US vehicle surveillance tech faces legal pushback over license‑plate readers and driver‑monitoring systems

San Jose’s deployment of nearly 500 automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) cameras has been challenged in federal court, with residents and the Institute for Justice arguing the mass collection of location data constitutes an unlawful, warrantless search under the Fourth Amendment. Similar opposition has emerged in small towns such as Pine Plains, NY, and in several Washington‑state cities, prompting officials to halt or reconsider installations. The backlash mirrors earlier declines in speed‑camera programs, and Canadian authorities have even eliminated automated speed cameras, labeling them a “cash grab.”

At the same time, a federal mandate in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires all new passenger vehicles sold in the United States to include advanced driver‑monitoring technology by 2027. Subaru’s new “EyeSight” system, which alerts drivers for brief glances away from the road and can automatically stop the vehicle, has sparked outrage on social media, with critics warning the data could be shared with insurers, law‑enforcement agencies, or used to restrict travel. Privacy advocates contend that the combination of ALPR networks and in‑car monitoring creates a pervasive surveillance infrastructure that threatens civil liberties.