Overview
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation and partners have identified more than 40 concealed automated license-plate readers across San Diego and Imperial counties, including devices tucked into trailers and construction barrels.
- A coalition of 30 organizations has asked Gov. Gavin Newsom and Caltrans to revoke permits and remove readers operated by federal agencies such as Border Patrol and the DEA.
- Caltrans records show 14 federal permit applications since 2015 with eight approvals, and the agency says it has received no new requests since June 2024 and does not access any data collected by the equipment.
- An Associated Press investigation previously reported that Border Patrol’s plate-reader data feeds a predictive-intelligence program that monitors travel patterns for millions of U.S. drivers.
- California’s attorney general has taken enforcement actions to uphold state limits on sharing plate data with out-of-state entities, while federal agencies and the governor’s office declined to provide substantive comment as locals and aid volunteers report increased questioning tied to their travel.