The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Virginia has filed a lawsuit against the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) claiming that the department unlawfully stored copious data collected by automatic license plate readers (ALPRs).
The ACLU of Virginia brought the suit after a resident discovered that his license plate had been scanned twice in one year although he hadn't been investigated, according to a release. The group claimed the FCPD violated the Virginia Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act by keeping a database of vehicles not under investigation.
The privacy organization's legal director, Rebecca Glenberg, said in the release that she doesn't object to real time use of ALPRs when searching for specific vehicles but says maintaining the database is an invasion of privacy.
Last month the ACLU complained to the Department of Homeland Security about its use of readers.
