Our Mission

The mission of the coalition is to build tech policies and practices that put communities first, ensuring that people are free of unwarranted surveillance and that technology does not infringe upon people’s civil liberties and human rights.

Our Vision

The coalition fights for a safe and just Minnesota that protects citizens’ privacy and advocates for government transparency and accountability. We believe that digital and technological advances should not come at the cost of our basic constitutional rights as Americans and should not be used as oppressive tools against marginalized communities and other vulnerable groups.

Through community organizing and lobbying of our local and state government, the SNS coalition aims to transform Minnesota into an example for the country as a society free from indiscriminate government surveillance and one that promotes the ethical use of technology.

Our Values

Human Rights and Civil Liberties

We value the basic human right to be free of unwarranted mass surveillance. We value the protection of historically over-policed, over-surveilled, and targeted groups such as African Americans, Muslim Americans, LGBTQ+, Indigenous peoples, and other marginalized communities.

Racial Justice

Surveillance technologies and police activities disproportionately impact Black Americans in this country. We understand that technology will never be used equitably without addressing the deeply ingrained racial biases.

Transparency and Oversight

We value increased government transparency and oversight not as a catch-all solution but as helpful steps toward ending mass surveillance. We seek to build oversight that engages community members beyond those serving directly in oversight capacities. We believe that corporations and governments should be held to the highest standard of accountability.

Technological Literacy and Empowerment

We believe that technology should be used to uplift and empower, not as a tool of oppression, and that wherever possible we use and encourage the use of tools and platforms that are designed with these goals in mind. The surveillance and tech industry can be complex and opaque. We believe in free and accessible public education for ordinary people to foster awareness and knowledge about harmful technologies.