EFF and ACLU challenge warrantless ALPR database searches in Wisconsin

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the ACLU of Wisconsin have filed a petition with the Wisconsin Supreme Court regarding law enforcement use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs). The petition argues that the state constitution requires a warrant for retrospective searches of ALPR databases in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, and Green Bay. The legal challenge is brought on behalf of a religious organization and an individual pastor to protect location privacy and prevent mass surveillance.

Legal challenge against ALPR surveillance

• The lawsuit targets retrospective searches of collected ALPR data.
• Law enforcement agencies in four cities (Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, and Green Bay) currently collect, store, and aggregate this data.
• The petition argues that ALPR technology enables tracking of individuals and communities in ways that were previously impossible or too costly.
• The case follows a recent federal court ruling in Oklahoma that classified ALPRs as a form of indiscriminate mass surveillance.

Why it matters

This case could set a precedent for how digital location data and automated surveillance tools are regulated under state constitutions.