State Rep. Jim Prokopiak is among a bipartisan group of state lawmakers seeking to establish statewide privacy and accountability protections for automated license plate reader (LPR) systems, including Flock Safety cameras, it was announced last week.
State Rep. Tarik Khan (D-Philadelphia) announced plans to introduce legislation amid growing concerns about their misuse by officials. A memoranda seeking support was circulated to House members by Khan last week with seven pledging support for the yet to be presented legislation.
Issues surrounding “Flock Safety” cameras have started to gain traction nationally in recent months.
“License plate readers are becoming increasingly common across Pennsylvania. While the technology can assist law enforcement in recovering stolen vehicles and solving crimes, its expansion raises important questions about personal information, privacy, and civil liberties,” Khan said in the memo.
Bucks County-based police departments have used LPR cameras to make numerous arrests over the last three years.
Red Light cameras perched atop traffic lights at the intersection of Rt13 and Edgely Rd
Credit: Jeff Bohen Lower Bucks Source
Reports from around the country have documented concerns about misuse, including instances in which individuals with authorized access allegedly used the data to stalk former partners, track acquaintances, or conduct searches for personal reasons, according to the proposed bill’s memo.
“As a nurse, I know how deeply personal medical information is and why we have strong protections around who can access and use it,” Khan said. “We need to think about license plate reader data in much the same way. If a record is being created of where you’ve been, there should be strict rules about protecting this data, including who can access that information, how it can be used, and how long it can be kept, as well as real consequences if this data is misused.”
The proposed legislation would establish safeguards to protect Pennsylvanians’ personal information and civil liberties, including rules governing access, documented reasons for searches, audit trails, data retention standards, and transparency. It would also establish meaningful civil penalties for unauthorized access, use, or disclosure; allow individuals harmed by misuse to bring a civil action; and authorize the Pennsylvania Attorney General and county district attorneys to investigate violations and bring civil enforcement actions, Khan said.
“As this technology becomes more prevalent across Pennsylvania, we have an opportunity to put strong protections in place now,” Khan said. “Pennsylvanians deserve to know their personal information is protected and their civil liberties are respected. We can fight crime without sacrificing either.”
DeFlock.me is a website which, through crowdsourcing has mapped the locations of more than 76,000 license plate readers across the country.
Here is link to that mapping for the 19007 zip code as an example.
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