So said truly one of many speakers during a seven hour meeting in Oakland on the 26th of February, 2019, at which Urban Shield had a heart attack. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors kept their word from a year…
Author: JP Massar
The Transformation of Urban Shield: Final Chapter
After 5 years, Urban Shield may end on February 26 …. with your help.Since 2013, the Bay Area has been trying to transform Urban Shield from a highly militarized SWAT competition and weapons expo into a community-focused safety and resilence…
Urban Shield Reconstitution Plan Goes to Board of Supervisors.
Six years of protest, public comment and politicking have finally created a light at the end of the Stop Urban Shield tunnel. On January 14th, 2019, after five months of hearings, leg work and votes, the Alameda County Urban Shield…
The Council on American-Islamic Relations Gave Oakland Privacy an Award
With over 1,000 attendees, the CAIR-SFBA Banquet is the largest annual gala for the Muslim community in the Bay Area. And we got not one, but two, “Certificates of Special Congressional Recognition” to boot. Now, if only Congress would actually…
BART Slows Down (Big Brother, not Big Trains).
With Oakland Privacy catalyzing the turnout, members of the ACLU, the EFF, DSA, Oakland Privacy, APTP, East Bay For Everyone, AROC, and the public spoke at the Board meeting with essentially one voice against BART staff proposals for increased surveillance,…
Carpenter Nails It.
The Supreme Court said today that just because you carry a cell phone doesn’t mean you’ve given up all your privacy rights. The Court held 5-4 that the practice of law enforcement being able to demand from cell phone service…
All The SERO That’s Fit To Print.
One week after the 1st reading of Oakland’s benchmark Surveillance Equipment Regulation Ordinance, here are links to and brief excerpts from all (or at least most…) of the coverage from the media.
What are the Practices of Those Concerned with Online Privacy?
One of Oakland Privacy’s newer members created, posted and analyzed an online survey of privacy habits amongst those predisposed to have an interest in online privacy: An anonymous, thirteen–question online survey was conducted over two days on Nov. 2–3,…
Community Support for Berkeley’s Surveillance Regulation Ordinance.
Background: The Berkeley City Council will consider a Surveillance Regulation ordinance that Oakland Privacy and its partners have been working on for a year and a half on December 5th. ———————– McGee – Spaulding Neighbors in Action: The Power of One…
CA Assembly Public Safety Comm Supports SB 21- A Statewide Surveillance Transparency Ordinance
“California spends more time regulating barber shops and taco trucks than on regulating surveillance.” Brian Hofer, Chair of the Oakland Privacy Advisory Commission and member of Oakland Privacy, testified before the California State Assembly Public Safety Committee in Sacramento on…