License Plate Readers Blanket U.S. Streets, Raising Fourth Amendment Questions

Executive Briefing

• Flock Safety's ALPR cameras operate in 6,000+ communities, scanning billions of vehicles monthly across 5,000+ law enforcement agencies.
• Courts have upheld limited ALPR networks but signal that denser systems could cross constitutional Fourth Amendment boundaries.
• Critics warn aggregate location data reconstructs individuals' movements, associations, and routines without a warrant.
• Supreme Court's Chatrie ruling on Google Location History may strengthen constitutional challenges to ALPR searchable archives.
• Rep. Tim Burchett proposes legislation banning federal use of mass-tracking tools and blocking states from using federal funds for them.