for increased protections against unwarranted invasions of privacy, both by the government and private entities. We will defend the right of Hawai‘i residents to maintain control over their personal information, whether that information is the content of an email account, or one’s unique ge- netic characteristics. Facial recognition technology is particularly ripe for abuse in the hands of government and raises significant civil rights concerns. This is why ACLU of Hawai‘i supports a full ban on government use of this technology, and a ban on private use unless the subject has provided clear, discrete, written consent.