A new lawsuit alleges that Facebook violated the Fair Housing Act by allowing advertisers to use factors such as race, sex, and disability to prevent home buyers and renters from seeing housing ads. Facebook recently settled claims and made changes to its advertising practices following lawsuits by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. EPIC is currently challenging the FTC's settlement with Facebook, arguing that it provides little benefit to Facebook users. EPIC also supports algorithmic transparency, which would reduce bias and help ensure fairness in automated decisionmaking. EPIC proposed the Universal Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence as the basis for federal legislation. The Universal Guidelines have been endorsed by more than 250 experts and 60 organizations in 40 countries.
Just Security has published a new collection of expert summaries of the Mueller Report. The collection includes two entries by Professor Jennifer Daskal, Chair of the EPIC Board, on Russian hacking operations and Special Counsel's charging decisions under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. In EPIC v. DOJ, EPIC is seeking the complete, unredacted Mueller Report. EPIC recently argued for the full release of the Report before Judge Reggie B. Walton. A ruling in the case is expected this fall. Copies of the Mueller Report obtained by EPIC, related materials, and background on the case are available for purchase at the EPIC Bookstore.
The Administration is seeking reauthorization of the NSA phone record collection program, according to a letter from Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats published by the New York Times. The Patriot Act "Section 215" program originally allowed the bulk collection of all telephone records of Americans. In 2013, following the Snowden disclosures, EPIC filed a petition with the Supreme Court, challenging the lawfulness of the bulk collection program. Congress then held extensive hearings which found the program was ineffective and later passed the USA Freedom Act, which limited the data collection. NSA has since acknowledged significant compliance problems with the Freedom Act, and the Coats letter confirms that the program was subsequently suspended. EPIC has joined civil liberties organizations in calling for a permanent end to the NSA's phone record collection program.
