San Francisco's decision to retain Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) surveillance cameras with new safeguards is inadequate, as the policy lacks warrant requirements for searching stored data, contains no deletion deadline, and fails to prevent documented harms including wrongful stops, officer stalking, and ICE deportations. Critics argue that audit logs and data transfers do not address the fundamental problem of mass surveillance and demand the city end ALPR use entirely, following communities that have rejected the technology.
U.S. government agencies increasingly rely on private surveillance contractors like Palantir and Flock to track citizens and conduct military operations, bypassing warrant requirements. Tech journalists and researchers warn this privatized surveillance infrastructure is expanding under Trump's administration, though bipartisan concern about AI regulation and surveillance overreach offers potential for a pro-privacy coalition.