AI Is Watching Your Every Move on the Road. These State Laws Are Pushing Back
Key takeaways
- The surveillance infrastructure tracking American drivers has grown far more sophisticated than most people realize.
- That raises a large question: What are the best privacy protection laws?
- I spoke to Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel and lead for the American Civil Liberties Union's surveillance work, to find the best examples.
The surveillance infrastructure tracking American drivers has grown far more sophisticated than most people realize. What began as simple plate-logging technology has evolved into AI systems capable of identifying faces, flagging unusual travel patterns and building detailed movement profiles -- all without the knowledge of the people being watched. Companies such as Flock Safety now operate in communities across 49 states, and their data is accessible to thousands of law enforcement agencies, including federal immigration enforcement, according to civil liberties groups. State legislatures are among the few institutions actively writing rules around how these systems can be used, and what those rules say (or don't say) have real consequences for your privacy on the road.
That raises a large question: What are the best privacy protection laws? I wanted to provide more details for anyone wondering what to support or what their state is currently doing. One challenge is that every state is different, and there's no clear guide on what privacy laws work and which have flaws.
I spoke to Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel and lead for the American Civil Liberties Union's surveillance work, to find the best examples. These laws are making the biggest difference in our privacy.