Groups Urge Newsom to Dismantle Hidden License Plate Readers in SoCal

More than two dozen privacy and advocacy organizations have urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to investigate and dismantle a network of hidden license plate readers in Southern California, which they say contribute data to a U.S. Border Patrol program that analyzes domestic travel patterns to flag potential smuggling activity.

The groups, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Imperial Valley Equity and Justice, sent a letter to Newsom on Tuesday requesting that his administration review relevant permits, revoke them and remove the devices. Researchers from the organizations identified approximately 40 such readers in San Diego and Imperial counties, areas bordering Mexico. More than two dozen of these were concealed inside construction barrels along state highways, according to the letter. While the ownership of every device could not be confirmed, permits obtained from the California Department of Transportation showed that both the Border Patrol, part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Drug Enforcement Administration had sought approval to install readers on public roads. Documents indicate the DEA shares its license plate data with the Border Patrol.