Our 2021-2022 legislative agenda is inspired by the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Rights in our Massachusetts Constitution. Through state legislative advocacy, we aim to defend and extend key constitutional principles, including privacy, equality, democracy, and justice for all. The ACLU supports the following privacy and technology related bills currently before the Massachusetts legislature.
Sen. Creem (S47) | Rep. Rogers and Rep. Ramos (H135)
Prohibit the use of face surveillance and other at-a-distance biometric tracking technologies, protecting due process, privacy, free speech and association, and racial, gender, and religious equity. Strengthen existing rules governing police use of image matching technology, to require a warrant, except in emergencies. Learn about the Press Pause on Face Surveillance campaign.
Massachusetts Information Privacy Act
Sen. Creem (S46) | Rep. Vargas and Rep. Rogers (H142)
Protect digital consumer privacy by granting Massachusetts residents basic rights to control and access information about them held by private corporations. Ban the sale and trade of location data, require hand-written consent for corporate biometric data collection, prohibit digital discrimination, and provide a private right of action for robust enforcement and compliance.
Ensuring Remote Access to Municipal Government Meetings
Sen. Lewis (S2082) | Rep. Garlick (H3152)
Ensure access to and participation in municipal government open meetings is available in person and via remote means, to expand access to local government for people with employment, family care, and school responsibilities and those with disabilities.
Administrative Subpoena Transparency
Sen. Creem (S960) | Rep. Straus (H1877)
Require public reporting about prosecutors’ secret requests to access your communication history from phone and internet companies without judicial review.
Read the ACLU’s report on the secretive use of administrative subpoenas in Massachusetts.
Artificial Intelligence Commission
Sen. Lewis (S60) | Rep. Garballey (H119)
Convene a commission of experts to study the use of computer-aided government decision making on matters from criminal justice to child welfare.
License Plate Privacy Act
Rep. Straus (H3597) | Rep. Peake (H3564)
License Plate Readers (LPRs) scan thousands of license plates daily and store information indefinitely about where and when you drive. These proposals would protect innocent people from limitless government tracking of their driving and from private misuse of their LPR data.