Vote No on HB206: Protect North Carolina's Privacy Against Mass Surveillance

As your constituent, I urge you to vote decisively against House Bill 206, if Section 6 makes it out of committee. Reject the expansion of Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology in North Carolina. ALPR systems represent a dangerous tool for mass surveillance that fundamentally threatens the privacy and civil liberties of everyday North Carolinians. These cameras collect and permanently store sensitive location data on millions of people—whether or not they are suspected of any wrongdoing. This indiscriminate surveillance enables the government to track individuals' movements, associations, and daily activities without warrants or meaningful oversight, creating an unprecedented infrastructure for monitoring our most intimate activities. The risks of abuse are substantial and well-documented. Data collected by ALPR systems is typically retained for extended periods and shared widely among law enforcement agencies, and sometimes made available to private entities. This creates dangerous opportunities for misuse—including the targeting of individuals based on their travel to medical facilities, religious institutions, or political events. Without robust safeguards, this technology enables the kind of government tracking that our constitutional protections were designed to prevent. An officer in Charlotte used cameras in Boone to reveal the existence of an undercover investigation to a drug dealer. The Washington Post has reported on at least 50 cases nationwide of law enforcement officers using these cameras for stalking. First responders' efficiency concerns are understandable, but the constitutional right to privacy must prevail over generalized surveillance. Mass surveillance chills free speech and assembly. Research shows general roadway camera coverage doesn't significantly reduce crime. The DOJ's own 40-year study in Criminology and Public Policy found cameras most effective in parking lots, not highway systems and roadways. Lawmakers across the political spectrum—conservative and progressive alike—recognize that reasonable limits on mass tracking technologies are essential to protecting fundamental freedoms. This is not a partisan issue; it is about preserving the basic right to privacy that all North Carolinians deserve. I respectfully urge you to vote no on HB206 if it includes the current Section 6. Support meaningful privacy protections for your constituents. North Carolina can be a leader in protecting our citizens' fundamental rights while maintaining effective law enforcement. Thank you for your consideration.