California police used AI license plate readers to monitor immigration protest
Escondido Police Department in California searched AI-enabled automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras in relation to an immigration protest on February 3, according to data obtained by 404 Media. The data also shows California police departments have shared access to Flock cameras with agencies nationwide, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a practice experts say raises legal and civil liberties concerns in a state positioned as a sanctuary state.
What happened
On February 3, Escondido Police Department in California searched Flock automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras in relation to an 'immigration protest,' according to internal police data obtained by 404 Media through a public records request with Redlands Police Department.
The data shows California police departments have repeatedly shared access to Flock cameras with agencies nationwide, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), through data sharing arrangements that allow out-of-state agencies to search California's cameras.
Reported impact
Jennifer Pinsof, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, stated that ALPR technology is extremely invasive and could easily be weaponized against immigrant communities, especially in the current political climate.
The practice raises questions about whether California agencies are enforcing state data sharing laws and threatens to undermine the state's position as a sanctuary state.
Index analysis
The data sharing is only possible because California agencies opted-in to sharing their camera access with out-of-state agencies, making them legally responsible for the data sharing practice.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.