WHAT’S AN ALPR?
Automated license plate readers (ALPR) are AI-controlled camera systems that are typically mounted on street poles, streetlights, and highway over-passes, capturing thousands of plates per minute. They collect extensive identifying data on every passing vehicle and, by extension, on every person regardless of whether the driver is suspected of any wrongdoing, enabling their clients unprecedented levels of warrantless access to our location history and live location tracking. Government clients, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other law enforcement agencies, have actively abused these unregulated capabilities to stalk, harm, and kidnap people.
HOW THEY WORK
ALPR cameras use motion sensors to detect movement, then automatically capture a series of photos. These images are instantly uploaded to a central database, where AI logs the license plate, the vehicle’s make, model, color, and any distinguishing features (e.g., bumper stickers, roof racks, dents, etc.) along with the date, time, and location. Although the vendor only stores the data for 30 days, during that time clients like DHS can download, distribute, and retain it indefinitely. Vehicles can be flagged for longer retention and automatically tracked across multiple ALPRs, enabling law enforcement to track any vehicle traveling across the country in real time with a simple search, like “silver Camry with Bears sticker”
