#55: License Plates As Mass Surveillance Tools?
Automatic license plate readers – those cameras on police cars and light poles that capture plate numbers – have been in widespread use since the 1990s. But some argue regulations for how and how long police can use and store that information hasn’t kept up with the technology.
American Civil Liberties Union attorney Nathan Freed Wessler with the Speech, Privacy & Technology Project says automatic plate readers are great for spotting stolen cars or wanted drivers, but they’re also watching the rest of us.