If you live in the City of Oakland and care about privacy rights and surveillance, please consider a volunteer position on the city’s privacy commission. There are a number of vacancies, with more coming in March of 2027, and it is really important for this commission to stay healthy.
You don’t have to be an expert. By design, this is a citizen’s commission. Things that it may be helpful to be familiar with include municipal processes like the Brown Act, Oakland’s geography and demographics, state privacy laws, concepts like disparate impact, and general understanding of technology. But a willingness to learn is the most important thing.
If you think this is something you might consider doing, please take a look at the attached for background and more details.