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Louisiana Governor Vetoes License Plate Reader Bill, Citing Privacy Concerns

Posted by samzenpus on from the stop-watching dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has vetoed a plan to acquire license plate reading cameras in the state. Law enforcement agencies nationwide use such cameras to scan cars and compare them to a "hot list" of stolen or wanted vehicles. That data is kept for weeks, or even years In some cases. Jindal wrote in a signing statement: "Senate Bill No. 250 would authorize the use of automatic license plate reader camera surveillance programs in various parishes throughout the state. The personal information captured by these cameras, which includes a person’s vehicle location, would be retained in a central database and accessible to not only participating law enforcement agencies but other specified private entities for a period of time regardless of whether or not the system detects that a person is in violation of vehicle insurance requirements. Camera programs such as these that make private information readily available beyond the scope of law enforcement, pose a fundamental risk to personal privacy and create large pools of information belonging to law abiding citizens that unfortunately can be extremely vulnerable to theft or misuse. For these reasons, I have vetoed Senate Bill No. 250 and hereby return it to the Senate."

1 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. Re:too late by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    You idiots need to realize the difference between two things...
    a) a valid search warrant under the fourth upon those having probable cause, and
    b) those who do not!
    you have no life to you if you give up the fourth.
    automated data collection is against the due and valid and individually warranted procedure of the fourth.
    lest it eventually come upon and be wielded against you in very bad ways when YOU are innocent.
    do you really want that?
    you CANNOT rightfully scan everyone into and against your database.
    think about this permanent power that you would grant your so called "government"...
    truly... think about it.
    i bet that you cannot in true heart grant it.
    and that you must retain that power among you.