Rep. Adam Smith says license plate reader use should be suspended until federal safeguards are in place

Everyone deserves to live in a safe community, but the unregulated use of technologies including ALPRs by law enforcement poses a real risk to the security and privacy of our communities. I am deeply concerned by reports that federal agencies, including ICE, use data from ALPRs without a warrant to further their climate of fear, confrontation and violence. There are also extremely troubling reports that law enforcement officials have misused the database to track current and former partners. Notably, false flags from the system have already led to wrongful arrests and long detentions. The use of these technologies should be suspended until thoughtful federal safeguards are in place. Legitimate investigations require guardrails, like warrants, for a reason. This prevents frivolous and unethical inquires that breach privacy and prevents law enforcement from acting in a manner similar the Trump Administration’s signature of targeting individuals for investigation without evidence they did anything wrong. We need to strengthen our communities and local governments, so they are empowered to address crime at a local level. But law enforcement must operate with clear guardrails, transparency, and real accountability. Congress has an obligation to uphold privacy and civil liberties. As technology continues to advance, I will continue working in the House to protect and expand protections for privacy.