Louisiana Governor Vetoes License Plate Readers Over Invasion Of Privacy
In an all too rare move against the continued deployment of automated license plate readers (LPRs), Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R) vetoed a plan to acquire the scanners in the state, citing grave privacy issues. The move to use the readers had previously passed both houses of the Louisiana legislature by a large margin.
Law enforcement agencies nationwide are increasingly relying on these specialized cameras to scan cars and compare them at incredible speeds to a "hot list" of stolen or wanted vehicles or people. The data collected is kept for weeks, months, or even years and can be used for a variety of purposes, amounting a mass dragnet of people-tracking that greatly erodes privacy.
Jindal wrote in detail about his reasons for rejecting the legislation.
Senate Bill No. 250 wou...