Children's Health Defense By
A California judge this week ordered the City of Los Angeles to release documents related to its smart city initiatives to Children’s Health Defense (CHD), which requested the documents under the California Public Records Act.
Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff said the city must turn over missing email attachments, produce supplemental documents, conduct a new search relevant to privacy laws and contracts, and deliver other documents the city withheld last year by claiming privilege when it only partially responded to CHD’s request.
In his order, Judge Beckloff cautioned the city that “the Petitioners’ interest in the requested records is substantial” and that interest — namely the city’s Digital Code of Ethics and “the right of a member of the public to opt out of the collection and sharing of personal data” — must be considered when the city invokes deliberative process privilege.
“CHD is excited to be at the forefront of fighting for children’s rights in this new era of digitalization, smart cities and wireless technology,” Miriam Eckenfels-Garcia, director of CHD’s Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) and Wireless program, told The Defender.
“As we assess and address new threats that come with this new age, we are thrilled that the court recognized residents’ rights to navigate the city without digital ID,” she added. “We are determined to fight against the threats to privacy and bodily autonomy that come with the uncontrolled rollout of wireless technology.”
CHD and several LA residents filed the lawsuit on July 24, 2023, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The suit alleges that key departments in city government violated the California Public Records Act by failing to promptly respond to the plaintiffs’ request to produce records from 2019-2023 of communications, programs, committees and technologies related to smart city planning.
Most of the city’s 20 departments involved in smart city planning provided the documents CHD requested when it began investigating smart city projects in April 2023…
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE… (childrenshealthdefense.org)
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