
Jennifer Granick is the Director of Civil Liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. Jennifer returns to Stanford after stints as General Counsel of entertainment company Worldstar Hip Hop and as counsel with the internet boutique firm of Zwillgen PLLC. Before that, she was the Civil Liberties Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Jennifer practices, speaks and writes about computer crime and security, electronic surveillance, consumer privacy, data protection, copyright, trademark and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. From 2001 to 2007, Jennifer was Executive Director of CIS and taught Cyberlaw, Computer Crime Law, Internet intermediary liability, and Internet law and policy. Before teaching at Stanford, Jennifer spent almost a decade practicing criminal defense law in California. She was selected by Information Security magazine in 2003 as one of 20 "Women of Vision" in the computer security field. She earned her law degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law and her undergraduate degree from the New College of the University of South Florida.
High Res Photo of Jennifer Granick
The DNI's Non-Denial of Mass Surveillance of Americans
By Jennifer Granick • June 7, 2013 at 8:11 am
On Wednesday, news broke that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had been routinely collecting all call metadata on every Verizon (and presumably other telco) customer for the past seven years. Read more » about The DNI's Non-Denial of Mass Surveillance of Americans
A Big Week for News in Internet Policy
By Jennifer Granick • April 25, 2013 at 4:26 pm
This has been a busy Internet law week. I'd like to sum up some of the more interesting developments: Read more » about A Big Week for News in Internet Policy
Letter to Goodlatte Criticizes CFAA Anti-Reform Language
By Jennifer Granick • April 1, 2013 at 2:29 pm
I am a signatory to a letter to Rep. Robert Goodlatte and other legislators critiquing draft legislation reportedly slated for consideration this month that would amend the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) by increasing penalties and expanding the scope of conduct punishable under the statute. The letter points out that the draft under discussion is a significant expansion of the CFAA at a time when
public opinion is demanding the law be narrowed. This language would, among other things: Read more » about Letter to Goodlatte Criticizes CFAA Anti-Reform Language
Here's How to Legalize Phone Unlocking
By Jennifer Granick • March 14, 2013 at 3:18 pm
In the wake of a public petition to allow people to unlock their cellphones for use on the wireless network of their choice, both the White House and the Federal Communications Commission came out in favor of a change in the law. Read more » about Here's How to Legalize Phone Unlocking
Congressional Hearing Tomorrow on CFAA Reform
By Jennifer Granick • March 12, 2013 at 1:59 pm
Tomorrow, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on reforming the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). Before you start thinking, "it's about time", note that the witness list includes someone from the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Business Software Alliance. The only reform proponent is former computer crime prosecutor Orin Kerr, now a Professor at George Washington University Law School. Read more » about Congressional Hearing Tomorrow on CFAA Reform
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Shloss v. Estate of Joyce
After the Estate of James Joyce refused to allow a scholar to quote Joyce in her book, we successfully defended her right under the fair use doctrine to use the quotes she needed to illustrate her scholarship. After we prevailed in the case, the Estate paid $240,000 of our client’s legal fees. Read more » about Shloss v. Estate of Joyce
Kahle v. Gonzales
In this case, two archives challenged statutes that extended copyright terms unconditionally—the Copyright Renewal Act and the Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA)—as unconstitutional under Copyright Clause and the First Amendment. Read more » about Kahle v. Gonzales
Kahle v. Gonzales - Appellants' Reply Brief
Appellants' Reply Brief in the Ninth Circuit. Read more » about Kahle v. Gonzales - Appellants' Reply Brief
Kahle v. Gonzales - Appellants' Opening Brief
Appellants' Opening Brief in the Ninth Circuit. Read more » about Kahle v. Gonzales - Appellants' Opening Brief
Kahle v. Gonzales - Plaintiffs' Opposition to Government's Motion to Dismiss
District Court proceeding. Read more » about Kahle v. Gonzales - Plaintiffs' Opposition to Government's Motion to Dismiss
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Taking a Flier on Big Data
"However, the level of precision that satisfies marketers is very different from the exactitude required by government agencies, says Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties at Stanford University’s Center for Internet and Society. " Read more » about Taking a Flier on Big Data
Scripps Employees Called 'Hackers' For Exposing Massive Security Flaw
""There's this idea that you can access information, but if you access it fast then you're a criminal," Granick said. "If anything, these are very subjective calculations that shouldn't be the basis for whether someone goes to prison."" Read more » about Scripps Employees Called 'Hackers' For Exposing Massive Security Flaw
As cyberthreats mount, hacker’s conviction underscores criticism of government overreach
"Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties at the Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society, said prosecutors have been guilty of “overreach” in their handling of computer cases such as those of Auernheimer and Swartz." Read more » about As cyberthreats mount, hacker’s conviction underscores criticism of government overreach
Constitution USA with Peter Sagal
CIS Director of Civil Liberties Jennifer Granick is interviewed in the PBS Show Constitution USA with Peter Sagal. Read more » about Constitution USA with Peter Sagal
Amid Calls for Reform, a Rare Trial of Hacking Law
""Because the language is vague and the way we've used computers has changed so much, there has been a great amount of litigation and dispute about what unauthorized access means," Granick said. "Some litigants have pushed the idea your access is unauthorized if you're violating an employment contract, or violating terms of a service agreement, or acting in a manner that is disloyal."" Read more » about Amid Calls for Reform, a Rare Trial of Hacking Law
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2013 Stanford University-Peking University Internet Law and Public Policy Conference (Past Event)
This Conference is cordially hosted by Stanford Law School and Peking University, and is sponsored by Tencent, China’s largest Internet company and one of the largest worldwide, and Microsoft, the largest software maker in the world. The main organizers include the China Guiding Cases Project, the Stanford Program in Law, Science, & Technology, the China Law and Policy Association, and the Stanford Law School Programs. Read more » about 2013 Stanford University-Peking University Internet Law and Public Policy Conference
3D Printing: Is the Law Ready for the Future? (Past Event)
Third Annual Internet Law Works-in-Progress Event (Past Event)
Jennifer Granick will be presenting her paper Principles for Regulation of Government Surveillance in the Age of Big Data.
For more information visit: http://law.scu.edu/hightech/2013-internet-law-wip.cfm Read more » about Third Annual Internet Law Works-in-Progress Event
Innovation or Exploitation? (Past Event)
Have you ever borrowed a smartphone without asking? Modified a URL? Scraped a website? Called an undocumented API? Congratulations: you might have violated federal law! A 1986 statute, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), provides both civil and criminal remedies for mere "unauthorized" access to a computer. Read more » about Innovation or Exploitation?
Swimming in the Ocean of Big Data: National Security in an Age of Unlimited Information (Past Event)
The Journal of National Security Law & Policy and The Georgetown Center on National Security and the Law proudly present "Swimming in the Ocean of Big Data: National Security in an Age of Unlimited Information". Read more » about Swimming in the Ocean of Big Data: National Security in an Age of Unlimited Information
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Hardware Hacking and the Law
June 29, 2010
Presentation at Defcon 18 by CIS Civil Liberties Director Jennifer Granick and EFF Senior Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman Read more » about Hardware Hacking and the Law