San Jose Faces Legal Challenge Over Warrantless ALPR Surveillance – The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed a lawsuit challenging San Jose’s practice of warrantless automated license plate reader (ALPR) mass surveillance, escalating a critical fight over Fourth Amendment rights in the digital age.
The lawsuit, detailed in EFF’s latest EFFector newsletter (issue 37.17), argues that San Jose’s ALPR system allows for the indiscriminate collection of location data on drivers, violating privacy protections. This action comes amidst broader concerns highlighted in the newsletter, including opposition too proposed VPN bans and efforts to strengthen patent protections at the expense of innovation.
EFFector 37.17 also reports on a privacy victory in Sacramento, were a court has forced the city to end its dragnet surveillance program utilizing electricity meter data. Additionally, the newsletter covers lawmakers’ attempts to ban vpns, which EFF argues is a misguided approach, and new rules that could make problematic patents virtually untouchable. Supporters are urged to file public comments opposing these rules.
For those who prefer to listen, EFF Surveillance Litigation Director Andrew Crocker explains the San Jose lawsuit in an audio companion available on YouTube and the Internet Archive.
EFFECTOR 37.17 – ✋ GET A WARRANT
Since 1990, EFF has published EFFector to keep readers informed about developments in digital rights. The newsletter provides updates, announcements, blog posts, and stories covering online privacy, free expression, and the intersection of technology and civil liberties.
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