A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a privacy lawsuit over San José’s automated license plate reader network. Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj ruled Friday that the system does not violate the privacy right the plaintiffs invoked.
The city operates nearly 500 Flock readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates a year. El-Hajj relied on a 2024 state appeals court ruling that rejected a privacy challenge involving traffic cameras in San Diego.
Filed in November 2025 by the ACLU of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation on behalf of CAIR-CA and SIREN, the suit challenged the city’s searchable database of plate and vehicle information. The plaintiffs argued that searches should require a warrant. The city currently retains the information for a month, down from a year when the case was filed.
City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood welcomed the ruling. Electronic Frontier Foundation litigation director Andrew Crocker said the plaintiffs may appeal.
Please note! Comments are published by readers. The opinions expressed may not reflect the position of the editorial team. USCT is not responsible for the content of readers' opinions and asks authors to observe moral standards, not to incite national or racial hatred, and to avoid rudeness. Think before you speak. You are responsible for your words! By publishing an opinion, you agree to the rules! If this request is ignored, USCT reserves the right to deprive the user of the ability to leave comments.