EPIC Open Government Cases
EPIC makes frequent use of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain information from the government about surveillance and privacy policy. Public disclosure of this information improves government oversight and accountability. It also helps ensure that the public is fully informed about the activities of government. EPIC routinely files lawsuits to force disclose of agency records that impact critical privacy interests.
EPIC FOIA Cases
EPIC v. ICE (Facial Recognition Services) Case No. 20-3071
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Face RecognitionSeeking records concerning Immigration & Customs Enforcement's use of facial recognition services like Clearview AI
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
November 19, 2020
EPIC v. NSCAI (AI Commission Transparency) Case No. 19-2906
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | AISeeking public access to the records and meetings of the NSCAI
EPIC v. State Department (Facial Recognition Database) Case No. 19-1468
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Face RecognitionSeeking records concerning the State Department's dissemination of biometric data--particularly face prints--to local, state and federal entities.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
May 20, 2019
EPIC v. DOJ (The Mueller Report) Case No. No. 19-810
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia |Seeking public disclosure of the complete, unredacted Mueller Report
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
March 22, 2019
EPIC v. CBP (Biometric Entry-Exit Alternative Screening Procedures) Case No. 19-689
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Alternative Screening ProceduresSeeking records concerning CBP's development of an alternative screening procedure for travelers who opt-out of facial recognition screening.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
March 12, 2019
EPIC v.CBP (Electronic Device Search Audits) Case No. 19-279
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Border Search AuditsSeeking CBP's audits of the border searches the agency conducts of electronic devices.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
February 1, 2019
EPIC v. NARA Case No. 18-2150
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Brett M. Kavanaugh White House RecordsSeeking disclosure of records concerning Brett M. Kavanaugh's work at the White House between January 2001 and May 2006 related to surveillance programs.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
September 17, 2018
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 18-1268
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Media Monitoring Privacy Impact AssessmentSeeking records related to the DHS's assessment and expansion of a system for monitoring media representatives.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
May 30, 2018
EPIC v. FTC Case No. 18-942
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Facebook Privacy AssessmentsSeeking disclosure of Facebook assessments, reports, and related records required by the 2012 FTC Consent Order
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
April 20, 2018
EPIC v. IRS II Case No. 18-833
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | President Trump's Tax ReturnsSeeking disclosure of accepted offers-in-compromise relating to any past or present tax liability of President Donald J. Trump and the business entities President Trump is associated with and related tax returns
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
April 17, 2018
EPIC v. Drone Advisory Committee (Drone FACA Records) Case No. No. 18-833
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | DronesChallenging the Drone Advisory Committee's Failure to Release Records and Open All Meetings
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
April 11, 2018
Granting in Part Government's Motion to Dismiss
February 25, 2019
EPIC v. ICE (Mobile Forensics) Case No. 18-797
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia |Seeking records related to the mobile forensic tools ICE's uses to search and analyze data on mobile devices.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
April 9, 2018
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 18-545
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Drone SurveillanceSeeking records pertaining to the Department of Homeland Security’s drone surveillance policies and procedures
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
March 8, 2018
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 18-43
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Voter Data CollectionSeeking records concerning communications between DHS and the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
January 8, 2018
EPIC v. ICE (Palantir Databases) Case No. 17-2684
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Information SystemsSeeking records related to two databases ICE contracted with Palantir to build/maintain
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
December 15, 2017
EPIC v. NSD Case No. 17-2274
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Domestic SurveillanceSeeking the public release of a report of the U.S. Government detailing the FBI's search through Americans' data collected using a foreign intelligence surveillance statute.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
November 1, 2017
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 17-2047
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | CybersecuritySeeking Department of Homeland Security research, integration, and analysis of the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
October 4, 2017
EPIC v. CBP Case No. 17-1438
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Biometric TrackingSeeking records concerning the CBP's use of facial recognition to implement a biometric entry/exit program at airports and other ports of entry.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
July 19, 2017
EPIC v. IRS Case No. 17-670
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | President Trump's Tax ReturnsSeeking release of President Trump's tax records in order to preserve the integrity and fairness of the tax system
EPIC v. DOJ Case No. 17-410
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Criminal Justice AlgorithmsSeeking records concerning the DOJ’s use, purchase, and study of “evidence-based assessment tools," also known as criminal justice algorithms.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
March 7, 2017
EPIC v. ODNI Case No. 17-163
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | CybersecuritySeeking release of the Complete ODNI Assessment of the Russian interference with 2016 U.S. Presidential Election
EPIC v. FBI Case No. 17-121
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | CybersecuritySeeking records related to the FBI's response to foreign cyber attacks on democratic institutions in the United States prior to the 2016 Presidential Election
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
January 18, 2017
EPIC v. FBI Case No. 16-2237
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Biometric Data Transfer MemosSeeking a secret memorandum of understanding between the FBI and DOD on transfer of biometric data
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
November 10, 2016
EPIC v. DOJ Case No. 16-1402
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Inspector General ReportsSeeking unpublished reports from the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
July 5, 2016
EPIC v. DOT Case No. 16-634
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Drone Task Force MeetingSeeking documents related to a secret Drone Task Force meeting
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
April 4, 2016
EPIC v. DOJ Case No. 15-1955
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | EU-US Umbrella AgreementSeeking the EU-US Umbrella Agreement, a framework for transatlantic data transfers between the US and the EU. The proposed goal of the Agreement is to provide data protection safeguards for personal information transferred between the EU and the US.
