How police handle location data has become a point of contention for activists fighting for a number of causes, as many states across the country debate laws that criminalize women seeking abortion or parents obtaining gender-affirming care for their children.
The vast majority of data collected from license plate readers are unrelated to criminal investigations. But to members of law enforcement, they’re a valuable tool with countless success stories. To activists, they offer the government an unrestricted view into people’s daily lives.