Senator Edward Markey, Senator Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley announced the reintroduction of the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act on September 25, 2026, seeking to halt government use of facial recognition and other biometric technology.
China implemented new border control rules barring citizens deemed threats to national or industrial security from leaving the country, particularly targeting those involved in technology export violations. The restrictions took effect immediately.
The Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security has been deploying an obscure legal maneuver to attempt to obtain private information on journalists, non-profit organizations, and labor unions, raising concerns about government overreach and surveillance.
A confidential Department of Homeland Security memo issued after President Trump's return to office provided legal justification for deploying National Guard troops as immigration officers. The revelation comes as New Hampshire faces an ACLU lawsuit over a separate program allowing local police to make immigration arrests.
Two pro-democracy activists who organized annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre were found guilty under Hong Kong's national security law, marking another blow to civil liberties in the territory.
A U.S. appeals court upheld an order limiting federal immigration enforcement at eight houses of worship affiliated with three faith groups, ruling that such operations could hinder religious activities at those sites.
The Department of Homeland Security launched 'Operation Puppet Master' to surveil and investigate local anti-ICE efforts just days after federal immigration agents killed a nurse in Minneapolis, targeting labor unions and activist groups.
The Trump administration conducted expansive surveillance of churches, labor unions, libraries, and civil society groups in Minneapolis following ICE's killing of nurse Alex Pretti in January. The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice spent months infiltrating and monitoring left-leaning organizations during protests against immigration enforcement operations.
Flock Safety's automated license plate reader network, which scans 20 billion plates monthly across 7,000 police agencies, is facing mounting criticism over privacy concerns. Despite announcing reforms reducing data retention from 30 to 7 days, civil liberties groups say the changes don't address warrantless searches, while vandalism incidents and a police misconduct case intensify the controversy.
More than 60 Democratic lawmakers have initiated a probe into the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions after an Associated Press investigation revealed that over 50 active-duty military members' spouses and parents have been detained by immigration authorities.
The Trump administration is seeking personally identifiable medical records from emergency rooms across the country through the Consumer Product Safety Commission, raising privacy concerns among healthcare providers and civil liberties advocates.
A growing number of activists are physically disabling Flock Safety's automated license plate reader cameras across the US, citing privacy concerns. The vandalism campaign has become so widespread that Flock is now disguising its surveillance devices inside other objects to avoid detection.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the creation of a joint task force between the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute individuals who make unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information to news media. The announcement comes days after DOJ issued subpoenas to several New York Times reporters to appear before a grand jury.
U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne issued a preliminary injunction blocking Virginia's measure that would have banned law enforcement officers from wearing masks, ruling it was an unconstitutional attempt to regulate the federal government. The injunction came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department.
More than 10,000 Hungarians participated in Budapest's 31st annual Pride march on Saturday, the first since right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was voted out of office in April 2026. Participants braved record heat to celebrate what many described as a 'new era' after 16 years of government restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights and the event itself.
The American Civil Liberties Union will spend over $50 million on the 2026 midterm elections, allocating half the funds to monitor election certification and administration processes amid concerns about President Donald Trump's election-related activities.
The Taliban has issued a directive banning smartphones for all government officials and civil servants in Afghanistan, with violators facing confiscation, device destruction, and potential imprisonment. The order, attributed to Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, has prompted government employees to switch off their devices, while analysts warn it could precede broader restrictions on the general population.
