Isaacs backs a warrant-based model for license-plate tracking
Max IsaacsNYU Policing Project director of technology law and policy
Isaacs calls Minnesota's warrant requirement a promising model and says strong regulation is possible.
“I think you can look at a jurisdiction like Minnesota as a really promising model and proof that strong regulation is possible.”
Interview
Where this statement fits
Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Networked automated license-plate readers record passing vehicles and let agencies search or share travel records across locations. Candidates and officials disagree over whether to prohibit these networks, keep them with legal limits, or defend their use for investigations. This tracker records attributable positions on that choice, including proposals that would affect only public funding or data access.
Source and context
Interview
About this source
NYU Law interviews Policing Project researchers about regulating automated license-plate readers, including warrants, limits on watchlists and legislative safeguards.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Asked about adapting existing laws to regulate license-plate cameras, Isaacs cites wiretapping laws and describes a warrant requirement in Minnesota.
After the quotation
Friedman says the Policing Project has written model legislation that other jurisdictions could adopt.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Isaacs endorses requiring probable cause and a warrant before license-plate tracking. This is a conditional position on how the surveillance may operate.
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More from this case
Read the full caseJacob Burnett says Flock-style cameras should be done away with, with warrants required if they stay
“The systems themselves can be modified to prevent nearly all abuse and be made more secure by requiring warrants for access or follow through on any data the systems collect and have all data stored on the hardware itself preventing viewing from remote locations, requiring strict login credentials and a connecting warrant number to access. These are common sense changes that if the systems are to be used I feel could correct a lot of abuse or privacy concerns but I also feel the systems should be done away with overall, especially in the realm of predictive crime analytics.”Read statement
Dean Brewer, an independent candidate for Tennessee governor, says Flock cameras should be banned
“I believe flock cameras should be banned.”Read statement
Buddy Carter says license plate cameras help investigators but need privacy safeguards
“Technologies like license plate recognition cameras can provide valuable investigative tools, but they have also raised important questions about privacy and government oversight. As these systems become more common, it is important to balance public safety with appropriate safeguards that protect individual privacy.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Isaacs backs a warrant-based model for license-plate tracking". First published: 2026-10-17. Last updated: 2026-10-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/5953-isaacs-calls-minnesota-s-warrant-requirement-a-promising