As more communities install automated license plate readers (APLRs) to monitor vehicle traffic, there are growing concerns about the privacy and efficacy of these tools. Stories have appeared in local newspapers, such as those in St. Louis, Louisville and Akron that document the rapid rise of Flock license plate camera data and how it can be a central source of vehicle movements.

These stories highlight some of the privacy implications of APLRs and also recall some of the same issues with the growth of other massive private data collections. In my latest blog for Avast, I describe what’s going with these APLR systems, some of the issues raised by privacy advocates, and how they compare with the DNA/genetic testing data collections.