Privacy & Technology

Technology increasingly shapes how we live, work, communicate, and move through the world. But without strong guardrails, new technologies can enable mass surveillance, data exploitation, and discriminatory enforcement—especially for communities that are already over-policed or marginalized. The ACLU of New Mexico works to ensure that innovation serves the public good, not at the expense of our civil liberties.

Privacy is a fundamental right. New Mexicans should be able to use modern tools and services without fear that their personal data will be collected, sold, shared, or weaponized against them. That includes protection from unchecked government surveillance, corporate data abuse, and the use of technology to undermine reproductive freedom, immigrant rights, or LGBTQ+ safety.

We advocate for policies that put people—not profits or policing—at the center of technology governance. That means transparency, accountability, meaningful consent, and clear limits on how data can be collected and used.

• Expanding Consumer Data Privacy Protections (CHISPA): Supporting legislation that gives New Mexicans more control over their personal and sensitive data—especially health information—by limiting how companies can collect, use, and share it. Learn more at nmchispa.org.
• Limiting Law Enforcement Use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs): Advancing safeguards that restrict how ALPR data can be shared, particularly to prevent its use for out-of-state prosecutions of conduct legal in New Mexico or for immigration enforcement.

New Mexico can be a leader in protecting privacy in the digital age. By setting clear limits on data collection and surveillance, we can encourage responsible innovation while safeguarding civil liberties.

The ACLU of New Mexico will continue to work with lawmakers, advocates, and community members to ensure that technology is used to uplift our communities—not monitor, punish, or control them.

Privacy is not a luxury. It’s a right.