Oakland Privacy

Oakland Privacy is a non-profit organization that advocates for privacy rights and transparency in government surveillance. Key features of their work include sponsoring privacy bills in the state legislature, such as AB 1337, which updates the Information Practices Act to include modern definitions of personal information and expands the definition of covered entities. They also oppose bills that undermine privacy rights, such as SB 690, which would exempt commercial businesses from accountability for deceptive online surveillance. Oakland Privacy has successfully opposed proposals that weaken privacy protections, including a bill that would have promoted facial recognition technology. They have also participated in campaigns to stop mask bans and advocate against the installation of automatic license plate readers. Technical implementation details of their work include analyzing legislative proposals, providing testimony in settlement hearings, and coordinating with other advocacy groups. Specific use cases of their work include protecting residents from unnecessary surveillance and promoting transparency in government actions. Unique differentiators of Oakland Privacy include their volunteer-driven approach and their focus on regional advocacy.