In Arkansas, an automated license plate reader (ALPR) – the high-speed cameras that captures the license plate information of each passing vehicle – resulted in a young couple with a small baby in the car being detained at gunpoint, after it mistakenly flagged their vehicle as stolen. Errors involving ALPRs have led to innocent people being jailed, while misuse of the tech has enabled law enforcement officers to stalk former romantic partners and obtain private information about citizens they are sworn to protect and serve.
These camera systems allow the government to collect and retain enormous amounts of personal information about people who are not suspected of a crime, all without a warrant – including license plate numbers, and the date, time, and precise location of the vehicle. That information can be kept for an indefinite period and create a comprehensive record of motorists’ movements.
Recently, the Supreme Court ruled in Chatrie v. United States that the government’s collection of cellphone location history constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment, creating extreme privacy issues. The rejection of the warrantless collection of location history should likewise lead courts to reject other types of warrantless digital surveillance of sensitive information.
Source: Washington Examiner
