Updates

USDA Sued for Illegally Demanding the Personal Information of Millions of SNAP Beneficiaries From States

May 22, 2025

Washington, D.C. (May 22, 2025) — Students, SNAP recipients, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a complaint in federal court today challenging a demand from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for states and third-party vendors to turn over the personal data of tens of millions of Americans who receive help buying food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

• Data Protection

• Government Databases

• Open Government

• Surveillance Oversight

• Updates

EPIC Joins Over 140 Organizations in Opposing Ban on State AI Regulation

May 21, 2025

• AI Policy

• Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

• Privacy Laws

• U.S. State Privacy Laws

• Updates

EPIC Asks Third Circuit to Recognize that Not All Data Protection Laws are Unconstitutional

May 21, 2025

• Consumer Privacy

• Data Brokers

• Data Protection

• Privacy Laws

• The First Amendment

• U.S. State Privacy Laws

• Updates

PRESS RELEASE: Advocates and child development experts urge Google to halt Gemini AI chatbot rollout to young children, request FTC investigation

May 21, 2025

A broad coalition led by Fairplay and EPIC is launching a campaign today to stop Google’s rollout of the Gemini AI companion to young children.

• Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

• Children's Privacy

• Commercial AI Use

• Data Protection

• Enforcement of Privacy Laws

• Updates

EPIC Executive Director Testifies in House Hearing on Breach of Trust: Surveillance in Private Spaces

May 20, 2025

EPIC Executive Director Alan Butler will testify today before the House Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee in a hearing entitled: “Breach of Trust: Surveillance in Private Spaces.”

• Updates

EPIC, Coalition Urge Congress to Include Privacy and Civil Liberties Protections In Any Future Counter-Drone Authority Legislation

May 20, 2025

EPIC, the Center for Democracy & Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the American Civil Liberties Union submitted a joint statement ahead of today’s Senate Hearing

• Drones & Aerial Surveillance

• Surveillance Oversight

• The First Amendment

• Updates

EPIC Joins Protect Democracy’s Call to Resist Federal Heist of Sensitive SNAP Data

May 14, 2025

As the letter warns, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s demand for beneficiary data is a brazen violation of the Privacy Act, the E-Government Act, and other legal safeguards that protect our personal data.

• Data Protection

• Democracy & Free Speech

• Government Records & Privacy

• Updates

Massachusetts Senate Committee Approves Robust Comprehensive Privacy Law

May 14, 2025

The Senate members of the Joint Committee on Advanced IT, Cybsecurity, and the Internet have given a favorable report to a redrafted version of the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act ("MDPA"). If enacted, MDPA would be the strongest state privacy law in the nation.

• Consumer Privacy

• Data Minimization

• Privacy Laws

• U.S. State Privacy Laws

• Updates

EPIC Opposes House Proposal to Ban States from Regulating AI

May 12, 2025

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s budget reconciliation text includes dangerous provisions on artificial intelligence that would allocate $500 million to federal government spending on AI and preempt state AI legislation for the next 10 years.

• AI Policy

• Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

• Privacy Laws

• U.S. State Privacy Laws

• Updates

PCLOB Staff Report Recommends TSA’s Facial Recognition Program Remain Voluntary, Improve Transparency and Oversight

May 10, 2025

• Face Surveillance & Biometrics

• Surveillance Oversight

• Traveler Screening & Border Surveillance

• Updates