Electronic Privacy Information Center

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) is a Washington, D.C.–based public interest research center, founded in 1994, that focuses on civil liberties and privacy issues that have arisen with the new forms of electronic communication. It aims to encourage public debate and participation with regard to decisions involving Internet development. The center also publishes a biweekly newsletter, EPIC Alert, that is devoted to current news on civil liberties and privacy issues, as well as books and reports on privacy, electronic surveillance, and freedom of information issues. The center also engages in litigation involving privacy, free speech, and other constitutional issues. Marc Rotenberg is the group's current executive director.

EPIC grew out of groups such as Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility and the Wall. Some of the issues EPIC was first involved with include the Clipper chip controversy, the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and encryption. Current issues of Internet privacy and security include cloud computing; Internet monitoring by deep packet inspection; data mining; and privacy concerns with regard to social media networks (especially Facebook), search engines, and government databases. The center has also been involved in protecting the rights of consumers to privacy in the collection of information such as medical and phone records.

Significant litigation includes a joint lawsuit in 2006 with the American Civil Liberties Union and National Security Archive Fund. Electronic Privacy Information Center v. Department of Justice (Civ. No. 06-0096 [HHK]) sought to obtain documents on warrantless surveillance of international telephone and Internet communications on American soil. The case began in April 2005, when EPIC asked a federal court to force the Federal Bureau of Investigation to [Page 238]disclose information about its use of expanded investigative authority granted by sunsetting provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.