ACLA
The American Cognitive Liberties Association
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6 June 2007 - LAPD Unveils the Advanced Surveillance and Protection System in Compton
 
(The Advanced Surveillance and Protection System is a series of twenty audio and visual security systems designed to aurally track gunshots, scan plates for stolen vehicles, and and aurally and visually moniter various locations around Compton, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA.)
 
While the ACLA commends the LAPD's desire to make Compton a safer place for its citizens, and believes that cracking down on crime is a worthy goal, this latest attempt creates a public version of Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon.  When questioned about infringement on privacy rights, the LAPD responded with a "it's-only-in-public-and-if-you're-not-doing-anything-wrong-you-shouldn't-be-worried" reply.  We believe that this system crosses the very thin line between security and loss of civil liberties.  The government should not be so afraid of it's people that an entire community is placed under surveillance.  This is, in fact, what prison is.  Individual and other societal interests should not be so completely subordinate to the needs of the state; this is a highly authoritarian move and could be construed as a step toward fascism.
 
ACLA Seeks Public Advocate (volunteer position)
 
The ACLA is seeking a Public Advocate to assist those who are in trouble.  The candidate will have a thorough understanding of these weapons and how they work, will be very articulate, knowledgeable, and have either a legal or medical background.  This is NOT counsel, just advocacy.  The Advocate will work with the Director on an as-needed, case-by-case basis.  Please email your resume to emailus@americancognitivelibertiesassoc.org with the subject title Advocate. 
 
10 April 2007 - New to the Research Library
The Militarization of Neuroscience
By Hugh Gusterson 
The Bulletin Online
Global Security News and Analysis 10 April 2007
 
Cognitive Liberty featured at UN Plaza
From the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics
On December 1, a panel of bioethicists & physicians, including James J. Hughes, executive director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET), discussed the impacts of emerging neurotechnologies on cognitive liberty at the United Nations. This event followed the collaborative conference that the CCLE hosted with IEET at Stanford University in May 2006.