Privacy activists call on California to remove covert license plate readers

More than two dozen privacy advocacy groups have sent a formal request to California Governor Gavin Newsom demanding the removal of covert license plate readers deployed throughout southern California, citing growing concerns about mass surveillance and civil liberties violations. The letter, sent earlier this month, represents a significant escalation in the ongoing battle between privacy advocates and law enforcement agencies utilizing advanced tracking technologies. These license plate readers, often mounted on patrol cars or fixed locations, automatically scan and record thousands of license plates daily, creating detailed movement patterns of vehicles and their owners without public knowledge or consent. Privacy activists argue that such surveillance constitutes an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment, potentially tracking innocent citizens as they go about their daily lives without suspicion of wrongdoing. The technology has been deployed by various law enforcement agencies in California, including the California Highway Patrol and local sheriff's departments, often with little public disclosure about their use or retention policies. Governor Newsom now faces increasing pressure to address these concerns, with privacy advocates calling for transparency, strict regulations, or complete removal of the controversial surveillance systems.