Senator Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) introduced legislation limiting the use and scope of data obtained by traffic cameras. According to the sponsor, the goal is to put meaningful restrictions on the use and management of the data collected by the cameras to ensure that the privacy of Michigan residents is protected.
Key Points:
-
- It requires a warrant before the government could access the automatic license plate database unless an active criminal investigation, missing person, or stolen vehicle investigation is taking place.
- Additionally, it requires license plate data to be automatically deleted after 14 days if it is not being used for those purposes.
- According to the ACLU, between 80,000 and 100,000 cameras are installed across the U.S., performing more than 20 billion scans each month.
Next Steps:
-
- The bill was referred to the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee.
- Similar legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives.
