Petition to Protect Texans from Warrantless Mass Surveillance

To the Honorable Members of the Texas Legislature: We, the undersigned citizens of Texas, respectfully urge the Texas Legislature to enact legislation prohibiting or strictly limiting the use of automated license plate reader networks and other AI-enabled vehicle surveillance systems that collect, store, and share the movements of law-abiding Texans without a warrant. Texas has a proud history of defending liberty, limiting government power, and protecting the constitutional rights of its citizens. The rapid expansion of automated vehicle surveillance systems threatens these principles by enabling the continuous monitoring of Texans who are not suspected of any crime. Modern surveillance cameras do more than read license plates. They create searchable records of where people travel, where they worship, where they work, where they seek medical care, and with whom they associate. Through interconnected databases, these systems can compile detailed histories of the daily activities of ordinary citizens. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution exists to protect citizens from unreasonable searches and government intrusion. Texans should not be subjected to continuous, suspicionless tracking simply because they drive on public roads. We recognize the importance of law enforcement tools used to combat violent crime, recover stolen vehicles, and locate missing persons. However, public safety must be balanced with constitutional protections. A system that records the movements of millions of innocent people is inconsistent with the principles of a free society.