Use of license plate photo databases is raising privacy concerns
LA TimesDeputy Charlie Cam of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has the only patrol car at the La Mirada substation that is equipped with ASAP, a four camera roof-mounted system that constantly scans for and photographs the license plates of nearby cars. Hill agrees that license plate data can aid law enforcement, but believes that the industry needs restrictions. Vigilant reports having more than 3,500 law enforcement clients that either use the company’s cameras or access its data. “All we have is the publicity statements these companies put out.” Law enforcement agencies have denied public records requests for license plate data, and private data collectors are not subject to such records requests. “A lot of times,” Lynch said, “they even have a clause that says law enforcement agencies aren’t allowed to talk about their products without talking to the company first.” Vigilant’s representatives say that tracking the movements of cars is not invasive.
History of this topic
License Plate Readers Are Leaking Real-Time Video Feeds and Vehicle Data
Wired
San Fernando Valley gets 100 license plate-reading cameras to help police crack down on crime
LA Times
License Plate Readers Are Creating a US-Wide Database of More Than Just Cars
Wired
California cops illegally shared license plate details, violating privacy laws, grand jury says
LA Times
The Danger of License Plate Readers in Post-Roe America
Wired
Customs and Border Protection Can Track Cars Nationwide Via Commercial Database
Slate
LAPD automatic license plate readers pose a massive privacy risk, audit says
LA Times
Cheap automatic license plate readers are creeping into neighborhoods.
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