Updates

PRESS RELEASE: EPIC Partners with the Heising-Simons Foundation to Promote a Human Rights-First Approach to Emerging Technology

October 21, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Electronic Privacy Information Center has announced that, through a new grant partnership with the Heising-Simons Foundation, it will be deepening its work to Challenge Commercial Surveillance and Promote Human Rights Protections in the AI Ecosystem. Through a $300,000 unrestricted award over three years, the Heising-Simons Foundation will support the work of EPIC’s AI and Human Rights and our Consumer Privacy teams to secure the fundamental right to privacy in the digital age for all people through advocacy, research, and litigation.

“EPIC believes that the mass extraction and misuse of personal data is at the root of the most pressing problems in our information ecosystem. We are pleased to have the support of the Heising-Simons Foundation as we carry forward our work promoting a human rights-first approach to emerging technology,” said Alan Butler, EPIC Executive Director.

The Heising-Simons Foundation’s Technology and Society grantmaking portfolio, housed under its CEO Fund, seeks to address the impact of technology on society—harnessing its promise and mitigating its risks. It aims to build a more just and inclusive society—one where those most affected by harms and inequities not only benefit from such advancements, but where their perspectives and needs are centered in the design and deployment of emerging technologies.

EPIC believes that technology should advance human rights and justice, and that tech companies should not be given carte blanche to dictate the future in a democratic society. We are seizing this moment of intense public interest in the ways that technology is shaping our society to push for the strong privacy protections and meaningful oversight of new AI systems. This means establishing legal limits on the collection and use of our data through Data Minimization rules, as EPIC has outlined in our recent reports. And it means addressing the real risks that AI poses to vulnerable groups including low-income and marginalized populations. Through its partnership with the Heising-Simons Foundation, EPIC will be well-positioned to move this important work forward by acting as an independent and expert voice in policy debates over AI, consumer protection, and surveillance issues.

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About EPIC 

EPIC was established in 1994 to protect privacy, freedom of expression, and democratic values in the information age. Our mission is to secure the fundamental right to privacy in the digital age for all people through advocacy, research, and litigation. EPIC pursues a wide range of program activities, including litigating cases on emerging privacy issues, obtaining and publishing records to lift the veil on government data collection, providing expert advice to policymakers and lawmakers, and facilitating dialogue between advocates, experts, and decisionmakers. EPIC’s AI and Human Rights Project advocates for transparent, equitable, and accountable AI regulations. Visit epic.org for more information.

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