Donna Brandenburg
Role at the time: U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan candidate for governor, in an emailed statement
Statement summary
Brandenburg opposes Flock and similar third-party license-plate camera networks in Michigan, calling warrantless tracking of drivers an unreasonable search under the U.S. and Michigan constitutions. As governor, Brandenburg would end state participation in the networks, require a probable-cause warrant before data is collected or accessed, and order existing data on innocent drivers destroyed.
“I, Donna Brandenburg, oppose Flock and all 3rd party - Flock-style license plate camera networks in Michigan. Tracking the movements of law-abiding citizens without a warrant is an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article 1, Section 11 of the Michigan Constitution, which expressly protects 'electronic data and electronic communications.' As governor, I would end state participation in these surveillance networks, require a warrant based on probable cause before any data is collected or accessed, and order existing data on innocent drivers destroyed.”
Read the full email
I, Donna Brandenburg, oppose Flock and all 3rd party - Flock-style license plate camera networks in Michigan. Tracking the movements of law-abiding citizens without a warrant is an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article 1, Section 11 of the Michigan Constitution, which expressly protects 'electronic data and electronic communications.' As governor, I would end state participation in these surveillance networks, require a warrant based on probable cause before any data is collected or accessed, and order existing data on innocent drivers destroyed.
Why we used this label
Relative to whether networked license-plate surveillance should exist, Brandenburg expressly opposes Flock and similar third-party networks in Michigan and calls warrantless tracking an unreasonable search, so we labeled it Condemned. The warrant requirement comes alongside ending state participation and does not soften that opposition. On the remedy ladder this is Ban or remove, the strongest step the statement names.