EPIC v. USCG Case No. 15-1527
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Nationwide Automatic Identification SystemSeeking records on the Nationwide Automatic Identification System, a massive maritime data collection program.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
September 18, 2015
EPIC v. DEA Case No. 15-0667
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Privacy Impact AssessmentsSeeking all privacy impact assessments created by the Drug Enforcement Agency that are not currently available on the agency's website, as well as other privacy related documents created since 2007.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
May 1, 2015
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 15-289
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Fast Attribute Screening Technology (FAST)Seeking records on a "Minority Report" style initiative that seeks to determine the probability that an individual, who is not suspected of any crime, might commit a future criminal act.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
February 26, 2015
EPIC v. CIA Case No. 14-1645
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | CIA Congressional SpyingSeeking final reports of the CIA Inspector General regarding the CIA's involvement in the penetration of the Senate Intelligence Committee's computer network
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
October 1, 2014
EPIC v. DOD Case No. 14-1555
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | E-Voting Security TestsSeeking penetration testing reports relating to the Department of Defense's e-voting program.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
September 11, 2014
EPIC v. FBI Case No. 14-1311
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Privacy Impact AssessmentsSeeking all privacy impact assessments created by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that are not currently available on the agency's website, as well as other privacy related documents created since 2007.
EPIC v. CBP Case No. 14-1217
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Analyticial Framework for IntelligenceSeeking records on a datamining program operated by Customs and Border Protection. This program would aggregate large amounts of personal data on individuals, regardless of suspicion or consent.
EPIC v. Army Case No. 14-0776
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Surveillance BlimpsSeeking technical records related to giant blimps that were deployed over the Washington, D.C. metro area.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
May 6, 2014
EPIC v. DEA Case No. 14-0317
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | HemisphereSeeking information about Hemisphere, a collaboration between the Drug Enforcement Agency and AT&T, and the largest telephone record monitoring program reported to date.
EPIC v. DOJ Case No. 13-1961
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Pen Register Oversight ReportsSeeking the reports that detail the NSA's collection of call record information from US companies, which the Justice Department has routinely prepared for Congress but never made available to the public.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
December 9, 2013
2016 Memorandum Opinion
February 4, 2016
2017 Memorandum Opinion
November 7, 2017
EPIC v. DOJ Case No. 13-1848
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Office of Legal Counsel PRISM MemosSeeking the legal analyses from the Office of Legal Counsel concerning the NSA PRISM program.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
November 25, 2013
EPIC v. BBG Case No. 13-1362
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Tor FundingSeeking documents related to the Broadcasting Board of Governor's surveillance of internet traffic traveling through The Onion Router (Tor).
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
September 9, 2013
EPIC v. FBI Case No. 13-0442
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Next Generation IdentificationSeeking the FBI's technical specifications, contracts, and privacy impact assessments for the Next Generation Identification initiative, which involves the collection and use of biometrics, including facial recognition technology.
