ACLU of Minnesota

The Mall of America recently launched facial recognition surveillance systems. MOA officials have stated they are relying on Corsight AI. Munira Mohamed, who is on ACLU-MN’s policy team, brings up important issues with systems like this: Facial recognition technology is often inaccurate — and people of color are more likely to be misidentified. Even if the technology was as accurate as MOA claims, the Mall of America boasts 40 million annual visitors. Misidentifying even a small percentage of those people would still mean thousands of wrongful identifications. MOA must answer serious questions about how this technology performs in real-world conditions. #FacialRecognition #Surveillance #ACLU https://lnkd.in/d9hJCZMB

The ACLU stands ready to use all the tools available to us – including litigation, legislative & policy advocacy – to fight for the promise of our democracy and for full and equal freedoms for all of us, whether Black, Latine, Indigenous, Asian or white. https://lnkd.in/gMk-SUj3 #Election2024 #ACLU

#ICYMI: Yet another successful Pride weekend on the books for the ACLU of Minnesota! Pride is year round!

Mall of America has decided to install facial recognition cameras on its premises. This raises critical civil liberties & civil rights concerns. ACLU-MN has continuously raised alarms on this type of technology & the threat it poses to individuals’ privacy rights & due process. Our main concerns are the misleading nature of performance scores for this tech, the lack of transparency and proper government oversight, and the quick descent of our society becoming a surveillance state and the insidious effects that has on our democracy. #Surveillance #FacialRecognition #CivilRights https://lnkd.in/gESCs9wj

The ACLU of Minnesota filed a lawsuit on Friday, June 21, on behalf of Derrick Gilbert, who was unlawfully arrested by Willmar police in a classic case of “walking while Black.” Mr. Gilbert is a 39-year-old Black man who lives in Kandiyohi County. On the morning of June 22, 2022, Gilbert was walking to work wearing a sleeveless red hoodie with the hood up. Willmar Police Officer Christopher Flatten was driving his police car when he saw Gilbert. Despite not being able to see Gilbert’s face, Flatten assumed he was a different Black man named Sammy Price. He checked to see if Mr. Price had a warrant out for his arrest. But Price is seven years younger than Gilbert, four inches shorter, and at least 90 pounds heavier. Gilbert also has significantly darker skin than Price. And Flatten reported that he had multiple prior interactions with Price and thus knew what he looked like.    When Flatten saw Gilbert again a short time later, this time walking towards him, the officer decided to arrest Gilbert for Sammy Price’s warrant despite their clear physical differences.  Read more details on this case here: https://lnkd.in/g5xrqq9R

#ICYMI: ACLU-MN and Advocates for Human Rights hosted Lee Gelernt, Deputy Director of the ACLU’s Immigrant Rights Project alongside community members to discuss the state of immigrant rights today – and what to look for in the future. #ImmigrantRights #ACLU

The ACLU-MN and Ballard Spahr at the Hennepin County government center after arguing three motions in the MNCOGI v. City of Minneapolis case. MNCOGI argue that by labeling disciplinary actions as “coaching,” the city is shielding data about police misconduct — and how it is (or is not) addressed — from public access and scrutiny. #LegalNews #ACLU

The ACLU-MN and Ballard Spahr at the Hennepin County government center after arguing three motions in the MNCOGI v. City of Minneapolis case. MNCOGI argue that by labeling disciplinary actions as “coaching,” the city is shielding data about police misconduct — and how it is (or is not) addressed — from public access and scrutiny. #LegalNews #ACLU

UPCOMING: We'll be hosting another pints & politics event in Rochester, MN on July 11 where we'll be uplifting the work of our Smart Justice fellows! We'll be talking about voting rights and our efforts to protect those rights. Details can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gNrqgPaZ #VotingRights

For four years, President Trump’s administration aggressively rolled back federal protections for LGBTQ+ people — including access to health care for trans people and the rights of LGBTQ+ people to be themselves at school and work. Regardless of the outcome of November’s elections the ACLU stands ready to fight to uphold the fundamental freedom, guaranteed by the Constitution, to live our lives as we choose. Read the ACLU’s roadmap to respond to another Trump administration. #Election2024 #ACLU https://lnkd.in/g-QvGkTe