San Jose Residents Sue Over License Plate Reader Program

0:00It's April 16. You're listening to California News today, AI-powered local news. Three San Jose residents just filed a federal-class action lawsuit against the city's automated license plate reader program. Launched back in 2022, it now runs 474 cameras that snap millions of license plates every month for police. Investigations. The suit claims this mass surveillance violates the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches. They're pushing the court to force the city to delete that data within 24 hours, unless cops get a warrant for longer keeps. Right now, plates stick around for 30 days by default. The city attorney fires back, saying the cameras are only on public streets, fully legal, and come with strong privacy safeguards. Residents like Privacy Engineer Tony Tan worry it could track protected activities like his volunteer work monitoring immigration enforcement. On the flip side, police praised the system for cracking cases from hidden runs to officer

1:00attacks. Back in March, the city council even tightened rules, cutting storage from a full year and limiting camera spots amid backlash. Another suit from local groups hit in November, claiming warrantless searches break state privacy laws. City audits show no policy violations so far, and they block access by feds or out-of-state agencies. This is part of a bigger push by the Institute for Justice, with similar cases aiming for Supreme Court review. As San Jose balances crime-biting tools against everyday privacy, these fights could reshape how cities wash the streets, keep an eye on the rulings.