EPIC v. Dep't of Ed. Case No. 13-0345
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Private Debt Collector Privacy Act ComplianceSeeking records relating to the Department of Education's use of private debt collection.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
March 15, 2013
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 13-0260, 14-5013
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit | Standard Operating Procedure 303Seeking SOP 303, a secret policy that codifies a shutdown and restoration process for use by commercial and private wireless networks during national crises.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
February 27, 2013
D.C. Circuit Opinion
February 9, 2015
D.D.C. Opinion
November 12, 2013
EPIC v. CIA Case No. 12-2053
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Domestic SurveillanceSeeking an Inspector General report concerning surveillance on muslims and persons of Arab descent by the NY police department in collaboration with the CIA.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
December 20, 2012
EPIC v. ODNI Case No. 12-1282
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Revised GuidelinesSeeking documents related to the collection and integration of detailed personal information of US persons from databases at various levels of government.
EPIC v. FBI Case No. 12-0667
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Stingray/Cell Site SimulationSeeking records related the use of a new tracking technology that records the location of cell phones even when the devices are not in use.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
April 27, 2012
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 11-0945
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Defense Contractor MonitoringSeeking records related to a DHS program involving the monitoring of Internet traffic of certain government contractors that may take place outside the statutory authority for electronic surveillance.
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 12-333
DDC | Defense Contractor MonitoringSeeking documents relating to a joint DHS and NSA pilot program to monitor internet traffic to defense contractors.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
March 1, 2012
Memorandum Opinion
April 15, 2008
Attorneys Fees Opinion
November 21, 2016
EPIC v. DOJ & FBI Case No. 12-0127
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Wikileaks InvestigationSeeking records about the government's investigations of Wikileaks supporters, including records obtained from Internet and financial services companies.
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 11-2261
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Social Media MonitoringSeeking records about the monitoring of news organizations and social media services by the Department of Homeland Security.
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 11-945
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Mobile Body ScannersSeeking records about the possible expansion of the controversial airport body scanner program.
EPIC v. FTC Case No. 11-881
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Google Streetview InvestigationSeeking records on the FTC's investigation into Google Streetview
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
May 12, 2011
EPIC v. TSA Case No. 11-0290
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Body Scanner ModificationsSeeking records from the Department of Homeland Security regarding tests of airport body scanner radiation emissions and analyses of health risks, and the use of Automated Target Recognition software.
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 09-2084
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Body Scanner Radiation RisksSeeking records from the Department of Homeland Security regarding tests of airport body scanner radiation emissions and analyses of health risks, and the use of Automated Target Recognition software.
EPIC v. NSA Case No. 10-1533, 11-5233
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit | Google RelationshipSeeking records about the NSA's arrangement with Google regarding cybersecurity, following news reports that the agency would assist the company in analyzing network traffic.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
September 13, 2010
D.C. Circuit Opinion
May 11, 2012
D.D.C. Opinion
July 8, 2011
EPIC v. NSA Case No. 10-0196
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | National Security Presidential Directive 54 on Cybersecurity AuthoritySeeking NPSD 54, a Presidential Directive that grants the National Security Agency broad authority to conduct surveillance of domestic communications.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
February 2, 2010
Memorandum Opinion
October 21, 2013
Fees Opinion
April 8, 2015
EPIC v. DOJ Case No. 09-2394
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Body ScannersSeeking records on the United States Marshals Service's use of full body scanners for courthouse security.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
December 17, 2009
EPIC v. DHS Case No. 09-2084
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Body ScannersSeeking records from the Department of Homeland Security that directly relate to the TSA body scanner program.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
November 5, 2009
Second Complaint
January 13, 2010
Memorandum Opinion
January 12, 2011
EPIC v. VSP Case No. 08-1357
District Court for Arlington County, Virginia | Fusion CentersSeeking records that directly relate to alleged federal government involvement with a bill which exempts the Virginia Fusion Intelligence Center Virginia Fusion Center from Virginia privacy and government transparency laws.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
March 21, 2008
EPIC v. FTC Case No. 08-0448
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Conflict of InterestSeeking records for that directly relate to Chairman Majoras' conflict of interest in the Commission's Google-Doubleclick merger review.
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
March 14, 2008
EPIC v. DOJ Case No. 06-0096
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Warrantless WiretappingSeeking the legal memos justifying the warrantless wiretapping program of the Bush Administration
Documents
EPIC's Complaint
January 19, 2006
Share this page:
Subscribe to the EPIC Alert
The EPIC Alert is a biweekly newsletter highlighting emerging privacy issues.
