EPIC and ACLU acquired via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documentation of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) trial access to the National Vehicle Locator Service (NVLS) license plate reader database in the 2010-2012 period, operated by Vigilant Solutions on the LEARN platform.
The number of searches of electronic devices while passing through international airports or land border checkpoints is heating up.
This handy fact sheet from ACLU tells you your options and gives you info on how to report what happened to you so civil rights lawyers can have the most up to date information on what’s happening at the border.
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In the wake of recent revelations that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), after years of trying, had successfully gained enhanced access to Vigilant’s private automated license plate reader database, the City of Alameda cancelled a planned expansion of their Vigilant license plate reader system.
In a dramatic City Council hearing on the evening of February 6, vendor Vigilant flew out VP Brian Shockley from Tennessee, the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC) sent a representative and the Alameda Police Chief presented for more than an hour. Privacy advocates from Oakland Privacy, ACLU Norcal and EFF spoke to the Council, along with Alamedans both opposed and in support of the LPR expansion, which would have blanketed every bridge and tunnel entrance or exit to the island. After midnight, the Council decided not to go ahead with the purchase from Vigilant.
They agreed to revise their policy, consider another RFP. protect their sanctuary status and carefully consider surveillance impact going forward.
January 31 was a big legislative deadline in CA’s state capitol, as left-over legislation either had to cross over to the other house or expire. Here at Oakland Privacy, we have two expirations to celebrate as bills we fought against as unwarranted expansions of the surveillance state, failed to advance.
Update: SB 712 failed to pass the CA State Senate on January 30, 2018
A bill before the CA State Legislature, SB 712, would make it easier to exercise your legal right to opt out of automatic license plate scanning when your vehicle is parked. Californians can already cover their whole car, including the license plate, but are not currently allowed to cover just the license plate itself. Sensitive data can be exposed by geolocation at certain kinds of places including reproductive health clinics, worshipping at mosques, Sikh temples, synagogues or other minority religious institutions, oncolology or cancer treatment center, or purchasing cannabis. License plate readers located outside consulates can profile people who may be undocumented
ICE Director Thomas Homan issued a condemnation of the Oakland City Council. The full text is here: https://twitter.com/daviddebolt/status/953810452118515712
And Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf spoke to the media about Oakland’s decison.