Federal Surveillance Program Aggregates Local ALPR Data

• •The HIDTA program is used to aggregate local ALPR data for federal access.
• •Local law enforcement agencies may be unaware of the data sharing practices.
• •The program raises significant privacy and transparency concerns.

The Trump administration is reportedly using the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program to compel cities to funnel their automated license plate reader (ALPR) data into federal surveillance systems. This data, collected from local law enforcement agencies, is then accessible to various federal, state, and local agencies, raising significant privacy concerns. The HIDTA program, overseen by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, has been criticized for bypassing democratic processes and lacking transparency. Local police departments are reportedly unaware of the extent to which their data is shared and retained, with potential implications for civil liberties. The aggregation of this data may allow for broader surveillance than communities consented to, as local restrictions on data usage are circumvented. Investigative efforts have highlighted the lack of oversight in how this data is managed and accessed.