John,

Last Saturday I was a guest on The Michael Brooks show to talk about mass surveillance in the time of COVID-19.

We’ve seen politicians, time and time again, use national crises as an excuse to expand their surveillance agenda. Most recently, politicians instituted the odious and unconstitutional Patriot Act in response to 9/11 claiming it was necessary for national security. Several provisions of the Patriot Act have now expired as scheduled, and unsurprisingly, the sky has not fallen in. Policymakers, including Nancy Pelosi, who have called for extensions to the Patriot Act must be shamed.

But we also must oppose the very real threat of creeping surveillance in response to this pandemic. People who support massive surveillance powers will use the crisis as an excuse to get them.

And when Trump is already abusing power by calling for the expansion of ICE detention powers in the middle of this crisis, we can’t trust his administration to weigh the costs of civil liberties and public safety appropriately.

Balancing civil liberties and public safety in response to a crisis is a challenge for even the most principled leaders. Your $25 contribution today can help us take back Congress!

If you’ve stored your info with ActBlue Express, we’ll process your contribution instantly:

We’re seeing other countries turn to a police response to implement social distancing orders. In China, CCTV cameras and drones were used to monitor civilians’ movements. Police enforced city borders in Wuhan. Israel, Singapore, and South Korea are using location technology from people’s cell phones as well as credit card activity to surveil civilians.

These measures raise serious questions: Where is this data on civilians being stored? Is due process being honored? Will police response increase police violence against civilians? Will these policies persist after the end of this crisis?

These aren’t questions that the Trump administration or the Democratic establishment is considering. Can you chip in $25 today so we can win the representation San Francisco deserves?

My background at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) makes me uniquely versed to address these issues. Since joining the EFF in 2015, Shahid I’ve built out a national grassroots network to defend digital privacy and free speech. I’ve written extensively about mass surveillance and restrictions on police.

Click on the image below to hear more on The Michael Brooks Show:

Donate $25Want to give now? If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Express Donate: $5

Express Donate: $25

Express Donate: $100

Or, donate another amount

Yours,

Shahid