Police departments across Washington are figuring out how to move forward after the state set new limits on license plate readers last month, with some hitting pause as they decide how — or whether — to turn them back on.
Why it matters: The cameras can track where vehicles go, raising concerns about privacy and government surveillance — while police say they’re key tools for solving crimes.
- Advocates of the new law limiting the readers warned the technology allowed for widespread data sharing — including with federal agencies.
Driving the news: Washington lawmakers passed the state’s first-ever restriction on automated license plate readers earlier this year, and Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the bill into law March 30.
- It limits how police can use the technology, caps how long data can be stored (21 days) and restricts how that data can be shared.
- It also bars agencies from collecting data near certain locations, including health care facilities, immigration-related sites, schools, places of worship and food banks.
Tee Sannon of the ACLU of Washington called the law “an important first step,” but said it does not go far enough to protect Washingtonians from surveillance…