The American Civil Liberties Union sent out an official warning to U.S. citizens that law enforcement officials are using license plate scanners cross the country to watch people going about their daily lives.
The license plate scanners scan license plate numbers on vehicles and then store that information in databases according to CBS News. Tens of thousands of license plates scanners are scattered all over the country.
Information collected from the scanners can include, but is not limited to, your exact location at any given time, meaning the police know when you're either simply making a grocery run or heading to commit a crime.
In a new report called " You Are Being Tracked: How License Plate Readers Are Being Used to Record Americans' Movements," the ACLU said that license plate scanners can be found mounted on patrol cars, overpasses, toll gates, bridges and other nearby locations are recording your license plate number and location of your vehicle even if you're not a convicted criminal.
The cameras, installed thanks to federal funding with the intention of catching car thieves and other criminals, have also been tracking innocent people according to the study.
The L.A. Police Department said the technology has allowed them to solve thousands of cases like finding suspected rapist and other criminals.
The ACLU report was based on 26,000 pages of police documents from all over the country. In certain states, there are no regulations about how long the data on drivers can be kept, including data on citizens who don't have a criminal record.
So what do you think about the scanners? Are they okay if they help stop criminals or do you have a problem with police monitoring innocent people?
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