Monday, March 13, 2023

Surveillance tool on public to be passed by Minnesota Legislature?

As the Minnesota Legislature considers imposing a street surveillance system through the use of authomatic law enforcement speed cameras at the behest of the state's largest City, Minneapolis, policymakers and the public need to ask some tough questions.

What are the type of cameras that local law enforcement agencies will use? Speed cameras are license plate readers. They can do two functions, one to read license plates and the other to issue a ticket based on speed. Will the cameras purchased be able to do both functions? The technology is there to do so.

One could have a speed cam on the street, collecting license plate numbers, location data on individuals who are licensed to that vehicle. Then when it notes the vehicle went past the speed limit, it issues the ticket to you. Which you will get in the mail Below is information on what license plate readers are and what they can do.

https://www.aclu.org/other/you-are-being-tracked-how-license-plate-readers-are-being-used-record-americans-movements?redirect=technology-and-liberty/you-are-being-tracked-how-license-plate-readers-are-being-used-record

The legislation is House File 2098 the companion is Senate File 2026 and it is below, the House File.

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF2098&type=bill&version=0&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0