Politics & Government
Should RI Regulate Automated License Plate Readers?
Privacy advocates are concerned about the technology.
State lawmakers are considering a bill that would regulate automated license plate readers.
Senate Bill 2614 would make the technology illegal, except for when it's used to:
- Collect a toll
- Identify a parking or traffic ticket violator
- Identify a vehicle registered to someone with a warrant
- Identify a vehicle related to a missing person
"ALPRs are spreading rapidly around the country, but the public has little information about how they are used to track motorists’ movements, including how long data collected by ALPRs is stored, and whether police departments pool this information in state, regional or national databases," the group said in a statement.
A lobbyist for a company that makes license plate readers opposed Senate Bill 2614, arguing license plates are public property and come with no expectation of privacy, according to the Providence Journal.
The issue is not specific to Rhode Island; states across the country are deciding how to regulate the technology.
Should Rhode Island regulate automated license plate readers? Share your opinion in the comments.
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